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HISTORY 



OF 



A 
CORTLAND COUNTY 



W/TH ILLUSTRATIONS AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF 
SOME OF ITS PROMINENT MEN AND PIONEERS 



EDITED BV 

H . P . SMITH 



SYRACUSE, N. Y. 
D. MASON & CO., PUBLISHERS 






D. MASON & CO., 

PDBLISHEKS ANB PRINTERS, 

63 WEST WATER ST., 

SYRACUSE, N. Y. 






INTRODUCTORY. 



WHILE it may seem to the uninitiated a task involving but little difficulty to prepare 
for publication a work no more comprehensive in character than this volume, and 
containing merely a history of a single county, still it is not out of place here to assure 
all such readers that the task is one involving a vast amount of labor and research, 
watchful care, untiring patience, and fair discrimination. This need not be said to any 
person who has had experience in similar work. In attempting the production of a 
creditable history of Cortland county the publishers and the editor did not underestimate 
the difficulties of this task, and came to it fully imbued with both a clear idea of its 
magnitude and determination to execute it in such a manner that it should receive the 
general commendations of all into whose hands it should fall. It is believed that this 
purpose has been substantially carried out, and that, while a perfect historical work has 
never yet been published, this one will be found to contain so few imperfections that the 
most critical readers will be satisfied. 

It is the general plan of the publishers in the production of county histories to secure, 
as far as possible, local assistance in preparing the work, either as writers, or for the 
purpose of revising all manuscripts; the consequence being that the work bears a local 
character that could not otherwise be secured, and, moreover, comes from the press far 
more complete and perfect than could possibly be the case were it entrusted entirely to 
the hands of a comparative stranger to the locality treated of In carrying out this plan 
in this county the editor has found such generous co-operation and assistance that to 
merely mention all those who have liberally aided in the work is impossible ; the 
satisfaction of having contributed to a desirable public work must be their reward. But 
we cannot pass unnoticed tlic names of a few who have given most generously of their 
labor and time towards the consummation of the work : To Hon. R. Holland Duell, Hon. 
A. P. Smith and David E. Smith for aid in preparing the chapter on the bench and bar 



Introductory. 



of the county, most of the writing of which was done by the last named gentleman ; to 
Dr. Caleb Green and Dr. Frederick Hyde, the former for writing; and the latter for revising 
much of the chapter on the medical profession; to George L. Warren, II. W. Blashfield 
and others for assistance in preparing the history of the Masonic order; to Hon. Wm. H. 
Clark, B. H. Jones, V. G. Kinney, Wm, O. Bunn, Ed. L. Adams, W. O. Greene and E. P. 
Fancher, <>f the county press, for generous aid and the use of their valuable newspaper 
files; to Mrs. Dr. Frederick Hyde for valuable documents; to Alonzo Blodgett for 
use of valuable scrap-book ; to Charles Kingsbury and T. Mason Loring for valuable 
historic materials ; and many others in the different towns whom we cannot mention for 
want of .space. In this connection we should be greatly neglectful of courtesy if we did 
not acknowledge our great obligation to the work of the late Hon. Horatio Ballard, whose 
published reminiscences contain so much that is of the greatest value to the historian of 
the towns of Cortland and Homer ; and the same meed of credit is due to the indefatigable 
work of the late Hon. Nathan Bouton, whose published pamphlet embraces almost the 
entire history of the town of Virgil. With these brief and inadequate acknowledgments, 
the work is commended to its readers by the publishers and 

The Editor. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER \. — .\„/!ira/ Cliaractcyistics — 
Boundaries and Topography of the 
Territory now Embraced in Cortland 
County— Its Rivers, Creelis and Lakes 

— Geologic Forn'iat ions — Climatic Fea- 
tures — General Character of the Soil 

— Timber 9 

CHAPTER II. — i%V/<;; J of the Aborigines 

— The Iroquois and their Great Con- 
federacy - The Different Tribes and 
their Limitations — Traditionary Origin 
of the Confederation — Legend of Ta- 
oun-ya-\vat-ha — Tribal Relations — 
The "Clan" System — Social Rela- 
tions and Personal Peculiarities of the 
Iroquois — Their Amusements — The 
Councils — Origin of the Warlike Ten- 
dency of the Iroquois — The French 
Colonists and their Struggles with the 
Indians — Defeat of the Adirondacks 

— Military Organization and Charac- 
teristics — Treatment of Prisoners — 
Physical Traits — Their Downfall Fore- 
shadowed 13 

CHAPTER III. —Indian Relations in Cen- 
tral New York — The Territory of 
Cortland County with Reference to the 
Indian Tribes — The Leni Lenape — 
Their Traditionary Origin — Their Re- 
lations with the Iroquois — The Pecu- 
liar Office Assigned Them — Final Su- 
premacy of the Iroquois — Indian Vil- 
lages — Their Personal Habits and 
Social Customs — Religious Beliefs, 
Marriages, Festivals, etc 26 

CHAPTER IV. — Eiiropeaft Discoveries and 
Settlements — Jacob Cabot at New- 
foundland — The Brothers Cortreal — 
Discover)- of the St. Lawrence River 



I'Af; K. 

— Ponce de Leon's Discovery of Flor- 
ida — Spanish Discoveries and Con- 
quests — French Acquisitions to the 
Northward — Settlement of Quebec — 
English Settlement at Jamestown — 
Establishment of Dutch Settlements 
on the Hudson River -r Claims of 
Rival Nations — Arrival of the Jesuits 

— Champlain's First Meeting with the 
Indians — The Expedition — Indian 
Wars — E.xtension of the Fur Trade — 
Jesuit Missionary Work — French and 
English Rivalr)- and their Negotiations 
with the Indians — Attack on Montreal 

— Expedition Planned by Frontenac 

— Burning of Schenectady — Treaty of 
Utrecht — The Iroquois in the Caro- 
linas 35 

CH.APTER V. — Previous to County Organi- 
zation — An Indian " Summer Resort " 

— Early Records and State Divisions 

— Genealogy of Cortland County — 
The Military Tract — Its Origin and 
History — Land Bounties to Soldiers 

— Proportions of Bounties — Action 
of Congress in Relation Thereto — The 
Tract Ordered Surveyed, Mapped and 
Divided — Conditions Imposed upon 
Grantees — The "State's Hundreds" 
School and Gospel Lots — Division 
into Townships — Fraudulent Land 
Titles — Vexatious Litigation — For- 
mation of the Present Towns of the 
County 46 

CHAPTER VI. — Formation of the County — 
A Division of Onondaga County De- 
manded — The Petition of Southern 
Residents for that Object — Important 
Provisions of the Law Organizing Cort- 

5 



Contents. 



PAGE. 

land County — Origin of Name — 
Changes in the Townships — Organi- 
zation of the Courts — First County 
Officers — Early Political Parties- 
Pioneers of the County — Delays in 
Early Settlement — Comparative Dates 
of Other Settlements— Routes of In- 
coming Pioneers — Privations of Early 
Settlers — Winter Travel in OUkn 
Xinies — The First Settlers in Cort- 
land County — Mrs. Beebc's Lonely 
Life in the Wilderness — Settlements 
in the Different Towns Previous to 
, 8 lo — Population at ibat Date — 
Opening of Early Roads — Turnpike 
Road Companies — Necessity for 
Grist-mills — Tht- First Churches — 
Early Schools 5-V 

CHAPTER VII.— T'//^' Second Decade — 
Dwellings and Surroundings of Early 
Settlers — Household Conveniences — 
House Raising— The Pioneer's First 
Agricultural Work — " Logging Bees" 

— The Settler's Diet — Scarcity of 
Money — Advantages of Asheries — 
The Tioughnioga River as a Highway 
to Market — The Head of Navigation 

— Port Watson Village — The First 
Newspaper in the County— Its Chief 
Characteristics — Old Advertisements 

— The First Court House — An Old 
Building Document — Village Rivalry 

Further Organizations of Turnpike 

Companies — Change of Boundary — 
The First Newspaper in Cortland Vil- 
lage—An Early Celebration — Strug- 
gle over the Site of the Gaol — Its 
Final Location in Cortland — News- 
paper Recrimination — The First Ag- 
ricultural Society — The Old County 
Clerk's Office ■• 63 

CHAPTER VIII.— T/ie Third Decade — 
Condition of the Community — Aban- 
donment of the Tioughnioga as a 
Freight Highway — The Erie Canal 
Project and Its Influence in the County 
— The Constitutional Convention of 
1821 and the Changes Wrought there- 
by in the County — The First Railroad 
Charter — Salina and Port Watson the 
Terminal Points — More Turnpike 
Companies Incorporated — The Canal 
Mania — Ths Syracuse and Port Wat- 



son Canal Project — Other Internal 

Im|)rovenients — Statistics 75 

CHAPTER \X. — Froin 1830 lo /he present 
time — Beginning of the Third Decade 
— Condition of the County at Large — 
New Road Companies Organized — 
The County Poor House — Building 
of the New Court House — Railroad 
Agitation — Incorporation of Two 
Companies for Lines Through Cort- 
land — Organization of the Second 
Agricultural Society — Political Remi- 
niscences—The Leaders of Other 
Days — The Campaign of 1 844 — 
Changes in Congressional and Sena- 
torial Districts — Town Boundaries 
Altered — Town Genealogy — Devel- 
opment of Dairying Interests —Public 
Ecfucation- The Old Stage Routes — 
The Railroad Again — A New Char- 
ter Obtained— The Road Finished — 
Public Demonstrations of Satisfaction 

— Effects on Villages — The First 
Death Penalty — Political Events — 
Building of a New Jail — New Rail- 
road Connections — .Statistics 79 

CH.A PTER X.— Military History — The ybth 
Regiment — "General Training " Days 

— Military Dignitaries in the Old Mi- 
litia — Cortland County in the War of 
the Rebellion — The News from Bull 
Run — Its Effects at the North — The 
County .Aroused — An Important 
jyieeting — Suggestions for the Or- 
ganization of a Regiment — Meetings 
Held Throughout the County— Re- 
cruiting— The 76th Regiment Or- 
ganized—Camp Established on the 
Fair Grounds — The Green-McNett 
Trouble — Departure of the Regiment 
— Reorganization — Line and Staff 
Officers — Off for New York- Or- 
dered to Washington — Camp Life at 
Meridian Hill — Ordered to Freder- 
icksburg — Colonel Wainwright As- 
sio-ned to the Command of the Regi- 
,nent — The First Battle — Examples 
of Heroism— The Second Bull Run — 
South Mountain and the Conflict — 
,At Fredericksburg — The Bloody 
Field of Gettysburg — .'\n Execution 
— In the Wilderness — At Spottsylva- 
nia — In Petersbnrg — " Expended in 
the Service " — Home 92 



Contents. 



C H A PTE R XL— Military History — The 
157M Rfi^inii'iit — Recruitinj^ the 
157th Regiment — Sources of the Dif- 
ferent Companies — Staff and Line Of- 
ficers — Camp Mitchell — Ordered to 
the Front — In Camp at Arlington 
Heights — The Regiment Assigned — 
The First Death — At Centreville — 
Christmas in Front of Fredericksljurg 

— In Burnside's "Mud Campaign" 

— Battle of Chancellorsville — Severe 
Marching — Gettysburg — The Roll 
Call after the Battle— Recruiting and 
Reorganization — Engagement at Hil- 
ton Head — An Incident — Major 
Place as Provost Marshal — Mustered 
Out 107 

CHAPTER y.\\. — Military History^— The 
185//; Regiment and Other Organisa- 
lions — Organization of the Regiment 

— The Cortland County Companies — 
Their Officers — In Camp at Syracuse 

— Ordered to the Front — Assignment 
to the First Brigade, Fifth Corps — A 
Spy Captured — A Winter Camp — 
Demonstration on the Weldon Rail- 
road — Winter Quarters Again — 
Marching Orders — Hatcher's Run — 
Lender a Terrific Fire — Capture of 
Major Bush and His Detail — Colonel 
Jenny's Situation and Resignation — 
At Fort Steedman — At Quaker Farm 

— Colonel Sniper's Bravery — Heavy 
Losses — The Fate of the Colors — 
Five Forks — The End Approaching 

— At Appomattox — Other Organiza- 
tions — Summary 112 

CHAPTER WW. — Official Action in the 
War of the Rebellion — The First Act 

— An Important Resolution — Action 
of the Board of Super\'isors Relative 
to Payment of Bounties — The Com- 
mittee of 1864 — Money Borrowed for 
the County — The Bountv Committee 

— Further Sums Raised — A County 
Bounty Offered — The Call for 500.000 
Men — Bounties Increased — Issue of 
Bonds — Loans by the County to the 
Towns — Statistics 117 

CHAPTER XIV. — The Cortland County 
Press — The First Newspaper — The 
Pioneer Journalist — Description of 
the Cortland Courier — Changes in 



rAi;K. 
Proprietorship and Names — Dr. Jesse 
Searl's Career as a Publisher — An- 
other Change — A Sheet of 1 830 — A 
Glimpse at Its Contents — Rufus A. 
Reed and His Connection with Cort- 
land Journalism — The Predecessors 
of the Cortland Cozcnty Republican — 
The Oldest Paper in Cortland Village 

— Ancestors of iht Standard — The 
Western Courier — Establishment of 
the Democrat — Seth Haight's Ad- 
ministration — H. G. Crouch Enters 
the Arena — The Cortland American 

— C. P. Cole and the Gazette — '\\\^ 
Republican Banner — The Cortland 

Journal — First Issue of the Cortland 
Standard — The Cortland County 
Democrat !iT\A Its Predecessors — The 
AfcGrawville Sentinel — The Otsclic 

Valley Register — The Newspaper 
Death Roll , 119 

CHAPTER XX.— The Bench and Bar of 
Cortland County — The Old English 
Courts — Establishment of Courts in 
America — Creation of ihe Court of 
Appeals — The Supreme Court — Its 
Judges and Their Duties — The Court 
of Common Pleas and the County 
Court — Justice's Courts and Courts 
of Special Sessions — Judicial Offices 

— The Bar of Cortland County - Its 
Early Eminent Members — Roll of 
Attorneys' Oaths — The Present Bar 

— Biographical Notes 1 33 

CHAPTER y.\\.— The Cortland County 

Medical Society 1 50 

CHAPTER y^VW. — Secret Societies, etc.— 
The Free and Accepted Masons of 
Cortland County — The First Lodge 
in the County— Its Old Records — 
Other Lodges Instituted — The Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows — 
Lodges and Officers — Other Societies 177 

C H A PTE R X V 1 1 1. — County Societies. Build- 
ings, etc. — The Cortland County Ag- 
ricultural Society — Its First Fairs — 
List of its Presidents — The Cortland 
County Farmers' Club — Its Organiza- 
tion and First Officers — \'alue of Its 
Work — List of Officers — The Cort- 
land County Bible Society — The 
Young Men's Christian .Association — 
County Buildings iSo 



Contents. 



CHAPTER XIX.— Histor>- of the Town of 

Homer 183 

CH.M'TER XX. — Histor)' of the Town of 

Cortlandville 236 

CHAPTER XXI. — Histor)' of the Town of 

Virgil 3'9 

CHAPTER XXH. — History- of the Town of 

Marathon 345 

CHAPTER XXH 1.— History of the Town of 

Cincinnatus 3*^^ 

CHAPTER XXIV. — History of the Town of 

Truxton 377 

CHAPTER XXV. — History of the Town of 

Cuyler 387 

CHAPTER XXVI. — History of the Town of 



CHAPTER XXVII. — History of the Town of 

Scott 405 

CHAPTER XXVIII. — History of the Town 

of Solon 412 

CHAPTER XXIX. — Histor)- of the Town of 

Freetown 4'7 

CHAPTER XXX. — History of the Town of 

Taylor 423 

CHAPTER XXXI. — History of the Town of 

Willet 428 

CHAPTER XXXII. — History of the Town of 

Harford 433 

CHAPTER XXXIII. - History of the Town 

of Lapeer 44' 



Preble 



395 I CHAPTER XXXIV. — Biographical 445 



PORTRAITS. 



Blanchard, Silas, portrait facing 232 

Blodgett, Alonzo I)., portrait f;icing 474 

Chamberlain. A. L., portrait facing 194 

Cole. A. Leroy, portrait facing 238 

Duell, R. H., portrait facing 134 

Freer. Anthony, portrait facing 4S2 

Freer, Stephen D., portrait facing 242 

Gage. C. W., portrait lacing 214 

Gates, Alonzo W., portrait facing 456 

Hathew-ay, Samuel Gilbert, portrait facing 48 

Hitchcock, C. B., portrait facing 472 

Hitchcock, Manufacturing Company's Works, 

the, View of. facing 293 



Hobart, Manley, portrait facing 206 

Hoose, James Harmon, portrait facing 276 

Hyde, Frederick, portrait facing t68 

McGraw, Perrin H., portrait facing 312 

Messenger, H. J., portrait facing 298 

Mudge, Ebenezer, portrait facing 92 

Salisbury, Nathan, jr., portrait facing 450 

Salisbury, J. H., M. D., portrait facing 460 

Squires Building, the. View of. 47° 

Squires. James S., portrait facing 467 

Squires, James S." View of residence of. 47 1 

Sturtevant, James W., portrait facing 304 

Tripp, James H., portrait facing 360 



BIOGRAPHICAL. 



Blanchard, Silas 453 

Blodgett, Alonzo D 473 

Chamberlain, Alfred L 452 

Cole, Azor Leroy 486 

Freer, John A 482 

Freer, Anthony 483 

Freer, Joseph De Puy 484 

Freer, Stephen Decatur 485 

Gage, Charles W 457 

Gates, A. W 455 

Green, Dr. Caleb 487 

Hatheway, Maj.-Gen. Samuel G 489 



Hitchcock, Caleb Bardano 472 

Hobart, Deacon Manley 500 

Hoose, James Harmon 477 

Hyde, Dr.^^Frederick 49S 

Messenger, Hiram J 445 

Mudgp, Ebenezer 45' 

Salisbury. James Henry, B.N.S., A.M., M.D. . . 459 

Salisbury, Nathan 449 

Squires, James S 467 

Sturtevant, James Watts 447 

Tripp, James H 475 



HISTORY 



OF 



CORTLAND COUNTY. 



CHAPTER I. 



XATIKAI. CHARACTERISTICS. 

Boundaries and Topography of the Territory now Embraced in Cortland County — Its Rivers, Creeks and Lakes 
-Geologic Formations — Climatic Features — Oeneral Character of the Soil — Timher. 



THE county of which this work gives a 
history lies nearly in the center of the 
State of New York, from east to west, and 
but a little south of the center, from north 
to south. It is about twent}'-six miles in 
extent from north to south, and about twen- 
ty miles from east to west, containing four 
hundred and eighty- five square miles. Its 
eastern and western boundaries are parallel 
with each other, and its northern and south- 
ern boundaries nearly so; the towns of 
Truxton and Cu}'ler, in the northeast cor- 
ner of the county, extend a fraction of a 
mile farther north than the other two towns 
in the northern part of the county, and the 
same is true of \\'illet and a portion of 
Marathon, in the southeastern corner of the 
count)-. Cortland county is bounded on the 
north by Onondaga county, on the east bj- 
Chenango and Madison counties, on the 
south by Broome and Tioga counties, and 
on the west by Tompkins and Cayuga 
counties. 



The territory now embraced within the 
limits of Cortland county formerly com- 
prised four whole and two half townships in 
the southeastern corner of what was known 
as the " Military Tract " (which will be de- 
scribed a little farther on). The county was 
named in honor of Pierre Van Cortlandt, 
the first Lieutenant-Governor of the State 
of New York, and an extensive owner of 
and dealer in lands in the Military Tract. 
It lies upon the northern spurs of the Alle- 
ghan\- mountains, and embraces several of 
the more elevated points in the central por- 
tion of the State. The dividing ridge, or 
"water shed," from which flow southward 
the clear waters of the Tioughnioga and its 
tributaries to unite with the Susqtiehanna 
river, and northward the streams that help 
to swell the tide of Lake Ontario, lies in the 
northern portion of the county; streams 
flowing eastward to the Tioughnioga, and 
others flowing westward to Cayuga lake, 
are also divided at a point near Virgil \-il- 

9 



lO 



HiSTURV OK CORTI.AND COUNTV. 



lage. The surface of the county is made 
up of liilly ranges, wliich are separated by 
valleys narrowed down at some j^oints to 
mere ravines, and at others widening out 
into broad, level and productive plains. The 
highlands are divided into three general 
ridges, which cxtcnil across the county in a 
northerly and southerly direction. The first 
of these occupies the extreme eastern bor- 
der of the county, and is drained u[)on its 
western slopes by the Otselic river ; the 
second ridge lies between the Otselic and 
the Tioughnioga rivers, being drained by 
both ; and the third comprises the highlands 
to the westward of the Tioughnioga. The 
southern portion of the county is made up 
of a succession of high hills, the most ex- 
tensive of which are the Ovvego hills, run- 
ning in a northeasterly and southwesterl>' 
direction across the towns of Virgil and 
Harford, and near the foot of which is the 
water-shed above mentioned ; they are di- 
vided generally by narrow valleys, and are, 
in common with the three ranges before 
alluded to, cut through by the ravines and 
valleys of the small tributaries of the Otselic 
and Tioughnioga, running lateral to the 
three principal ranges of hills. 

The northern portion of the county spreads 
out into a high plateau, somewhat broken 
by hills. This plateau has an average ele- 
vation of about 1,200 feet above tide- water, 
while the ridges are from two hundred to 
five hundred feet higher. A broad plain 
occupies the center of the western portion of 
the county, into which most of the valleys 
of the tributaries of the Tioughnioga open. 
The highest points in the county are 
Mount Topping in Preble, the Truxton hills 
in the northeastern portion, and the Ouego 
liills in Virgil and Harford. These attain 
an elevation of from 1,600 to 2,000 feet. 
The configuration of the surface of the coun- 
ty thus described gives it a varied and, in 
many localities, a picturesque aspect. 



The Tioughnioga river constitutes the 
principal drainage of the county, flowing 
southward nearl)- through its center. It en- 
ters the county in two branches, the eastern 
branch flowing from Madison county into 
the town of Cuyler, near the northeastern 
corner of the county, and continuing south- 
westerly through the towns of Cuyler, Tru.x- 
ton and Homer. The western branch has 
its source in a number of small lakes in the 
northern part of the town of Preble. This 
branch flows southward thrt)ugh the towns 
of Preble, Homer, and a portion of Cort- 
land, when it bends to the eastward, uniting 
with the east branch near the boundaries of 
Cortland village, and thence flows in a south- 
w^esterly direction through Cortland\ille, the 
eastern portion of Virgil, the northeastern 
corner of Lapeer, and Marathon, uniting 
with the Chenango river at Chenango Forks, 
in Broome county. The principal tribu- 
taries are the Otselic river, which enters this 
county from Chenango county, flowing 
through a deep valley in the town of Cin- 
cinnatus and continuing in a southwesterly 
direction, uniting with the Tioughnioga in 
the northern part of Broome county, after 
flowing through the central portion of the 
town of Willet. Trout brook rises in the 
eastern part of Solon, and flows nearly west 
through that town and Cortlandville, until 
it unites with the Tioughnioga about a mile 
southeast of Cortland village. Cheningo 
creek rises in the town of Taylor and flows 
northwestward through a portion of Trux- 
ton, in the southwestern corner of which it 
unites with the Tioughnioga. Labrador 
creek has its source in Labrador lake, a small 
body of water in the extreme northern part 
of the town of Truxton, flows nearh- south, 
and unites with the river in about the cen- 
ter of the town. Cold brook rises in the 
eastern part of the town of Scott, flows 
.southeasterly and empties into the west 
branch of the Tioughnioga in the northern 



Natural Characteristics. 



II 



part of Homer. Factory brook rises in the 
western part of Scott, flows southeasterly, 
and unites with tlie Tioughnioga in Homer 
village. Otter creek has its rise in the ex- 
treme western part of the county, flows 
easterly and empties into the Tioughnioga 
near Cortland \ illage. The town of Virgil 
is drained b}" \"irgil creek, which flows west- 
wardly, and Cunningham (or Gridley) creek, 
flowing eastward to the Tioughnioga. Har- 
ford is drained by the Owego creek, and 
Marathon by Merrill's creek, which empties 
into the Otselic river in Broome count}'. 

Besides all these streams, there are nu- 
merous others of lesser importance, which 
are not known by distinctive names ; the 
greater part of the count}' is well watered 
by numerous springs of excellent water. 
Skaneateles lake borders the extreme north- 
western corner of the county (town of Scott), 
the inlet to which drains that portion of the 
county. 

The largest bodies of water in the county 
are a series of small lakes in the northern 
part of the town of Homer and extending 
into Preble, and two lakes in the northern 
part of the latter named town. In the 
southwestern portion of the town of Cort- 
landville, about three miles from Cortland 
village, are three small ponds, fed by springs, 
and furnishing at their bottoms an almost 
inexhaustible supply of marl of an excellent 
quality. These deposits have been worked 
and a vast amount of superior quick-lime 
manufactured, since the localit}' was first 
settled. Marl is also found in smaller quan- 
tities and of an inferior quality in the town 
of Preble and the northern part of Homer. 

Cortland county is in the third geological 
district of the State, the remainder of the 
district being composed of the counties of 
Montgomery, Fulton, Otsego, Herkimer, 
Oneida, Lewis, Oswego, Madison, Ononda- 
ga, Cayuga, Chenango, Broome, Tioga and 
the eastern half of Tompkins. Slate is the 



basis rock of this count}-. The Hamilton 
group, extending from Onondaga county, 
enters the northern part of the town of 
Truxton. In Preble, Truxton and portions 
of Homer are found quantities of the Gen- 
esee slate. It usuall}- projects from the hills 
which bound the valle}s in those localities. 
The Portage and Ithaca groups extend over 
the towns of Cortlandville and Solon, the 
larger portion of Homer and Scott, and the 
" terrace " between Truxton and Solon. 
They are found on either side of the Tiough- 
nioga, but become narrower as they increase 
in thickness going southward. Specimens 
are also found along the borders of the Otse- 
lic river in Willet and Cincinnatus. These 
groups form a number of important quar- 
ries, which have been of great value to the 
county at large. The more prominent of 
these are located a short distance above 
Port Watson ; a second one is about a mile 
below Port Watson, and a third between 
Homer and Cortland. These quarries have 
supplied a large portion of the flat building 
stone used in the two villages of Homer and 
Cortland, and most of the flag-stones for 
walks, etc. Above the layers of stone in 
these quarries there is a line of concretion, 
with shale, of a foot or more in thickness. 
Above this are layers of slaty, broken and 
decomposed shale and sandstone, forming 
the refuse of the quarry. Some of the lower 
layers of sandstone contain vegetable im- 
pressions and, owing to the alteration which 
the material of the plants has undergone, 
show small accumulations of coal. The 
lower parts of these quarries consist of large 
flag-stones, the surface of which is often 
waved, as the sand}- bottom of a stream is 
sometimes impressed by genth- flowing wa- 
ters. These ripple marks carr}- the imag- 
ination back to the remote period when 
these same rocks formed the soft floors of 
shallow Silurian seas. 

The Chemung group extends over the 



12 



HiSTORV OF Cortland County. 



southwestern part of the town of Virgil, and 
is the hi<j;hcst elevation in the county. The 
same group is discernible near the bound- 
ary lines of the towns of Freetown, Cincin- 
natus, Willet and Marathon. 

Bog ore has been found in .■^mall speci- 
mens in some of the swamps of the county, 
but is not believed to exist to any great ex- 
tent. Albite, or white feldspar, is found in 
small quantities in Scott, Truxton and Solon. 
Specimens of basaltic hornblende have been 
found in the northern part of the county. 
Calcareous tufa is common in some of the 
eastern portions of the county. 

On the west branch of the Otselic river is 
a calcareo-sulphurous spring, the water of 
which is quite strongly impregnated with 
the mi.xed ingredients of sulphur and lime. 
There are several other sulphurous springs 
in the county, and the Little York lakes, a 
few miles north of Homer, are slightly im- 
pregnated with sulphur. 

The climate of Cortland county is char- 
acterized, in common with that of southern 
central New York, by great variability. 
The region south and southwest of the Mo- 
hawk river valley exhibits a lower temper- 
ature, by from four to eleven degrees, than 
the average of the State, and autumnal 
frosts occur from one to two weeks earlier. 
The physical features of the county would 
indicate a climate somewhat colder than 
that of the western portion of the State in 
the same latitude, chiefly on account of its 
greater average elevation. The valley in 
which is located the village of Homer is 
1,096 feet above tide-water; this against 
417 feet for the valley in which is built the 
village of Ithaca. The mean temperature 
of Homer is fort}'- four degrees and se\en- 
teen hundredths, while that of Ithaca (with a 
difference in latitude of only eleven minutes) 
is forty-seven degrees and eighty-eight hun- 
dredths, showing a difference in mean tem- 
perature of three degrees and seventy-eight 



hundredths. The daily range of temperature 
is a marked feature of the climate of the 
county, especially as experienced in the late 
summer and early autumnal months, when 
the mercury often shows a rapid depression 
towards nightfall ; this, with wide range of 
temperature and the sudden changes during 
the different seasons, exerts a strong influ- 
ence upon the health of residents. 

The soil of the county may be generally 
characterized as chiefly a sandy or gravelly 
loam on the hilly portions, while in the val- 
leys it is of a similar character, with a large 
admixture of disintegrated shale, slate and 
limestone. It is generally better adapted 
to grazing than to the raising of grains, 
though many portions are very productive 
in this respect. Agriculture and dairying 
form the chief occupations of the inhab- 
itants, outside of the villages. The cultiva- 
tion of fruits has been carried on to a con- 
siderable extent, but the cold winters and 
early frosts render it inipracticable to suc- 
cessfully grow an\' but the hardy kinds. 

The county was originally heavih' tim- 
bered, chiefly with maple, beech, elm, bass- 
wood, pine, hemlock and cherry. On some 
of the higher hills is considerable chestnut 
and oak, and interspersed throughout the 
whole is some white ash and birch. Less 
than a century ago the hills and valleys of the 
county were covered with a grand old forest 
of these various kinds of trees, beneath 
whose silent shade, as far as we may know, 
only the copper-hued hunter and warrior 
had followed his narrow trail, and through 
which flowed the beautiful river with its 
romantic Indian name ; a stream gradually 
but surely diminishing under the influence 
created by the advance of ci\-ilization. 
Here in the forest depths then roamed the 
timid deer, the stolid black bear, and among 
the thick branches hid the stealthy wild-cat 
and panther. The gray wolf in vast num- 
bers made the night air echo with his 



History of the Aborigines. 



13 



discordant howl, and smaller animals, the 
raccoon, the hedgehog, and squirrels with- 
out number, peopled the wilderness. The 
wild turkey and partridge often furnished 
food for the red hunter and his family; 



pigeons, innumerable as the leaves, made 
their summer homes in the forest branches, 
while the majestic eagle often took his 
lofty flight abo\e the tallest monarchs of 
the wood. 



CHAPTER n. 

history of the ABORKilXES. 

Their Origin — Physical Peculiarities — The Iroquois and their Great Confederacy — The Different Tribes and 
their Limitations — Traditionary Origin of the Confederation — Legend of Ta-oun-ya-wat-ha — Tribal Relations — 
The "Clan" System — Social Relations and Personal Peculiarities of the Iroquois — Their .Amusements — The 
Councils — Origin of the Warlike Tendency of the Iroquois — The French Colonists and their Struggles with the 
Indians — Defeat of the Adirond<icks — Military Organization and Charcteristics — Treatment of Prisoners — Physical 
Traits — Their Downfall Foreshadowed. 



ALTHOUGH the history of Cortland 
county, as a section of the Empire 
State embraced within certain defined 
boundaries, dates back onh' to the year 
1808, yet its historic records may be traced 
far into the remote past, through a period 
when it was either an undefined section of 
larger definite tracts with boundaries and 
names, or merely a comparatively small and 

• 

unknown portion of the great wilderness of 
the western continent ; through a period 
when it and its surrounding vicinity was 
peopled only by that barbaric race who are 
everywhere known and recognized by the 
generic name of Indians. W'hile the his- 
tory of this peculiar people, after they be- 
came intimately associated with the white 
race, ma\' be intelligently written, there is 
very little known of them previous to that 
time that is not based upon tradition and 
fragmentary legend. Their remote past is 
shrouded in obscurity. 

This absence of connected written history 
is, however, partially compensated b}' nu- 
merous relics in the form of implements of 
rude husbandr}-, warfare and the chase, 
which have been found in different parts of 
the country, upon the sites of their former 



villages, their burial places, and elsewhere. 
It is quite generally believed by those who 
have studied the subject, that this country 
was once occupied by a race of people more 
numerous and of much higher mental ca- 
pacit\^ and culture than the Indians. While 
there are evidences in support of this theory, 
apparentl)' quite conclusive in character, it 
is still a theor\-, and such it must ever re- 
main. But while we ma\- safely conclude 
that it is by no means impossible that some 
race altogether different from the Indians 
existed here before them, there are strong 
probabilities that, if such was the case, the 
race was inferior rather than superior to the 
people discovered here by the Europeans. 

The origin of the Indians is, perhaps, even 
more obscure than that of the possible ab- 
origines of this continent ; there is little 
regarding it that is not traditional. Able 
writers have advocated the theory that they 
are identical with the ]\Iound Builders, who 
have left behind them those remarkable 
monuments of their existence, while others 
equally able claim that there is a wide 
chasm between the two that cannot be 
spanned in a rational manner. Of the lat- 
ter the most eminent is, perhaps, Bancroft, 



14 



History of Cortland County. 



who says : " It has been asked if our Indians 
are not the ureclcs of more civilized nations." 
His answer is: "Their language refutes 
the h}'pothesis ; every one of its forms is 
a witness that their ancestors were like 
themselves, not yet disenthralled from nat- 
ure." ^ 

Many elaborate disquisitions have been 
written upon this branch of our subject; a 
number of modern writers give credence to 
the theory of a northwestern immigration 
by the barbarous hordes of Asia. John de 
Laet, a Flemish author, was an advocate of 
this thcor)-, and one of the first to note a 
resemblance in the features, complexion and 
manners of the Sc\-thians, Tartars and Sa- 
moeides and those of the American Indians. 
Bancroft supports the theory as follows : 
"The American and Mongolian races of 
men, on the two sides of the Pacific, have a ' 
near resemblance. Both are alike strongly 
and definitely marked by the more capa- 
cious palatine fossa, of which the dimen- 
sions are so much larger that a careful ob- 
server could, out of a heap of skulls, readily 
separate the Mongolian and American from 
the Caucasian, but could not distinguish 
them from each other. Both liave the orbit 
of the eye quadrangular, rather than oval ; 
both, especiall}- the American, have com- 
paratively a narrowness of the forehead ; 
the facial angle in both, but especially in the 
American, is comparatively small ; in both, 
the bones of the nose are flatter and broader 
than in the Caucasian, and in so equal a 
degree, and with apertures so similar that, 
on indiscriminate selections from the two, 
an observer could not, from this feature, 
discriminate which of them belonged to the 
old continent ; both, but especially the 
American, are characterized by a promi- 
nence of the jaws. Between the Mongolian 
of southern Asia and of northern Asia, there 
is a greater difference than between the 

1 Bancroft's History of the U. S., II, 417. 



Mongolian Tartar and the North American. 
The Iroquois is more unlike the Peruvian 
than he is unlike the wanderer on the steppes 
of Siberia. Physiology has not succeeded 
in defining the qualities which belong to 
every well-formed Mongolian, and which 
never belong to an indigenous American ; 
still less can geographical science draw a 
boundary line between the races." ^ 

Priest, in his American Antiquities, ex- 
presses the conclusion that "Asia and Amer- 
ica were peopled by similar races of men." 

These e\'idences bear the appearance of 
conclusiveness, and it is almost certain that 
no stronger proof as to the origin of the 
Indians will ever be adduced. It is the 
most reasonable theory that has been ad- 
vanced to account for the remarkable race 
of men that peopled this country when it 
was first visited b\' the white race. 

The territory under consideration in this 
work was a part of the vast domain of the 
Iroquois Confederacy,- which extended, in 
general terms, from the Hudson river to the 
Genesee, and from the north to the south 
boundary of this State. The Confederacj- 
was composed of the following nations, lo- 
cated in the following order from east to 
west : The Mohawks, (Ganeagaonos), on 
the river bearing their name ; the Oneidas, 
(Onayotekaonos) ; the Onondagas, (Onun- 
dagaonos) ; the Cayugas, (Gwengwehonos) ; 
and the Senecas. (Nundawaonos), mostly 
located adjacent to the several lakes bearing 

"^History of tlu- U. S., II, 460-61. 

2 Iroquois was not a name applied by the Indians to 
themselves, but was given them by the French, and is 
said to have been formed from two Indian words; but 
its meaning is vailed in obscurity. By the Dutch the 
five confederated nations were called "Maquas." They 
distinguished themselves as "Mingoes," meaning 
"United People." Parkman says, "their true name is 
' Hodenosaunee,' or ' People of the Long House,'" be- 
cause the five nations were ranged in a long line through 
Central New York, and likened to one of their long 
bark houses. Kuttenber says they bore the title of 
" Aquinosbione, " or " Konosbioni," ha\ing the same 
meaning. 



History of the Aborigines. 



IS 



their respective names.' The origin of this 
Confederac)- is, at least to a great extent, 
merely traditional. The Iroquois them- 
selves ascribe it, as they also do the origin 
of the individual nations, to a supernatural 
source. The\-, like the Athenians, sprang 
from the earth itself. "In remote ages 
they had been confined under a mountain 
near the falls of the Osh-wah-kee,- or Os- 
wego river, whence they were released by 
Tharonhyjagon, the Holder of the Heavens." 
Schoolcraft inclines to the opinion that the 
Confederation is to be referred to a com- 
paratively recent date — early in the fif- 
teenth century. Mr. Webster, the Onon- 
daga Indian interpreter, who should be 
excellent authority, ascribes it to about two 
generations before the white people came 
to trade with the Indians. PjTlaeus, a mis- 
sionary among the Mohawks, to "one age, 
or the length of a man's life," before the 
white people came into the country. Oth- 
ers have accredited its origin to the severity 
of their wars with other nations, but with- 
out date; while Clark, "from the perma- 
nency of their institutions, the peculiar 
structure of their government, the intricacy 
of their civil affairs, the stability of their 
religious beliefs, and the uniformity of their 
pagan ceremonies, differing from other In- 
dian nations in important particulars," thinks 
it must have had a longer duration than is 
given it by the others mentioned. Most of 
their traditions agree that the Confederation 
was formed on the banks of Onondaga lake, 

1 Gallatin classes the Iroquois in three divisions : the 
eastern, consisling of the confederation known as the five 
nations ; the western, of the Wyandots, or Hurons, and 
the Attionandrons, or neutral nation, north, and Erigas 
and Andastes, or Guandastogues, (Guyandots), south of 
Lake Erie ; and the southern, of the Tuscaroras, the Tute- 
los, and the Nottowas, of North Carolina. The Tusca- 
roras and Tutelos removed to the north and were incor- 
porated into the Confederacy, the former in 1 715 becom- 
ing its sixth member, and the latter in 1758. — Indian 
Tribes of Hudson' s River, Rl'TTKNliER. 

-Signifying, says Clark's Onondaga. "I see every- 
where and see nothing." 



near where the village of Liverpool is situ- 
ated. 

Long years ago, says the Iroquois tradi- 
dition, Ta-oun-ya-wat-ha, the deity who 
presides over the forests and streams, left 
his abode in the clouds to come and re- 
move obstructions from their streams, to 
teach them how to cultivate the soil and 
become a united and prosperous people. 
In the vicinity of the site of Oswego he dis- 
closed his mission to two Onondaga hunters, 
whom he prevailed upon to accompany him 
in his beneficent work ; having accom- 
plished which, he divested himself of his di- 
vine character, and took up his abode among 
the men of earth. He located his habita- 
tion in a beautiful spot on the shore of Te- 
onto (Cross) lake, on the present boundary 
between Onondaga and Cayuga counties, 
where he built his cabin, and afterwards 
t»ok a wife from the Onondagas, by whom 
he had an only and beautiful daughter, who 
was tenderly loved b\' him. His excellent 
counsels, wisdom and sagacity won the 
warmest esteem of the people, who gave 
him the name of Hiawatha, signifying "very 
wise man." Under his direction the On- 
ondagas soon advanced to pre-eminent dis- 
tinction as the wisest counselors, the most 
eloquent orators, the most successful hunters 
and the bravest warriors. 

While Hiawatha was dwelling peacefully 
among "the people of the hills," they were 
attacked by a powerful enemy from the 
north of the great lakes, who laid waste 
their villages, and slew inen, women and 
children indiscriminately ; utter destruction 
seemed inevitable. In their dire extremity 
they appealed to Hiawatha. After thought- 
ful contemplation he advised a council of 
all the tribes that could be gathered together, 
saying, "I shall sit in council with j'oii. 
Our safety is in good counsel and speedy, 
energetic action." ^ The council is be- 

' Other writers give this as, "Our safety is not alone 



i6 



History ok Cortland County. 



lieved to have been held on the banks of 
Onondaga (Oh-nen-ta-ha) lake. 

A vast assemblage of chiefs, warriors, 
men, women and chiKlrcn gathered and 
kept the council fires burning for three days, 
awaiting the presence of the venerable Hia- 
watha, without whom they resolved to not 
proceed. Messengers were at length dis- 
patched for him ; they found him troubled 
in mind and filled with gloomy forebodings, 
which had caused him to resolve that he 
would not attend the council. But he was 
at length prevailed upon to go, and taking 
his beloved daughter they embarked in the 
venerated white canoe and glided down the 
placid Seneca and into the beautiful Onon- 
daga lake. When the}- were recognized by 
the multitude a great shout of welcome rose 
on the air. As they ascended the steep 
bank of the lake and approached the coun- 
cil ground, suddenly a loud sound was 
heard as of rushing winds. All eyes were 
turned upward, when a dark cloud was be- 
held rapidly closing down upon them, in- 
creasing in size as it came nearer. The 
entire council, with the exception of Hia- 
watha and his daughter, sought safety in 
flight. The old man uncovered his silvered 
head and enjoined his daughter to await the 
impending calamity with fortitude and resig- 
nation. Sudden!)-, with a mighty swoop, 
a huge bird, with long and distended wings 
and a pointed beak, came down and crushed 
the beautiful girl to the earth, destroying 
her semblance of humanity, and itself dying 
in the collision. The frightened warriors 
cautiously returned, only to behold the ter- 
rible scene. The great bird was covered 
with a beautiful white plumage, from which 
each warrior plucked a plume for his crown. 
From that time and incident the Iroquois 
braves have alwa\-s worn the plumes of the 
white heron as their martial decoration. 

in the chil:) ami d.irl, l)ut in wise counsels ; " or, " Be- 
come a united people anil you will conquer your ene- 
mies." 



Despairing and desolate, Hiawatha re- 
mained for three days prostrate upon his 
face on the ground. Every one present 
shared the old man's grief; he at lengtli 
gained sufficient composure to enable him 
to take part in the deliberations of the coun- 
cil. Various plans were discussed, to which 
Hiawatha listened in silence. When all had 
concluded, he addressed the council. After 
briefly alluding to his own bereavement, he 
referred to the threatened invasion, and sug- 
gested that they should reflect for one day 
upon the speeches that had been made. 
The following day the council again assem- 
bled and amid breathless silence listened to 
the following words from the sage coun- 
selor: — 

" Friends and Brothers: You have come many 
of you a great dist.mce from your homes; you 
have convened for one common purpose, to jiro- 
mote one common interest, and that is to provide 
for our common safety. To oppose these hordes 
of northern foes by tribes, singly and alone, would 
prove our certain destruction. We can make no 
progress in that way; we must unite ourselves 
into one common band of brothers. Our war- 
riors united would surely repel these rude invad- 
ers and drive them from our borders. Let this 
be done and we are safe. 

"You, the Mohawks, sitting under the shadow 
of the ' Gnat Tree,' whose roots sink deep into 
the earth, and whose branches spread over a vast 
country, shall be the first nation, because you are 
warlike and mighty. 

"You, Oneidas, a people who recline your 
bodies against the ^Everlasting Stone,' tliat can- 
not be moved, shall be the second nation, be- 
cause you give wise counsel. 

"You, Onondagas, who have your habitation 
at the ' Great Mountain,' and are overshadowed 
by its crags, shall be the third nation, because 
you are greatly gifted in speech and mighty in 
war. 

" You, Cayugas, a people whose habitation is 
the ' Dark Forest,' and whose home is every- 
where, shall be the fourth nation, because of your 
superior cunning in hunting. 

" And you, Senecas, a people who live in the 



History of the Aborigines. 



17 



open country and possess much wisdom, shall be 
the fifth nation, because you understand better 
the art of raising corn and beans, and making 
cabins. 

" You five great and powerful nations must 
unite and have but one common interest, and no 
foe shall be able to disturb or subdue you. 

"And you. Manhattans, Nyacks, Metoacks 
and others, who are as the feeble bushes; and 
you, Narragansetts, Mohegans, Wampanoags and 
your neighbors, who are a fishing people, may 
place yourselves under our protection. Be with 
us and we will defend you. You of the south 
and you of the west may do the same, and we 
will protect you. We earnestly desire your friend- 
ship and alliance. 

" Brothers, if we unite in this bond, the Great 
Spirit will smile upon us and we shall be free, 
prosperous and happy. But if we remain as we 
are we shall be subject to his frown ; we shall be 
enslaved, ruined, perhaps annihilated forever. 
We shall perish and our names be blotted out 
from among the nations of men. 

"Brothers, these are the words of Hiawatha. 
Let them sink deep into your hearts. I have 
said it." 

The council adjourned one da\' to give 
time for due consideration of this address 
and its recommendations. Upon assem- 
bling the next day the wisdom of the prop- 
ositions of Hiawatha was unanimously con- 
ceded; and thus, according to tradition, was 
formed that remarkable league of the five 
Indian nations which no outward power has 
been able to break. Whatever may have 
been the actual circumstances surroundine 
its origin, its wonderful effectiveness, its 
permanency and its adaptability to its pur- 
poses cannot be questioned and stamp the 
mind that conceived it as a genius of the 
highest order. 

Having accomplished his work on earth 
and admonished b}- the death of his daugh- 
ter that his mission was ended, Hiawatha 
prepared to take his departure. As the as- 
sembled council was about to separate, he 
arose in a dignified manner and said: — 



" Friends and Brothers : I have now fulfilled 
my mission on the earth. I have done every- 
thing that can be done at present for the good 
of this great people. Age, infirmity and distress 
set heavily upon me. During my sojourn among 
you, I have removed all obstructions from the 
streams. Canoes can now pass safely every- 
where. I have given you good fishing waters 
and good hunting grounds. I have taught you 
the manner of cultivating corn and beans, and 
learned you the art of making cabins. Many 
other blessings I have liberally bestowed upon 
you. 

" Lastly, I have now assisted you to form an 
everlasting league and covenant of strength and 
friendship for your future safety and protection. 
If you preserve it, without the admission of other 
people, you will always be free, numerous and 
mighty. If 'other nations are admitted to your 
councils they will sow jealousies among you, and 
}'ou will become enslaved, few and feeble. Re- 
member these words ; they are the last )ou will 
hear from the lips of Hiawatha. Listen, my 
friends ; the Great Master of Breath calls me to 
go. I have patiently waited his summons. I 
am ready. Farewell." 

As his voice died away, sweet sounds 
were heard in the air ; and, while all atten- 
tion was directed to the celestial melody, 
Hiawatha, seated in the white canoe, arose 
in mid air, and the clouds shut him out from 
earthly sight ; the while the melody gradu- 
ally died away and ceased. 

Parkman considered that "both reason 
and tradition point to the conclusion that 
the Iroquois fi;rmed originally one people. 
Sundered, like countless other tribes, by 
dissension, caprice, or the necessities of a 
hunter's life, they separated into five distinct 
nations." ^ 

Clark, the able historian of Onondaga 
county, says : " By the early French writers, 
the Mohawks and Oneidas were styled the 
lower or inferior Iroquois ; while the Onon- 
dagas, Cayugas and Senecas were denom- 
inated the upper or superior Iroquois, be- 

iParkman's ycsiiits. 



i8 



History of Cortland County. 



cause they were located near the sources of 
tlie St. Lawrence river. Tlie Mohawks, 
wlio arc cominnnly supi)<>sed to be the first 
nation in tlic Confederacy, and were con- 
sidered the most warlike people in the land, 
were also styled elder brothers of the other 
nations, and so esteemed themselves. . . . 
To (them) was always accorded the high 
consideration of furnishing the war captain, 
or 'Tckarahogea,' of the Confederacy, which 
distinguished title was retained with them 
till the year 1 8 14, when the celebrated 
Hoa-ho-a-quah, an Onondaga, was chosen 
in general council at Btiffiilo, to fill that im- 
portant station." 

The central and unique characteristic of 
the Iroquois league was not the mere fact 
of five separate tribes being confederated 
together ; such unions have been frequent 
between different civilized and half-civilized 
peoples, though little practiced among the 
savages of North America. The peculiar 
feature that distinguished the " People of 
the Long House" from, probabl}-, all the 
world beside, and which bound together 
this great band of ferocious warriors as with 
a living chain, was their system of clans, 
which extended through all the different 
tribes. The word "clan" is used as best 
representing the peculiar artificial families 
established by the Iroquois, and not because 
their clan system resembled any other. No 
light tie could hold in harmonious devotion 
to a common interest such a fierce and bar- 
barous people as these. The problem was 
eminently worthy of the mind that solved 
it ; as solved, it held them inflexibly, yet 
unrestrainedly, to all matters relating to 
their federated existence, and at the same 
time secured the utmost freedom and elas- 
ticity in their tribal and national relations — 
a most important consideration with a peo- 
ple entertaining the highest possible regard 
for personal liberty. 

The Iroquois Confederacy was divided 



into nine of these clans, or families, the 
names of which were as follows : Wolf Rear, 
Beaver, Turtle, Deer, Snipe, Heron, Hawk 
and Potatoe. When the union was effected 
each of the original five tribes into which 
each of the five nations was divided, trans- 
ferred one-fifth of its numbers to every 
other nation. • These tribes, or clans, formed 
two divisions, the second subordinate to the 
first, which was composed of the four first 
named. The members of each division 
were regarded as brothers to those in that 
division to which they belonged, while they 
were only cousins to those in the other di- 
visions. Each clan constituted a family, 
and while all of its members were accounted 
brothers and sisters, they were also brothers 
and sisters of the members of all the other 
clans ha\'ing the same device, or name. 
The indissoluble and powerful bond thus 
formed b_\' the ties of consanguinity, was 
still further strengthened through the mar- 
riage relation. Marriage was originally 
prohibited between members of the same 
division, but in time the restriction was lim- 
ited to those of the same clan. It was held 
to be an abomination for two persons of the 
same clan to intermarr\-, and the prohibi- 
tion was strictly enforced ; hence every in- 
dividual family must contain members from 
at least two of the clans or tribes. The 
child belonged to the clan of the mother, 
not the father, from whom it inherited 
nothing. All rank, titles and possessions 
passed through the female. 

E\ery member of each clan being thus 
taught from infancy that they belonged to 
the same family, a bond of the strongest 
possible kind was created throughout the 

1 Accounts differ, some declaring that every clan (or 
tribe) extended through all the tribes, and others that 
only the Wolf, Hear and Turtle clans did so. It is cer- 
tain, however, that each tribe, Mohawks, Oneidas, On- 
ondagas, Cayugas or Senecas, contained a part of the 
three clans named, and of several of the others. — John- 
son's History of lirie Coiinly, 



History of the Aborigines. 



19 



Confederacy. The Oneida of the Wolf clan 
no sooner appeared among the Cayugas, 
for example, than those of the same clan 
took him in charge as their special guest, 
and admitted him to the most confidential 
intimac)'. The Seneca of the Turtle clan 
miglit wander into the country of the Mo- 
hawk.s, at the farthest extremity of the 
"Long House;" but there he had a claim 
upon his brother Turtles which they would 
not think of repudiating. If at any time an 
inclination was felt toward conflict between 
different tribes, it was instantly checked by 
the knowledge that if persisted in, the hand 
of the Heron might be lifted against his 
brother Heron in another clan ; the hatchet 
of the Bear might be hurled at the head of 
his kinsman Bear. And so powerful was 
this influence that for two centuries, or 
more, and until the league was disintegrated 
by overwhelming outside forces, there were 
no serious dissensions between the tribes of 
the Iroquois. Surely it was one of the most 
remarkable confederacies in the historj- of 
the world. 

"This system of clanship," says Park- 
man, "was of very wide prevalence. In- 
deed, it is more than probable that close 
observation would have detected it in every 
tribe east of the Mississippi ; while there is 
positive evidence of its existence in by far 
the greater number." 

The son of a chief could ne\'er be a chief 
by hereditary title, though he might become 
one through personal merit ; but a grand- 
son, great-grandson or nephew might suc- 
ceed him.i 

This rule, though binding, was quite 
elastic, and capable of reaching to the far- 

iChamplain noticed this law of descent among the Hu- 
10ns in 1615, and probably referred it to its true origin, 
namely, a child must be the son of his mother, while he 
might not be of his putative father; "a consideration," 
says ParUinan, "of more than ordinary force in an In- 
dian community." The same observation had been made 
some years before, by Capt. John .Smith, with reference 
to the tribes in Virginia. 



thest limits of the clan — each of which 
was allowed to select its chief from among 
its own members. Almost invariably the 
chief was succeeded by a near relative, and 
always on the female side ; but if such were 
manifestly unfit, his successor was chosen 
at a council of the tribe from among re- 
moter kindred, in which case he was pro- 
posed by the matron of the late chief's 
household. 1 In any event the choice was 
never adverse to the popular decision. The 
new chief was inducted into office by a 
formal council of the sachems of the league; 
on assuming his office he dropped his own 
name and substituted that which, since the 
formation of the Confederacy, had belonged 
to his especial chieftainship. He ^\■as re- 
quired to be a skillful hunter, and liberal 
with his game. He must also be a good 
physician, able to advise and assist the sick 
under every combination of circumstances. 
It was his duty to care for orphans, to har- 
bor strangers, and to keep order in his town. 
But he, like the sachem, had no power of 
compulsion ; he must keep up his reputa- 
tion and control by a courteous, prudent 
and winning behavior.^ 

The tribes were by no means equal in 
numbers, distinction and power. So marked 
were the differences that, according to Col- 
den and other writers, onl}- the three most 
prominent were recognized by some early 
observers — those of the Turtle, the Bear 
and the Wolf; and yet, with no other law 
than common usage under this league, and 
no means of enforcing justice, these uncult- 
ured savages dwelt together in communities 
aggregating thousands, with a harmoin- that 
civilization might envy. 

In reference to social matters, Parkman 
says that, "though \-ain, arrogant, boastful 
and vindictive, these Indians bore abuse 
and sarcasm with an astonishing patience. 

1 Lafitau. 

2 Loskiel. 



20 



HiSToRV OF C0RT1.AN1> CoUNTV. 



Though greedy and grasping, he was lavish 
without stint, and would give away his all 
to soothe the moans of a departed relative, 
gain influence and applause, or ingratiate 
himself with his neighbors. In his dread 
of public opinion, he rivaled some of his 
civilized successors. All Indians, and espe- 
cially these populous and stationary tribes, 
had their code of courtesy whose require- 
ments were rigid and exact; nor might any 
infringe it without the ban of public censure. 
Indian nature, inflexible and unmalleable, 
was peculiarly under the control of custom. 
Established usage took the place of law — 
was, in fact, a sort of common law, with no 
tribunal to expound or enforce it. . . . All 
were prompt to aid each other in distress, 
and neighborly spirit was often exhibited 
among them. When a young woman was 
permanentl)' married, the other women of 
the village supplied her with firewood for 
the year, each contributing an armful. 
When one or more families were without 
shelter, the men of the village joined in 
building them a house. In return the re- 
cipients of the favor gave a feast, if they 
could ; if not, their thanks were sufficient,^ 
Among the Iroquois and Hurons, and, 
doubtless, among the kindred tribes, there 
were marked distinctions of noble and base, 
prosperous and poor ; yet, while there was 
food in the village, the meanest and poorest 
need not suffer want. He had but to enter 
the nearest house and seat himself by the 
fire, when, without a word on either side, 
food was placed before him by the women. 
"Contrary to the received opinion, these 
Indians, like others of their race, when liv- 
ing in communities, were of a very social 

1 In referring to the charity of the Indians, K.igueneau 
wrote in hi.s Relation: "As often as we have seen tribes 
broken u]), towns destroyed, and the people driven to 
flight, we have seen them to the numberof seven or 
eiglit hundred jiersons received witli open arms by char- 
itable hosts, who gladly gave them aid, and even distrib- 
uted among them a part of the lands already ]ilanted, 
that they might have the means of living." 



disposition. Besides their incessant dances 
and feasts, great and small, they were con- 
tinuall)- visiting, spending most of tlicir time 
in neighbors' houses, chatting, joking, ban- 
tering one another with witticisms, sharp, 
broad, and in no sense delicate, yet always 
taken in good part. Every village had its 
adepts in these wordy tournaments, while 
the shrill laugh of young squaws, untaught 
to blush, echoed each hardy jest and rough 
sarcasm." 

According to the same writer, there was 
another cotincil besides the general council, 
between which antl that of the subordinate 
chiefs the line seems not to have been very 
clearly defined. It appears to have been 
essentialU' popular, and poptilar in the best 
sense. Any man took part in it whose age 
and qualifications fitted him to do so. It 
was merely the gathered wisdom of the na- 
tion. Lafitati, the Jesuit, who was familiar 
with the Iroqtiois at the height of their 
prosperity, compared it to the Roman Sen- 
ate, and defines it as the central and con- 
trolling power, so far, at least, as the sepa- 
rate nations were concerned. He describes 
it as "a greasy assemblage, sitting stir Icnr 
dcrricrc, crouched like apes, their knees as 
high as their ears, or lying, some on their 
bellies, some on their backs, each with a pipe 
in his mouth, discussing affairs of state with 
as much coolness and gravity as the Span- 
ish Junta or the Grand Council of Venice." 

The warriors also had their councils, and 
the women, too; and the opinions and 
wishes of both were represented by deputies 
in the councils of the old men, as well as in 
those of the sachems. Indeed, the govern- 
ment of this unique republic rested wholly 
in councils; therein all questions — of so- 
cial, political, military and religious mat- 
ters — were settled. In this blending of 
individual, family, tribal, national and fed- 
eral interests, lay the secret of the marvel- 
ous power of the Iroquois — a power which 



History of the Aborigines. 



21 



for a century and a half successfully opposed 
the hostilities of the French ; which made 
them, during- the century from 1664 to 
1763, an unconquerable niass between the 
contending French and Fnylish colonists in 
America, alike feared and courted by both; 
which enabled them to exterminate or sub- 
due the neighboring tribes with whom they 
had long waged wars. 

The Iroquois were not always the fierce 
and blood-thirsty people which they were 
found to be when the French made their 
first settlements in Canada. The circum- 
stances which led them to measurably for- 
sake their former occupations of peaceful 
husbandry and the chase, and involved them 
in a war with the Adirondacks, are thus 
graphically narrated by Colden : " The 
Adirondacks formerly lived three hundred 
miles above Trois Rivieres, where now the 
Utowawas are situated ; at that time the\- 
employed themselves wholly in hunting, 
and the Five Nations made the planting of 
corn their business. By this means they 
became useful to each other, by exchanging 
corn for venison. The Adirondacks, how- 
ever, valued themselves as delighting in a 
more manly employment, and despised the 
F"ive Nations, in following business which 
the\' thought only fit for women. Rut it 
once happened that the game failed the 
Adirondacks, which made them desire some 
of the young men of the Five Nations to 
assist them in hunting. These young men 
soon became more expert in hunting, and 
more able to endure fatigue, than the Adi- 
rondacks expected or desired ; in short, 
they became jealous of them, and one night 
murdered all the young men they had with 
them. The Five Nations complained to 
the chiefs of the Adirondacks of the in- 
humanity of this action ; but they con- 
tented themselves with blaming the murder- 
ers, and ordered them to make some small 
presents to the relatives of the murdered 



persons,! without being apprehensive of the 
resentment of the Five Nations ; for they 
looked upon them as men not capable of 
taking any revenge. 

"This, however, provoked the Five Nations 
to that degree that they soon resolved by 
some means to be revenged ; and the Adi- 
rondacks, being informed of these designs, 
thought to prevent them by reducing them 
with force to their obedience. 

"The Five Nations then lived where 
Mont Real now stands ; they defended 
themselves at first but faintly against the 
vigorous attacks of the Adirondacks, and 
were forced to leave their own country and 
fly to the banks of the lakes, where they 
now live. As they were hitherto losers by 
the war, it obliged them to apply them- 
selves to the exercise of arms, in which they 
became daily more and more expert. Their 

III was customary with the Iroquois, as with other 
Indian nations, to eNpiate murder by means of presents 
given to the friends of the deceased. It is a most pecul- 
iar reflection that the efforts were directed not to li)ring- 
ing the murderers to a just punishment, but to satisfying 
those who had a right to feel aggrieved. Murder was 
the most heinous crime e.\ce])t witchcraft, and was rare. 
If the slayer and the slain were of the same household or 
tribe, the aflair was regarded as a family quarrel, to be 
settled by the immediate kin on Ijoth sides. This, under 
the pressure of public opinion, was commonly effected 
without bloodshed. But if the murderer and his victim 
were of different clans or nations, still more if the slain 
was a foreigner, the whole community became interested 
to prevent the discord or the war which might arise. To 
this end, contributions were made and presents collected. 
Their number and value were determined by established 
usage, and differed with different nations. The Iroquois 
demanded 100 yards of wampum for the murder of a man 
and 200 for that of a woman. If the victim was of a for- 
eign tribe, a higher compensation was demanded, as it 
involved the danger of war. Authors differ as to the re- 
sult which followed in case of refusal on the part of rela- 
tives of the deceased to accept the proper atonement, 
which they might do if they chose. Some have held that 
the murderer was given the relatives as a slave, but they 
might by no means kill him. Colden says they "have 
such absolute notions of liberty that they allow no kind 
of superiority of one over another, and banish all servi- 
tude from their territories." I.oskiel intimates that the 
punishment of death may be intlicted. Under these 
regulations, capital crimes were rare. 



22 



History of Cortland Couxty. 



sachems, in order to raise their people's 
spirits, turned tliem against the Satanas, a 
less warlike nation, who then lived on the 
banks of the lakes ; for they found it was 
difficult to remove the dread their people 
had of the valor of the Adirondacks. The 
Five Nations soon subdued the Satanas, and 
drove them out of their country ; and their 
people's courage being thus elevated, they 
from this time not only defended themselves 
bravely against the whole force of the Adi- 
rondacks, but often carried the war into the 
heart of the Adirondacks' countrj', and at 
last forced them to leave it, and to fly into 
that part of the country where Quebec is 
now built." 

While the war was waging between the 
Adirondacks and the Iroquois, the French 
colonists, having already shown their en- 
mity to the latter, drew most of the other 
nations to Quebec, tlirough the influence 
of the fur trade, and supplied them with fire- 
arms. These nations then joined in the war 
against the Iroquois, and the Adirondacks 
resolved upon the utter destruction of the 
Five Nations ; but their discipline had be- 
come weakened by the restlessness of the 
younger warriors, a fact that the Iroquois 
were not slow to discover and take advan- 
tage of. They became more than ever obe- 
dient to the counsels of their chiefs, and 
more active in the execution of every un- 
dertaking. They opposed strategy against 
the superiorit}- in numbers and arms of the 
enemy, fighting them from ambuscades and 
causing them severe losses. The Iroquois 
finally obtained arms from the Dutch, who 
had begun a settlement on the site of Al- 
bany, and the war was vigorously continued 
until it culminated in the almost utter an- 
nihilation of the Adirondacks. Governor 
Champlain and his French forces learned 
too late that, in allying to themselves the 
Adirondacks and other nations not in union 
with the Confederacy, they had united their 



fortunes with the conquered instead of with 
the conqueror. The Quatoghies, or Hu- 
rons, who were allied with the Adirondacks, 
suffered the same disastrous defeat in a 
fierce battle fought within sight of the 
French settlement at Quebec. 

With the same terrible, implacable and 
deadly vengeance the Iroquois pursued and 
fought other enemies ; the Neutrals and the 
Fries to the westward, and the Andastes in 
the south, were subsequently almost wiped 
out of existence as nations, and they became 
the savage lords of the Continent, their sway 
extending over the vast territory estimated 
to be twelve hundred miles long and eight 
hundred broad, embracing a large part of 
New England, and reaching to the Missis- 
sippi. The French settlers in Canada, and 
the Cherokees and Catawbas in the far South 
were all humbled by their power. 

"At one period," says Schoolcraft, "we 
hear the sound of their war crj' along the 
shores of St. Mary's, and at the foot of Lake 
Superior ; at another under the walls of 
Quebec, where they finally defeated the 
Hurons under the eyes of the French. They 
put out the fires of the Gahkas and Fries. 
They eradicated the Susquehannocks. They 
placed the Lanappes, the Nanticokes and 
Muncees under the yoke of subjection. 
They put the Metoacks and Manhattans 
under tribute. They spread the terror of 
their name all over New England. They 
traveled the whole length of the Appalachi- 
an Chain, and descended like the enraged 
Yagisho and Megalonyx on the Cherokees 
and Catawbas. Smith encountered their 
warriors in the settlement of Virginia, and 
La Salle on the discovery of the Illinois." 

From these conquered nations the Iro- 
quois exacted tribute, and drew con- 
scripts for their armies. The Tuscaroras, 
of the Carolinas, were incorporated into the 
Confederacy in 1713, after which it was 
known as the Six Nations. From their 



History of the Aborigines. 



23 



great valor and success in war, and the ex- 
tent of territory conquered by them, they 
have been aptly termed, "the Romans of 
the New World." When it is remembered 
that probably at no time could they bring 
into the field more than two thousand of 
their own warriors, and yet subjugated na- 
tions twice as large in numbers, and spread 
terror among the French settlements in 
Canada, threatening their utter destruction-, 
the wonder of their achievements is almost 
overwhelming. 

Yet their military organization was scarce- 
ly worth the name, though it was, doubt- 
less, better than that of some of the other 
nations. They rarely acted in perfect con- 
cert as a great Confederacy ; their warfare 
being commonly carried on by detached 
parties. Thej' were in a chronic state of 
war. The inveterate pursuit of the Hurons, 
Eries and Andastes, for example, all of 
whom were valorous and mighty nations, 
forms an unexplained passage in their his- 
tory. Any one of their warriors who might 
desire to avenge even a personal affront, or 
desired to distinguish himself in battle, 
might take the war path, followed by whom- 
soever he could attract to his cause. He 
first communicated his design to two inti- 
mate friends ; if they approved it, an invita- 
tion was extended in their names to the 
warriors of the village to attend a feast of 
dog's flesh, which was always partaken of 
at such times. There the purpose was pub- 
licly proclaimed ; the war dance and war 
songs were indulged in, and the leader 
hurled his hatchet into the war post. Any 
who chose joined him ; and, after a night 
of gluttonous debauchery, the war party set 
out, decked in their finest apparel, and their 
faces hideously painted. The)- were ac- 
companied on such occasions b}' the women, 
who took with them the old clothing of the 
warriors, and brought back the finery in 
which they marched forth. These expedi- 



tions generally provoked retaliation, when 
vengeance was wreaked on any of the of- 
fending nation with whom they came in con- 
tact. Consequently thfe history of Indian 
warfare is largely a record of daring deeds 
performed by individuals and small bands 
of warriors, who, ambushed and otherwise, 
constantly harassed their enemies, tortured 
their captives, and kept them in continual 
fear. This mode of warfare was what so 
distressed and decimated the American col- 
onies in their early settlements. 

The discipline and personal bravery of 
the Iroquois were adapted to the forests in 
which their warfare was most effective. In 
an open country, against a drilled and dis- 
ciplined force of white soldiers, they were 
less to be dreaded. "Their true superiority 
was a moral one. They were in one of 
those transports of pride, self-confidence, 
and rage for ascendency which, in a savage 
people, marks an era of conquest.^ They 
were proud, arrogant, vindictive, sagacious 
and subtle, esteeming themselves by nature 
as superior to other mankind." They styled 
themselves, "Onguehonwe," signifying, 
"men surpassing all others;" and great 
care was taken to instill this idea into the 
minds of their children. 

The military status of the Iroquois is dif- 
ferently estimated by different authors ; 
while it would scarcely be just to compare 
them with civilized armies, they would not, 
in many respects, suffer by such a compar- 
ison. De Witt Clinton awards them the 
following words of high praise : "They re- 
duced war to a science, and all their move- 
ments were directed by system and policy. 
They never attacked a hostile country till 
they had sent out spies to explore and des- 
ignate its vulnerable points, and when they 
encamped they observed the greatest cir- 
cumspection to guard against surprise. 
Whatever superiority of force they might 

1 Paikman's yc'siiits. 



24 



History of Cortland County. 



have, they never neglected the use of strat- 
agem, employing all the craft}' wiles of the 
Carthaginians. To produce death by the 
most protracted suffering was sanctioned 
among them by general immemorial 
usages." 

The cruel and remorseless tortures in- 
flicted h^' the Iroquois upon their captives 
forms a dark page in their history, while the 
fortitude and heroism with which they them- 
selves endured such tortures is the marvel 
of civilization. Even women were not ex- 
empt from them ; but let it be said to their 
credit that they never violated the persons 
of their female prisoners, however shame- 
less were their practices among themselves.^ 
Bancroft significantly says: "We call them 
cruel ; but they never invented the thumb- 
screw, or the boot, or the rack, or broke on 
the .wheel, or e.xiled bands of their nations 
for opinion's sake, and never protected the 
monopoly of a medicine man by the gal- 
lows, or the block, or by fire." 

That the Iroquois were superior to other 
nations of their race in the western hemi- 
sphere, and even to the civilized races of 
Mexico and Peru, is proved by the average 
size of their brain, which, as found by Mr. 
Morton, averaged eighty-eight inches in five 
crania ; this is within two inches of the Cau- 
casian mean. Among this remarkable fam- 
ily were found the fullest development of 
Indian character and intelligence. "They 
unified and systematized the elements which, 
among other nations, were digressixe and 
chaotic." 

There were, also, strongly marked phys- 
ical differences between the Indian tribes. 
The Iroquois were erect, commanding and 

'This forbearance tovvartl.s female captives was ]irob- 
ably the result of superstition, rather than an inherent 
heroic virtue, to which some writers ascribe it. Karly 
writers bear abundant testimony of their unchastity. . . . 
Morgan, one of their most earnest advocates of the pres- 
ent day, admits that the passion of love among them had 
no other than an animal existence. — COLUE.v, P.vrkman, 
and Documentary History. 



dignified ; they were reserved and haughty, 
cool, deliberate and cunning. Other na- 
tions, with different habits, were more nerv- 
ous, social and excitable, and less com- 
manding in figure. The causes of these 
differences are thus pointed out by Charles 
T. Hoffman, esq. : "The Pawnees, following 
the buffalo in his migrations, and having 
alwa}'s plenty of animal food to subsist upon, 
are a much better fed and a larger race than 
those who find a precarious subsistence in 
the forest chase, while the woodland tribes, 
who, though not so plump in form, are of 
a more wiry and, perhaps, muscular make, 
have again a -decided advantage in figure 
and gait over the fishing and trapping tribes 
of the northwest that pass most of their time 
in canoes. This difference in character and 
physical appearance between the different 
Indian tribes, or rather between those which 
have such different methods of gaining a 
livelihood, has not been sufficiently attended 
to by modern authors, though it did not 
escape the early French writers on this 
country. And yet, if habit have any ef- 
fect in forming the character and temper of 
a rude people, it must of course follow that 
the savage who lives in eternal sunshine 
upon flowery plains, and hunts on horse- 
back with a troop of tribesmen around him, 
must be a different being from the solitary 
deer-stalker who wanders through the dim 
forest, depending upon his single arm for 
subsistence for his wife and children." 

The settlement of this continent by rep- 
resentatives of European nations, as here- 
after further referred to, was alike the pre- 
curser of the downfall of the great Iroquois 
Confederacy and the ultimate entire ex- 
tinction of the American Indian ; a result 
due more to the indi\'idual character and 
mental structure of the conquered, than to 
any special defects in the organization of 
the Confederacy. They lacked the mental 
capacity and tractability to enable them to 



History of the Aborigines. 



25 



adapt themselves to the conditions essential 
to their permanence among or adjacent to 
the new race. What might have been the 
result had the Inilians been brought more, 
or even as much, in contact with the virt- 
ues of the Europeans, as with their vices, 
it profits nothing to inquire. As it was, 
their savage nature seems to have been in- 
tensified, rather than subdued or modified. 
While the labors of the early missionaries, 
heroic and unselfish as they were, undoubt- 
edly had a good influence, their own rec- 
ords give ample evidence of the difficulties 
attending the conversion of the savages ; 
instances of genuine and permanent con- 
version have been extremely rare. Father 
Gabriel Marest, a missionary of 17 12, said : 
"It is necessary first to transform them into 
men, and afterwards to labor to make them 
Christians;" which epitomizes the whole 
problem ; and it appears to have been 
easier to make a Christian of a man than a 
man of an Indian, in the sense intended by 
the missionary, Marest. 

The large liberties granted by the pecul- 
iar Confederacy was an element of danger 
to a people given, as they were, to the 
gratification of their appetites and passions. 
Thus licensed and then brought in contact 
with the questionable policy of the Europe- 
ans towards them, the consequences could 
not well have been otherwise than what 
they were. Their decline may be said to 
have begun when their conquests ended. 
They soon fell into a hopeless dependency, 
without the means, and probably without 
the ambition or the desire, to oppose the 
rapid encroachments of the whites upon 
their domain. As early as 1753 their dis- 
solution was foreshadowed, though it did 
not actually occur until about a quarter of 
a century later. At a conference with the 



Six Nations at Onondaga, September 8th, 
1753, Colonel William Johnson thus ad- 
dressed them : — 

"Brethren of the Six Nations — It Grieves 
me sorely to find the road hither so grown up 
with weeds for want of being used, and your fire 
almost expiring at Onondaga, w'here it was 
agreed by the wisdom of our ancestors that it 
should never be extinguished. You know it was 
a saying among them that when the fire was out 
here you would be no longer a people. I am 
now Sent by Your Brother, the Governor, to 
clear the road, and make up the Fire with such 
wood as will never burn out, and I earnestly 
desire You would take care to keep it up, so as 
to be found always the same when he shall send 
among you. A belt. 

" Brethren of the Six Nations — I have now 
renewed the Fire, swept and cleaned all your 
Rooms with a new White Wing, and leave it 
hanging near the fireplace, that you may use it 
for cleaning all dust, dirt, &c., which may have 
been brought in by strangers, no friends to You, 
or Us. A string of wampum. 

" Brethren of the Six Nations — I am sorry to 
find on my arrivall among You that the fine 
Shady Tree which was planted by your fore- 
fathers for your ease and Shelter should be now 
leaning, almost blown down by northerly winds. 
I shall now endeavor to set it upright, that it may 
flourish as formerly while the roots spread abroad, 
so that when we sit or stand upon them You 
will not feel them shake, should any storm blow, 
then should You be ready to secure it. A belt. 

"Brethren of the Six Nations — Your Fire 
now burns clearly at the old place. The Tree 
of shelter is set up and flourishes; I must now 
insist upon your quenching the Fire made with 
Brambles at Swegachey, and recall those to their 
proper home who have deserted thither ; I can- 
not leave disswading you froin goeing to Canada ; 
the French are a delusive People, always en- 
deavoring to divide you as much as they can, 
nor will they let slip any opportunity of makeing 

advantage of it A large belt." — 

Dm. Histor}<, Vol. II., 653. 



26 



History of Cortland County. 



CHAPTER III. 



INDI.\N REUVriONS IN CEMKAI. NEW YORK. 

The Territory of Cortland County with Reference to the Indian Tribes — The I.cni Lenape — Their Traditionary 
Origin — Their Relations with the Iroquois — The Peculiar Office Assigned Them — Final .Supremacy of the Iroquois 
— Indian \'illages — Their Personal Habits and Social Customs — Religious Beliefs, Marriages, Festivals, etc. 



WHILE the territory with which we are 
chiefly interested in this work was, 
during its Indian occupation, a portion of 
the broad domain of the great Confederacy 
described in the preceding chapter, it is also 
true that, as far as history can inform us, 
no considerable Indian village was ever lo- 
cated within the present limits of Cortland 
county, and little of the bloody warfare 
which so long formed the principal occupa- 
tion of the Five Nations occurred within 
its borders.! q^^ unbroken forests, um- 

1 The Wyoming Indians occasionally visited the valley, 
(Otselic) during the few first years after the settlement 
commenced. The Onondagas and Oneidas, also, made 
periodical visits. In 1796 forty of the Oneidas camped 
on the ground occupied by the Brick store (Cincinna- 
tus) ; and during the fall and winter they killed forty- 
two bears. 

They (Dr. Japheth Hunt and family, pioneers of Mar- 
athon) entered the valley of the Tioughnioga from the 
south, in canoes, in the year 1794, and located on a piece 
of land on the east side of the river, about a mile south 
of the village of Marathon. Upon this rismg ground 
were discovered a great number of excavations or depres- 
sions, of a circular form in close pro.ximity, rendering the 
surface of the ground uneven. Each of these depressions 
upon examination was found to contain human bones, 
which had apparently been deposited here for several pre- 
ceding centuries. Upon removing the road a few years 
since from the top to the base of this hill, some of these 
depressions were opened by the plow, and were found to 
contain not only human bones, but several curiouslv 
carved vessels or pots, of a substance resembling clay, 
probably wrought by the Indians. — GooDWi.v. 

About one mile south of the \-illage (of Marathon), on 
the ea.st bank of the river, is the site of an old Indian vil- 
lage and burial ground. Tradition says that this was 
once the seat of a powerful tribe of Indians. — French's 
Gazetteer. 

We are informed by old residents of Cincinnatus that 
bands of Onondagas visited that town every summer for 
many years, and as late as 1820 ; that they tilled small 
pieces of ground, hunted and exchanged venison vrith the 
settlers for bread ; and that there was a burial ground not 
far from the present village of Cincinnatus. 



brageous with lu.xuriant foliage in summer, 
and stretching their barren arms to the win- 
try blast on hillside and valley ; the beauti- 
ful river that winds its way southward, and 
its many clear, spring-fed tributaries, once 
undoubtedly formed a favorite hunting and 
fishing ground of the Onondagas, while they 
escaped the bloody scenes "in which the once 
powerful nation were often so prominent ; 
the reason for this was almost wholly one 
of location. It is not improbable, more- 
over, that the hunters of the Leni Lenape, 
or Delawares, at one period in their history, 
followed the Tioughnioga as far northward 
as this. This nation, according to tradition, 
came from the far western part of the Amer- 
ican* continent, whence the)- migrated east- 
ward to the Mississippi, where they fell in 
with the Iroquois, likewise proceeding east- 
ward. On this side of the Mississippi the 
country was occupied by the Alligewi, a 
powerful nation who had many large towns, 
with fortifications of earth on the rivers 
flowing through their lands. They refused 
to allow the Lenape to settle in their 
country, but gave them permission to pass 
on eastward. Upon seeing the great num- 
bers of the Lenape, however, they became 
alarmed and treacherously attacked those 
who had crossed the riverand threatened with 
destruction all who attempted to cross. The 
Lenape, being to weak to force their passage 
against so powerful an enemy, made common 
cause with the Iroquois, and, after a number 
of sanguinary battles, the Alligewi, to avoid 
destruction, fled down the Mississippi and 
never returned to their abandoned country. 
This tradition was entertained also by the 
Mahicans (or Mohegans) who inhabited the 



Indian Relations in Central New York. 



country immediately east of the Hudson i 
river, and were, according to Heclcvvelder's 
Historical Account of tlu Five Xations, a 
branch of the Lenape family. The tradition 
continues that the Iroquois and the Lenape 
dwelt together for a long period in their 
conquered territory, rapidly increasing in 
numbers. Finally some of the Lenape 
hunters and warriors crossed the mountains 
to the Atlantic, discovering on their way 
the Delaware and the Susquehanna rivers. 
L^pon their return thej' gave so favorable an 
account of the new countrj-, that it led to 
the belief among the nation that it was des- 
tined by the Great Spirit for their occupa- 
tion. They accordingly migrated thither, 
making their central possessions on tlie Del- 
aware. There they divided themselves into 
three tribes — the Turtle, the Turkej" and 
the Wolf — named in their language the 
Unamis, the Unalachtgos and the Minsis. 
The first t\vo chose the countrj' nearest the 
sea, for settlement, while the latter located 
to the northward between them and the 
Iroquois, their territory originalh" extend- 
ing from the headwaters of the Delaware 
and Susquehanna southward to the moun- 
tainous regions of New Jersey and Penn- 
sylvania, and from the Hudson river west 
and southwest beyond the Susquehanna. 

Whatever may or may not be true of 
this tradition, the territory just alluded to 
was formerly occupied by a branch of this 
nation, who e%'entually became parties to 
the treaty made by William Penn. The 
Delawares dwelt at peace with the Iroquois 
for many years ; but at length the Iroquois, 
growing more numerous and powerful, be- 
came distrustful of their neighbors, whose 
numbers were also rapidly increasing, and 
endeavored to involve them in difficulties, 
especially with the Cherokees, then occu- 
pying the banks of the Ohio river and its 
branches. Between these and the Dela- 
wares a bloody war ensued. The treachery 



of the Iroquois was finally discovered by 
the Delawares and they resolved to seek 
revenge by tlie extermination of the Iro- 
quois nation. So strong were their pros- 
pects of success that the Iroquois were im- 
pelled to resort to strategy as a means of 
terminating tlie conflict ; otherwise the\- 
were fearful that "their extirpation would be 
inevitable."! Heckwelder even attributes to 
the severit}- of these wars tlie formation of 
the great Iroquois league. 

The plans of the Iroquois were to pacify 
the Delawares (characterized by ^Marryat, 
in his Diary of America as their most for- 
midable enemy) by urging upon them the 
novel proposition that they should as- 
sume the office of zvomen'} in which they 
should act as mediators and judges among 
their warlike neighbors, leaving the Iroquois 
to devote their entire energies to conquer- 
ing their enemies, the French. They, tliere- 
fore, sent tlie following message "to tlie Del- 
awares: "It is not profitable that all na- 
tions should be at war with each other ; for 
this will at length be the ruin of the whole 
Indian race. We have, therefore, considered 
of a remedy by which the evil will be pre- 
vented. One nation shall be tlie zcotiian. 
We will place her in the midst, and the 
other nations who make war shall be the 
man and live around the woman ; no one 
shall touch or hurt the woman, and if any 
one does it, we will immediately say to him, 
why do >ou beat the woman? Then all the 
men shall fall upon him who has beaten her. 
The woman shall not go to war, but en- 
deavor to keep peace with all. Therefore, 
if tlie men who surround her beat each 
other, and the war be carried on with vio- 

1 Loskiel, part I, cli. X, p. 124. 

2 Wars between these savage nations were never ter- 
minated except through the interposition of women, 
whose prerogative it was to demand a cessation of hos- 
tilities. The men, however, tired of war, maintained a 
persistent hostile attitude ; they considered it an evidence 
of cowardice to intimate a desire for peace. — Heck- 
welder. 



History of Cortland County. 



lence, the woman shall have the right of 
addressing them. 'Ye men, what are ye 
about? Why do ye beat each other? We 
arc almost afraid. Consider that your wives 
and children must perish, unless ye desist. 
Do yc mean to destroy yourscKes from the 
face of the earth?' The men shall then hear 
and obey the woman. "' 

This appeal to the magnanimity of the 
Delawares \\as a high tribute to their char- 
acter for valor and integrity, as well as a 
skillful and ingenious one on the part of the 
Iroquois. A weak or vacillating nation 
could not have undertaken such a work. 
Unhappily they accepted the proposal, that 
was to rob them of their power in war, 
"which had," according to Heckwelder, 
"e.xalted them above all the other Indian 
nations." 

Upon the assent of the Delawares to the 
proposition of the Iroquois, the latter or- 
dered a bounteous feast at which their dupes 
were solemnly installed into their novel of- 
fice as women, with an exhortation counsel- 
ing them among other things, to henceforth 
make agriculture their employment and 
means of subsistence. This singular treaty 
is supposed to have taken place near the site 
of Albany, between the }'ears 1609 and 1620. 
The treaty was participated in bj- the Dutch, 
and "bj'it," say-s Moulton, "the Dutch se- 
cured for themselves the quiet possession of 
the Indian trade, and the Five Nations ob- 
tained the means to assert that ascendency 
which they ever after maintained over the 
other native tribes, and to inspire terror far 
and near among the other savages of North 
America." 

Whether or not these traditions are wor- 
thy of full credence, it is certain that the 
relative positions of the Delawares and the 
Iroquois were reversed, as to their military 
stains, the former being looked to for the 
preservation of peace. W'hile these pro- 

itxjskiel, part I, ch. X, p. 124. 



ceedings, resulting in the Delawares being 
forced to submit to the humiliation of being 
made " women," have been generally as- 
sumed by writers to be true, several have 
labored to refute what they believed to be a 
gross error; notable among these are Rut- 
tenber, in \\\s Liciian Tribes of the Hudson's 
River and Heckwelder, p. 44, 45. 

At the beginning of the Revolutionary 
war the Delawares, who in 1763 had num- 
bered six hundred warriors, were divided ; 
the greater portion of them having migrated 
across the mountains to the Ohio river, 
where they located at Muskingham. They 
were drawn into that war and their numbers 
so reduced that " they lost all desire of be- 
coming a civilized people," although the 
Moravian missionaries labored long and 
faithfulh' among them. They participated in 
numerous attacks upon the western frontier 
posts, having joined Pontiac ; but a peace 
was established with them in 1 765 and they 
were gradually followed across the moun- 
tains by their brethren, so that by the year 
1786, according to Lossing, there was not a 
Delaware east of the Alleghanies. In 181 8 
they ceded all their lands to the United 
States. The vestiges of the Delawares are 
now in the Indian Territory, whence they 
furnished one hundred and seventy soldiers 
to the Union cause during the war of the 
rebellion ; let that fact stand to their lasting 
credit, whether or not they ever visited the 
valley of the Tioughnioga to any consider- 
able extent. ^ 

1 Goodwin, in his History of Cortland Coiintv, relates a 
" legend of the Tioughnioga," for which he claimed "au- 
thority and corroborating facts sufficient to entitle it to a 
place in history," to the effect that a small settlement of 
the Lenape Indians was once made near the mouth of 
Cold brook, in the present town of Homer ; this was 
early in the sixteenth century, and they came to this val- 
ley in quest of quiet repose where they might peacefully 
pursue the chase. Here they suffered from the incursions 
of the " Mingoes," until finally they were impelled to cry 
out for revenge. Their old chief was disabled and in- 
firm, and he therefore, called young "Ke-no-tah," whom 
he counseled in a speech to talce his place at the head of 



Indian Relations in Central New York. 



29 



Before passing on to events that followed 
upon European settlement, it will be inter- 
esting to refer briefly to some of the social 

the warriors and attack their enemies. The choice was 
ratified by a council of the braves. The aged sachem had 
a beautiful daughter named "Allahalah," who had been 
promised in marriage to Kenotah. One day before the 
departure of the war party, three savages from among their 
enemies appeared at the old chief's cabin and demanded 
the surrender of their village. Hearing this Altahalah 
bounded away to Kenotah and informed him of tlie event. 
He met the three ambassadors, and such was the power 
of his eloquence before them that they quailed, and left 
the village muttering curses of vengeance. The follow- 
ing night the Mingoes came and attacked the village. A 
fierce and bloody contest ensued, resulting in the suc- 
cess of the Lenape ; but the old chieftain was found by 
his daughter dead upon the field. AVhile she was bend- 
ing over his cold form, a powerful savage stealthily crept 
to her side, seized her in his arms and quickly disap- 
peared in the thick forest. The shriek of the maiden 
aroused the warriors and pursuit was immediately made 
and continued through the night, when all traces of the 
trail were lost. When the last rites were paid to the 
dead, Kenotah gathered the remainder of his warriors 
about him, took their lead and again started in pursuit 
of the captors of his bride. For weeks and months their 
weary search was pursued, but without avail. At last 
one evening, during a violent thunder storm, the pursu- 
ers saw their enemies, by a flash of lightning, sleeping at 
the bottom of a ravine ; but the maiden was not with 
them. .Awaiting another vivid flash of lightning, Keno- 
tah and his braves fell upon their enemies and left them 
all dead upon the ground. Kenotah called in vain for 
Altahalah, and the thought that she was wandering alone 
in the forest drove him to the verge of madness and de- 
spair. The valley of the Tioughnioga was deserted. The 
Lenape had abandoned their homes made desolate by the 
Mingoes and joined the " Moncey.s," whose council fires 
burned at Minisink, on the Delaware river. One even- 
ing at some undefined subsequent date, a beautiful In- 
dian maiden might have been seen sitting on the bank of 
" her native river " (according to the legend), her loos- 
ened hair hanging in long braids over her unclad shoul- 
ders, while*she sweetly sang her lover's favorite song. 
Anon she gazed down the river and presently heard the 
light sound of dipping oars. A moment more and she 
beheld the white plume of her affianced. Kenotah had 
found his bride. 

This is a pretty enough legend; but if the author had 
" various corroborating facts derived from the traditions 
of the early Indian occupants of the Wyoming valley, to 
clothe it with a garb of undoubted reality," it is much to 
be regretted that such facts and other details as to its 
source were not given with the story; if absolutely true, 
it would stand as, perhajjs, the only real evidence that a 
permanent Indian village was ever located in the Tiough- 
nioga valley within the limits of Cortland county. 



customs, domestic habits, religious and su- 
perstitious beliefs, festivals, games, etc., of 
this people who were once the sole human 
occupants of this soil that now blossoms un- 
der the hand of civilization. It has been 
written that, "while hopelessly unchanging 
in respect to individual ^nd social develop- 
ment, the Indian was, as regarded tribal re- 
lations and social haunts, mutable as the 
wind." 1 Their villages and habitations were 
constantly subject to changes made desira- 
ble on account of the results of their wars, 
or to remove beyond the reach of possibly 
dangerous neighbors, or to occupy more de- 
sirable lands for their primitive agriculture. 
The extermination of game, too, had its in- 
fluence in this respect. Some of the Iro- 
quois nations, however, had villages which 
had more the appearance and character of 
permanency. Of these the Senecas, who oc- 
cupied the most fertile portion of the State, 
were most conspicuous and carried their ag- 
riculture to the greatest perfection. General 
Sullivan reported that, in 1779, the "In- 
dian town of Genesee contained 128 houses, 
mostly large and elegant. It was beautifully 
situated, encircled by a clear flat extending 
a number of miles, over which fields of corn 
were waving, together with every kind of 
vegetable that could be conceived of." In 
Stone's Life of Brant, the author says "they 
had many towns and large villages laid out 
with considerable regularity. They had 
framed houses, some of them well finished, 
having chimneys and painted ; they had 
broad and productive fields." This is con- 
trary to the often entertained opinion. Their 
ordinary dwellings difiered in shape and 
size, but were generally about thirty feet 
square and nearly as high. The sides were 
formed of hickory saplings set in two par- 
allel rows and bent inward, thus forming an 
arch. To these, transverse poles were bound 
and the whole covered with bark held in 
I 1 Parkman. 



3° 



History of Cortland County. 



place by smaller poles fastened to the frame- 
work b\- strips of linden bark. An open 
space a foot wide extending along the peak- 
served as both window and chimney. Scaf- 
folds or bunks were arranged along the sides 
and covered with skins, for sleeping places, 
beneath which was stored firewood, etc. In 
cold weather the inmates slept huddled to- 
gether about the fires, rangetl through the 
center of the house. In some of the larger 
structures the sides were formed of upright 
posts, and the roofs of separate poles. The 
Iroquois followed this general mode of 
building until comparatively recent times. 

The Indian towns were commonly but a 
confused mass of houses arranged with little 
regard to order and covering from one to 
ten acres ; they were often fortified and sit- 
uations favorable to defense were always 
chosen. The fortifications were constructed 
of timber palisades, against which earth em- 
bankments were thrown up. The large 
quantities of timber used in the fortifications 
left the many clearings which were after- 
wards devoted to agriculture. 

The staple article of food with the Iro- 
quois was corn, "cooked without salt in a\'a- 
riety of different ways," each, says Parkman, 
"more odious than the last." Corn thus 
cooked with beans was one of their dainties. 
Their bread, an article of daily consumption, 
was of inferior quality and made of corn. 
Dog flesh was held in high esteem ; venison 
a luxury for feasts, for which captive bears 
were also sometimes fattened. The cook- 
ing previous to the advent of the French 
fur-traders, who supplied them with copper 
kettles, was done in earthen pots which were 
made by the women. The women spun twine, 
also, from native hemp, by rolling it on their 
thighs, from which to make their fishing 
nets; and they pounded the corn in huge 
mortars of wood hollowed out by alternate 
burnings and scrapings. The women per- 
formed the household drudgery and worked 



in the fields. To the men belonged the work 
of making imjilemcnts of war and the chase, 
building canoes of bark or b)- hollowing out 
logs. 

The dress of both women and men con- 
sisted of skins of various kinds, worn in the 
shape of kilts, or in doublets thrown over 
the shoulders. These were subsequently 
superseded by a kind of coarse cloth pro- 
cured of the whites. The rich wore a piece 
of black, blue or red cloth, about two yards 
long, fastened around their waists and orna- 
mented \»ith ribbons and wampum. The 
poor were content with a bear skin ; these 
were also worn by all classes in the winter, 
or, instead, a kind of pelisse, made of beaver 
skins. Stockings and shoes were made of 
deer and elk skins ; some wore shoes made 
of corn husks. The garment which was 
most worn b}- the women was a sort of pet- 
ticoat of cloth about two yards long wound 
about the hips and tightly fastened, falling 
a little below the knee; this was worn day 
and night. Women of rank wore fine un- 
der-garments with red collars. 

All Indians were fond of ornamentation, 
the women especially so ; in their decora- 
tions consisted their wealth and they also 
designated their rank. The men paid par- 
ticular attention to their wives' ornamenta- 
tion and thought it scandalous to appear the 
better dressed. 

Much pains was taken in painting their 
faces and in some cases in tattooing almost 
their entire bodies. Each day their faces 
received a fresh coating, of which vermilion 
was the favorite color. A piece of gold, sil- 
ver or wampum was sometimes worn in a 
hole pierced through the cartilage of the 
nose, while from their ears, stretched and 
distended bj' heavy ornaments, depended 
rings, sparkling stones, feathers, corals or 
crosses. The hair was also often thus deco- 
rated, and was worn by the women at full 
length, often reaching below their hips. 



Indian Relations in Central New York. 



31 



They anointed it with bear's grease to make 
it shine. The women of tlie Delawares, ac- 
cording to Loskiel, never braided or plaited 
their hair ; it was folded and tied round with 
a piece of cloth, and sometimes rolled up and 
a serpent's skin wrapped around it. The 
men did not wear their hair long, and some- 
times pulled it out except a little on the 
crown of the head. This was often orna- 
mented with plumes. The Iroquois studied 
and practiced ornamentation and dress more 
than any other Indian nation. 

Marriage among the Iroquois was in- 
dulged in early in life ; often at eighteen by 
the men and fourteen b)- the women. The 
ceremony was of the simplest character, 
usually consisting of a present from the 
suitor and its acceptance b\' the bride ; she 
returned a dish of boiled maize and an arm 
ful of fuel. Divorces were attended by 
even less ceremony ; the most trivial causes 
were sufficient for a separation. While mo- 
nogamy was the rule, poI)'gam\- was tole- 
rated, especially among the chiefs. Pro- 
visional, or experimental, marriages were 
common and usually of short duration ; the)- 
were entered into in the same manner as the 
permanent marriage, through the presenta- 
tion and acceptance of gifts. A woman thus 
sometimes accumulated a handsome fortune 
in wampum and the like, before she was re- 
ally settled in life. This sort of matrimony 
was no bar to a license, boundless and appa- 
rently universal, unattended \\-ith loss of 
reputation on either side. ' 

Although the Indians were taciturn, mo- 
rose and cruel in their warlike expeditions, 
in their own homes they were extremely 
social, patient and forbearing, engaging in 
their festal seasons in a continuous round 
of dancing, feasting and gambling. The 
latter pastime was constantly indulged in, 
the stakes often involving all the worldly 
property of the players. One of the de- 

l Parkman's ycsiiils. 



vices used was a number of plum-stones, 
the sides of which were flattened and one 
side of each painted black ; these were 
thrown up from a wooden bowl, and the 
betting w^as upon the number of black or 
white sides that would fall uppermost. This 
game possessed for them a wonderful fas- 
cination, two entire villages sometimes en- 
tering the contest. Their dances were to 
the sole music of a sort of drum made by 
stretching a deer skin over one end of a 
hollow log. The common dance was held 
in a large house or in an open field around 
a fire. The men shouted in this and leaped 
and stamped violently, showing their won- 
derful agility ; but the women observed the 
utmost decorum, never speaking a word to 
the men ; they kept their bodies upright 
and straight and their arms hanging loosely 
at their sides. This kind of dancing is still 
indulged in by the Onondagas. Other 
dances were participated in by the men 
only ; and others still were adapted to spe- 
cial occasions. Chief among these was the 
dance of peace, or dance of the calumet, 
in which the pipe was handed around. A 
song, devoted especially to this ceremony, 
was sung by all. The war-dance was also 
a prominent ceremony, following the return 
of a war party. It was often thrilling in 
the extreme ; but its details need not be 
given here. 

Feasting was often indulged and some- 
times participated in by whole villages, 
upon the in\-itation of some especially prod- 
igal host. To refuse an invitation to such 
a feast was considered a grave offense, and 
the debauchery sometimes continued 
throughout the entire day, being inter- 
spersed with singing, jesting, laughing and 
smoking. If the feast partook of a medical 
character, as was sometimes the case, it was 
incumbent upon the guest to eat all that 
was placed before him, even if he died in 
the effort. Should he fail, the host would 



32 



History of Cortland County. 



be outraged, the community shocked and 
the spirits rise in vengeance ; disaster would 
befall the nation. If the guest, however, 
found himself utterly unable to swallow his 
portion, there was one way out of the di- 
lemma ; another of the compan}', upon 
being rewarded with a present, might finish 
the meal. 

The God of the Iroquois was called 
" Hawenniio," meaning, "he rules — he is 
master;" and their belief in immortality 
was almost universal. Animals, even, were 
immortal and were worshiped. The Iro- 
quois had, also, another God, with equal 
claims to supremacy with the one men- 
tioned. He was called "Areskoui," the 
god of war. A third deity was " Taren- 
yowagon," whose place and character is not 
well defined. He has by some been iden- 
tified with " Hiawatha," to whom the Iro- 
quois ascribe their great Confederation. 
They also had numerous objects, animate 
and inanimate, to which were attributed 
supernatural powers and were supplicated. 
These were called by the Iroquois "Okies," 
and by the Algonquins, " Manitous." They 
existed throughout the world and controlled 
the destinies of the Indians. For the most 
part they took the form of animals. Each 
Indian had his guardian " Manitou," to 
whom he looked for counsel, guidance and 
protection. The points of the compass 
were also looked upon as "Manitous;" 
there was a Summer-Maker and a Winter- 
Maker, the latter being kept at bay by 
throwing brands of fire into the air. The 
hunter endeavored to propitiate the game 
he pursued, and was often known to address 
a wounded bear in a long harangue before 
dispatching him. This was also true of 
fish. Sa\-s Parkman : "The fish were ad- 
dressed (by the fishing party) every even- 
ing, by one chosen for that duty, who ex- 
horted them to take courage and be caught, 
assuring them that the utmost respect should 



be paid to their bones." The fishing-nets 
were also objects of solicitude, and that they 
might the better do their work, they were 
married every year to two young girls, with 
a ceremony far more formal than that ob- 
served in human wedlock. 

The Iroquois had five difierent festivals 
annually. The first was held in the spring, 
after the close of sugar-making, and was in 
gratitude for the abundance of the sap. 
The aged chiefs exhorted the young men 
to lives of virtue as a road to a continuance 
of the favor. It closed with dancing, sing- 
ing and games. 

The second festival occurred immediately 
after corn-planting, when thanks were given 
for the favorable seed-time and the Great 
Spirit invoked to grant a good crop. 

The third was the well-known green corn 
feast, when thanks were rendered for the 
valuable gift, and immense quantities of the 
young corn was cooked in \'arious ways 
and eaten. Songs and dances formed a 
large portion of the accompanying ceremo- 
nies, closing with the famous succotash 
dance. 

The fourth festival was held at the close 
of the corn harvest, and was one of thank- 
fulness for the crop, followed by festivities. 
To these festivals three days were formerly 
set apart for each ; latterly, one day only 
has been given to each. 

The fifth and crowning festival of the 
year was held late in Januarj' or early in 
February, immediately after the return of 
the hunters from the chase; it was cele- 
brated with great pomp and ceremony. 
When the preliminary preparations had 
been made, runners were dispatched to 
every cabin in the nation to give notice of 
the event. The fires were put out in all 
the cabins, each of which was then visited 
and purified by persons appointed for that 
purpose, who scattered the ashes, swept the 
hearth and rekindled the fire. On the sec- 



Indian Relations in Central New York. 



33 



ond day the managers of the festival visited 
each house to receive the gifts of the peo- 
ple, consisting of articles of food, incense or 
sacrifice. This was continued for several 
da)-s, during which time the assemblage at 
the council-house engaged in sports. On 
the day preceding the last, preparations 
were made for the great sacrifice. The 
gifts which had been collected were pre- 
sented separately by the giver to the mas- 
ter of ceremonies, and hung around the 
council-room. The sins of the people, sup- 
posed to have been conveniently transferred 
to the managers, were in turn transferred 
to two persons dressed in white, and from 
them to two white dogs, which had been 
previously fantastically painted with red 
figures, and decorated with wampum, rib- 
bons and feathers, and killed by strangula- 
tion. The dogs were taken to the council- 
house, laid upon a platform amid the most 
devout solemnity, and afterwards taken to 
the fire and each in turn thrown into it. 
This act was preceded by praj-er and song. 
The multitude around the fire threw bas- 
kets of herbs, tobacco, etc., upon the burn- 
ing carcasses, which were entirely consumed. 
A convenient and enjoyable method of dis- 
posing of the year's sins of the tribe. 

The prevailing readiness of the Indian to 
believe in the supernatural led to the ex- 
istence in every community of numbers of 
medicine- men, sorcerers and the like, who 
professed to control the spirits, cure disease 
and protect their patrons from various other 
ills. They thus obtained a powerful influ- 
ence over the minds of their fellows. The 
Indian doctors could cure wounds and had 
methods not devoid of virtue for the relief 
of simple diseases. One of these was the 
sweating oven, an earthen arch into which 
the patient crawled to undergo perspiration 
from the heat of stones piled about the 
oven. From this he was plunged into a 
bath of cold water. Beaver's oil was much 



used, also ; but their principal reliance for 
the cure of disease was magic and mysti- 
cism. Disease was supposed to arise from 
supernatural causes ; so the patient was 
pinched, beaten, surrounded bj- deafening 
noises and incantations, to drive out the 
evil spirits. These, together with dancing, 
singing, feasting and the accompanying 
din in the cabin of the patient, were be- 
lieved to be sufficient for a cure, if he were 
not beyond hope. It would seem that such 
a process would either cure a patient or 
place him beyond the reach of mortal cares. 

Divination and sorcery prevailed to a 
wonderful e.xtent and was implicitly trusted 
by all. The sorcerers professed to be able 
to penetrate the future, and many moment- 
ous measures were inaugurated upon their 
predictions. The\- made sacrifices to the 
ruling spirits whom they wished to propi- 
tiate. Dreams, too, were the guiding ora- 
cles with many of the Indians and caused 
a great deal of their misery and misfortune. 
Their duty, their destiny, war and peace, 
rain and drought, all were revealed by a 
class of professional dreamers and inter- 
preters. But witchcraft (purely) was held 
in the utmost abhorrence and was punisha- 
ble with death in all cases. A witch might 
be killed by any one on sight, with impunity. 
As late as 1805, two witches (so-called) 
were tomahawked by Hon Yost, at Oneida. 

The most ancient method of burial among 
the Iroquois was to first place the corpse 
upon a scaffold about eight feet high and 
allow it to lie there until the flesh decom- 
posed and fell awa\' from the bones, which 
were then interred. Latterly and after their 
contact with the whites, the corpse has been 
clad, a grave dug about three feet deep and 
lined with bark and the body laid therein. 
Beside it were placed a kettle of provisions, 
deer-skin and sinews with which to replace 
the moccasins which, it was believed, would 
be worn out in the long journey to the spirit 



34 



History of Coktj.am) County. 



land, bows and arrows, a tomahawk, knife and 
sometimes a gun. The i];ravc was then filled 
with earth upon which the women knelt and 
wept. After a little time the men began a 
doleful cry and solemnly returned homeward. 

"With the Delawares," says Loskiel, "the 
first degree of mourning in a widow con- 
sists in her sitting down in the ashes near 
the fire and weeping most bitterlj-; she then 
rises and runs to the grave, where she makes 
loud lamentations, returning again to her 
seat in the 'ashes. She will neither eat, 
drink, nor sleep and refuses all consolation. 
But after some time she suffers herself to be 
persuaded to arise, drink some rum and re- 
ceive some comfort. However, she must 
attend to the second degree of mourning 
for a whole }'ear; that is, to dress without an\- 
ornaments and wash herself but seldom. 
As soon as she appears decent, combs and 
anoints her hair, and washes herself clean, 
it is considered a sign that she wishes to 
marry again." Funeral and burial cere- 
monies differed considerably with different 
Indian nations. 

The wampum of the Indians not only 
served as a currenc}', but was used as an 
ornament and as the public archives. This 
fact rendered it of great importance to them. 
It was of two kinds — purple or black, and 
white, the black being estimated at twice 
the value of the white. The purple was 
made from the inner portions of the conch, 
and the white from the pillar of the peri- 
winkle; both kinds were fashioned into 
round or oval beads about a quarter of an 
inch long and perforated; they were then 
strung on a fibre of deer sinew, and latterlj- 
on a linen thread. As a substitute for gold 
and silver its value was fixed bj- law, but 
its valuation was subject to variation, at 
different times and in different places. Three 
purple beads were equal to a stiver in Dutch, 
or an English penny, each equal to two 
cents of United States currency. The price 



of a string six feet long, called a fathom of 
wampum, was held at fi\'c shillings in New 
England. Previous to the advent of the 
whites wampum was largely made of small 
bits of wood of equal size and stained black 
or white; its manufacture from shells was 
difficult for the Indians; but the Dutch in- 
troduced the lathe in its manufacture, and 
by supplying a far superior article, soon 
practically controlled the trade. It was 
made principally at Hackensack, N. J. Por- 
celain and glass imitations soon became 
abundant, which may have been the first 
example of counterfeiting in America. 

The most important use to which wam- 
pum was applied was in the confirmation 
of ctimpacts and treaties between nations, 
both Indian and European; feathers had 
been used in early days. Every speech, 
and its principal parts, were made valid by 
a string or belt of wampum. A black belt 
signified a warning against evil, and if it 
was marked in red and had a hatchet of 
white wampum in the center, it meant war. 
Black or purple always signified some mat- 
ter of grave importance, while white was 
the symbol of peace. 

Hospitality among the Iroquois was the 
most generous, not onl)^ among their own 
kindred, but was extended towards the 
stranger with equal freedom ; it was regarded 
as a sacred duty from which none were ex- 
empt. Whoever refused relief to any one 
was guilty of a grave offense and made him- 
self liable to revenge from the offended. An 
instance is related by Loskiel in which a 
party of two hundred warriors of the Huron 
nation, who had taken the war path against 
the Delawares, were led to give up their 
purpose by the generous hospitality ten- 
dered them b\- the latter. No evidence is 
wanting to show that this trait in the breast 
of the savage Indian was at least as prom- 
inent as among those who now occup)- his 
once wild home. 



European Discoveries axd Settlements. 



35 



CHAPTER IV. 



KUROPKAN DISCOVERIliS AND SETTl.EMKN TS. 

Jacob Calwt at Newfouiullaiul — The Brolheis Cortreal — Discovery of the St. Lawrence River — Ponce de 
Leon's Discovery of Florida — Spanish Discoveries and Conquests — Frencli .\cquisitions to the Northward — 
Settlement at Quebec — P^nglish Settlement at Jamestown — Establishment of Dutch Settlements on the Hudson 
River — Claims of Rival Nations — .\rrival of the Jesuits — Champlain's First Meeting with the Indians — The 
Expedition — Indian Wars — Extension of the Fur I'rade — Jesuit .Missionary Work — French and English Rivalry 
and their Negotiations with the Indians — .\ttack on Montreal — Expedition Planned by P'rontenac — Burning of 
.Schenectady — Treaty of Utrecht — The Iiof|uois in the Carolinas. 



THE history of the locahty of which the 
territor}' uiuier consideration in this 
work forms one of the prominent divisions 
extends back to a remote period of the past, 
and is intimatel)' associated with the early 
discoveries and settlements of civilized peo- 
ple on this continent. While there are evi- 
dences that the surrounding region was 
visited by ci\ilized races a century before 
the landing of the Pilgrims and almost as 
long before the first permanent Dutch set- 
tlements on the Hudson River, it is not 
deemed essential to more than refer to the 
faint historical landmarks from so remote a 
period. Let us, rather, follow the course 
of discovery, settlement and claim on this 
side of the Atlantic, from the time when 
the resolute little band of Puritans disem- 
barked from the Mayflou'cr. The relations 
of this region to the I-Luropean powers were 
at that time of a very indefinite character. 
James I was on the throne of England and 
Louis XIII on that of France, with Riche- 
lieu as his prime minister. A century and 
a quarter previous, and fi\'e years after the 
bold voyage of Columbus, in 1497, John 
Cabot discovered Newfoundland and por- 
tions of the adjacent country. Three years 
later the coast of Labrador and the entrance 
to the Gulf of St. Lawrence were explored 
by two brothers from Portugal, named Cor- 
treal. In 1508 the St. Lawrence river was 
discovered by Aubert, and four years later, 
in I 5 12, Ponce de Leon discovered Florida. 
In 1534 the St. Lawrence was explored by 



the F"renchman, Jacques Cartier, as far as 
Montreal. In 1539 Florida was explored 
by Ferdinand de Soto. These discoveries 
opened up the new country for active com- 
petition b\- the different maritime powers 
of the Old World. Spain conquered Mexico 
in 1 52 1 and in 1540 carried her conquests 
into Peru. Stimulated by her success and 
her greed, she took possession of Florida 
and the Gulf territory, and in i 565 planted 
the first Spanish colony in North America, 
at St. Augustine, Florida. 

In the mean time the French were gain- 
ing a foothold far to the northward. In 
1540 Cartier, having sailed up the broad 
river to which he gave the name of the illus- 
trious saint, had returned to France and 
was again sent over with Jean Francis de 
Robarval, who was appointed by the king 
as lieutenant-general over the new countries. 
In 1543 Robarval came the second time 
from France, with the pilot, Jean Alphonse 
of Saintougc, and they took possession of 
Cape Breton ; settlement was also begun at 
Quebec. In 1608 Quebec was founded and 
placed under the governorship of Cham- 
plain, the original discoverer of the Iroquois 
Indians. In the previous year, 1607, the 
English made their first permanent settle- 
ment at Jamestown, under Capt. John Smith. 
In 1609 Henry Hudson, a bold English 
na\igator, but then in the employ of the 
Dutch East India Company, sailed into the 
noble river which now bears his name, lead- ' 
ing to the permanent settlement of the 



36 



History of Cortland County. 



Dutch in that region in 1623, in a colony 
which they named New Netherlands. Thus 
three European nations laid claims to por- 
tions of the territory now embraced in the 
State of New York and formed the ad- 
vance guard of the present dominant inhab- 
itants of the continent. 

England, by virtue of the discovery of 
Cabot, who sailed under letters patent from 
Henrj' VII, and that of his son Sebastian 
made the following j'ear, exploring the coast 
from Newfoundland to Florida, claimed a 
territory eleven degrees in width and ex- 
tending westward indefinitely. Had the 
powers of England known what a boundless 
expanse of rich and undiscovered country 
lay to the westward of her explorations, it 
is possible that even she would have been 
prompted by modesty from claiming so wide 
a water-front "extending indefinitely west- 
ward." 

France claimed a portion of the Atlantic 
coast; while Holland, by virtue of Hudson's 
discover}^ claimed the country from Cape 
Cod to the southern shore of Delaware bay. 
In 1 614 the Dutch established a fort on 
Manhattan island and one at Albany in the 
following year, becoming the actual posses- 
sors of the soil. In 162 1 the Dutch East 
India Company was formed and took pos- 
session of New Amsterdam. In 1625 a few 
of that remarkable order known as Jesuits 
arrived on the banks of the St. Lawrence, 
and in time crowded most other Catholic 
missionaries out of Canada and the lake 
region, substantially monopolizing the ter- 
ritory. In 1627 Cardinal Richelieu organ- 
ized the company of New France, or the 
compan)' of a Hundred Partners, the objects 
of which were proclaimed to be the exten- 
sion of the fur trade, the discovery of a new 
route to China, and the conversion of the 
Indians. "The Comjiany actually succeeded 
in extending the fur trade, but not in going 
to China by way of Lake Erie, and not to 



any great extent in converting the Indians.^ 
By the terms of their charter they were to 
transport six thousand emigrants to Canada 
and to furnish thcni with an ample supply' 
of both priests and artisans. Champlain was 
made Governor. His early experience was 
not the most pleasant or gratifying. When 
the French first assumed prominence in 
Canada they found the Iroquois and the 
Adirondacks at war, as before stated, and 
they espoused the cause of the latter, sup- 
plying them with fire-arms. Champlain 
and his. allies met, on the lake which now 
bears his name, a party of two hundred Iro- 
quois; both parties landed and a battle 
began; but the murderous and mysterious 
effect of the new weapons filled the Iroquois 
with consternation and the\- retreated to the 
wilderness. This was the first meeting of 
the famed Iroquois with the whites; and, 
while it was an impressive and thrilling re- 
ception, it was scarcely calculated to inspire 
in the savage breast a very exalted opinion 
of the invaders, except as to their ability to 
kill at long range. 

Emboldened by success, Champlain with 
a few Frenchmen and a force of four hun- 
dred Hurons, renewed hostilities against 
the Iroquois in 1615, resulting in that re- 
markable expedition directed against the 
stronghold of the Onondagas. The expe- 
i dition proceeded to the upper waters of the 
Ottawa ri\er, thence crossed over to Lake 
j Nipissing, and, having discovered Lake Hu- 
i ron, were joined by the nation of that name. 
They came down through the lakes and across 
the country until they reached the Iroquois 
fort, which was attacked. The assaulting 
party were defeated and compelled to re- 
treat from the localit)'. The location of 
this fort has long been in dispute ; some have 
placed it u])on the banks of Onondaga lake, 
but the generally accepted opinion now is 
that it stood on the shore of Oneida lake. 

^ Johnson's History of Erii: Couti/y, 



European Discoveries and Settlements. 



37 



A dreary winter was passed by Cham- 
plain, who had been wounded by two Onon- 
daga arrows, "one in the leg and the other 
in the knee," before he was able to leave 
the Hurons and go back to Quebec. These 
attacks upon the Iroquois provoked a war 
which ended only with the extinction of 
French dominion in North America. The 
Iroquois, now also armed with guns, 
made their power felt on cver\- battle-field. 
Bancroft says upon this subject: "Thrice 
did Champlain in\ade their countr\-, until 
he was driven with disgrace from the wilder- 
ness. The Five Xations in return attempted 
the destruction of New France. Though '■ 
repulsed they continued to defy the prov- I 
ince and its allies, and under the eyes of 
its go\'ernor openh' intercejjted convoys 
destined for Quebec The P'rench authori- 
ty was not confirmed b)- the founding of a 
feeble outpost at Montreal, and Fort Rich- 
elieu at the mouth of Sorrel river scarcely 
protected its immediate environs. The Iro- 
quois scoured e\-ery wilderness to la\- it 
more waste. Depopulating the whole coun- 
try on the Ontario, they attained an ac- 
knowledged superiority over New France. 
The colony was in perpetual danger and 
Quebec itself was besieged." 

In the year 1653 each of the Five Na- 
tions entered into peace treaties, which left 
the colonists for a time at rest; but the Iro- 
quois meanwhile invaded the territory of 
the Fries and, after a severe contest, as- 
saulted that nation in a fort and wiped them 
from the face of the earth. This was fol- 
lowed by a long war upon the Andastes, or 
Guyan,dots, lasting until 1675, in which the 
Iroquois were finally victorious. 

Of the three rival bands of colonists the 
French and Dutch developed a thriving fur 
trade with the Indians, spreading rapidly 
among them at the same time both kinds 
of fire-arms — rum and guns; while the 
English devoted themselves more to agri- 



culture. In 1664 the English conquered 
New Amsterdam, aod their conquest was 
made permanent in 1670, its name being 
changed to New York. With few excep- 
tions, the Iroquois remained the firm allies 
of the English until the latter were defeated 
in the war of the Revolution. But from 
the time of the English supremacy over the 
Dutch, a spirited rivalry was kept up be- 
tween the French and English. The former 
were indefatigable in extending the fur trade, 
and their missionaries hesitated at no ob- 
stacle, opposition or hardship in carrying 
the cross among the Indians. In 1642 
Father Jogues, commissioned as an env'oy, 
was hospitably received by the Mohawks 
and he offered the friendship of France to 
the Onondagas. During the temporary 
peace with the French, Father Simon Le 
Moyne appeared as a missionarj" among the 
Onondagas, which became one of the most 
important mission fields on the continent. 
It was the policy of the Jesuits to not alone 
convert the savages to Christianity; indeed, 
it may be doubted if that was their chief 
motive in coming among them. They came 
not alone to extend the church, but also to 
conciliate the Indians towards the French 
through the medium of the church, enabling _ 
the latter to extend the power and domin- 
ion of that country. While they found it 
comparatively easy to make friends and some 
converts among the less biased tribes in 
other sections of the country, they found in 
the Onondagas a nation shrewd, wily and 
strong, more so, perhaps, than their brethren 
of the Confederacy, who felt no inclination 
to favor the French and little towards Chris- 
tianity through the medium of French 
priests. 

Onondaga was the center of the great 
Confederacy, the place of meeting of all 
their great councils; where gathered the 
sachems and chiefs and warriors of the Five 
Nations to discuss and settle the most ini- 



38 



History of Cortland County. 



portant questions and public measures. 
Hence it was viewed by the Jesuits as the 
field above all others for their work; and 
they labored faithfully in that locality. If 
the)- were not signally successful, it must be 
credited more to the capacity and condition 
of those whom they sought to influence, 
than to their own want of persistence, en- 
ergy and heroism. 

By 1665 French trading posts were es- 
tablished at Michillimacinac, Green Bay, 
Chicago and St. Joseph, and the French 
resolved to put an end to the frequent in- 
cursions of the Iroquois. In June of that 
year M. de Trac)' was appointed Vicero}- 
of the French possessions in America and 
landed at Quebec with four regiments of 
infantr}'. In September Daniel de Runy, 
Knight, Lord de Courcelles, who had re- 
ceived the appointment of Governor of 
Canada six months previousl}', arrived with 
a regiment, some families and the necessary 
means for the establishment of a colony. 
Courcelles, with a force of five hundred 
men, started on an e.xpedition into the Mo- 
hawk country on the 9th of January, 1666. 
After a dangerous march of thirty-five days 
on snow-shoes, in which his men suffered 
severely by freezing, he arri\ed w ithin twen- 
ty leagues of the Mohawk villages, only to 
learn that most of the Mohawks and Onei- 
das were absent on a war expedition. On 
the 22d of May, 1666, the Senecas sent ten 
ambassadors to Quebec to sue for peace, 
with a request that they be considered as 
faithful subjects of the French king, and 
that Frenchmen be sent to settle among 
them and " Blackgowns" to preach to them. 
A treat)- to this effect was concluded on the 
25th of May, which was ratified b)' the 
Mohawks and Oneidas on the I2th of July. 
During these negotiations a party of Mo- 
hawks made an assault upon the garrison 
at Fort St. Anne, which was retaliated by 
M. de Tracv through another incursion into 



the Mohawk countr)- : but his wily foe fled, 
leaving only their empty villages to be 
burned bv- the French soldiers. 

On the 13th of October, 1666, the Iro- 
(]uois ambassadors of the Onondagas, Ca- 
\ugas, Senecas and Oneidas visited Quebec 
and requested a confirmation of the con- 
tinuance of the king's protection, under a 
treaty involving several conditions ; in the 
consequent treaty the Mohawks afterwards 
acquiesced. In 1667 (July 31) the peace 
of Breda was established between Holland, 
I Flngland and France, and in the following 
)-ear a treat)- was signed between France 
and Spain. Hut the general peace thus in- 
augurated was of short duration; the Iro- 
quois were soon again in conflict with the 
French, causing them much suffering, loss 
of harvests and constant dread. But after 
the appointment of Count de Frontenac as 
(iovernor and Lieutenant-General of Can- 
ada in April, 1672, confidence was restored 
through his conservative management, and 
another peace treaty was ratified in 1673. 

In 1684 the Senecas again began hostil- 
ities against the French, b)- the capture of 
seven hundred traders' canoes and an attack 
upon Fort St. Louis. For this outrage M. 
de la Barre, then Governor of New France, 
planned an expedition against the Senecas. 
Upon learning, however, that Col. Dongait, 
Governor of New York, had promised the 
Senecas a reinforcement of four hundred 
horse and an equal number of foot sol- 
diery, the expedition was suddenl)' aban- 
doned and a treaty made " with indecent 
haste" with the Onondagas, Oneidas and 
Cayugas. This event caused the deposal 
of M. de la Barre, who was superseded by 
the Marquis de Nonville, with instructions 
to observe strict neutrality. After a thorough 
examination of the situation De Nonville 
communicated to his king that the only wa)- 
to protect their fur trade and retain their 
possessions was through a successful war. 



European Discoveries and Settlements. 



39 



This counsel was acted upon and reinforce- 
ments sent out. In the summer of 1687 
he arrived on an expedition, with nearly two 
thousand PVench and five hundred Indian 
allies, at Irondequoit Hay, near the site of 
Rochester, whence he marched against the 
Seneca villages. Defeated in an attack upon 
the French force on the march, the Senecas 
burned their \'illages and fled to the Ca- 
yugas. De Nonville destroyed their stores 
of corn; but these being immediately re- 
placed by the other Confederate nations, little 
was really accomplislied b)- the expedition, 
except to further enrage the Iroquois. After 
building a fort at the mouth of the Niagara 
river, the Go\'ernor witii most of his forces 
returned to Montreal. Alarmed at this bold 
incursion into the strongest portion of their 
country b)' so superior a force, the Iroquois 
appealed to Go\'. Dongan for protection. 
He advised them to not make peace with 
the French and promised them reinforce- 
ments. De Non\ille, however, called a 
meeting of the chiefs of the P^ive Nations at 
Montreal, for peace negotiations, and the 
Indians decided to send representatives 
thither. 

In 1687, while the French and English 
were at peace, the New York colonists de- 
termined to participate in the valuable fur 
trade of the northwest. To carr\' out this 
project they induced the Iroquois to liber- 
ate several Huron captives to act as guides. 
The party was led b)' Major McGregory and 
was intercepted by a body of French, cap- 
tured and their goods given over to the 
Indians. The lake Indians had favored the 
project of the English colonists; but after 
this disaster were anxious to disabuse the 
minds of the French of that fact. To that 
end Adario, a celebrated Wyandot chief, 
with a party of one hundred warriors, 
marched against the Iroquois. On the way 
the)- were informed of the peace negotia- 
tions before alluded to and were advised by 



the commander of Fort Cadaraqui (Ontario, 
or Niagara) to give up their mission. As 
such action and the establishment of the 
proposed peace would leave the Iroquois 
free to invade the Wyandot country, 
Adario resolved to prevent it; he succeeded 
effectually by waylaying and capturing the 
entire Iroquois embassy on its way to 
Montreal, with the forty young warriors 
who acted as a guard to the embassy, many 
of whom were killed. Among the captives 
was the head chief of the Onondagas, upon 
whom the wily Wyandot fully impressed 
the belief that this act was instigated by the 
F'rench Governor. He then dismissed the 
capti\'es, loaded with presents. 

Fully believing in the base treachery of 
De Nonville and refusing to accept his asser- 
tions that he was not a party to the Wyan- 
dot chief's deed, the Iroquois were filled 
with rage and the most intense desire for 
revenge. Twelve hundred warriors, there- 
fore, landed, on the 26th of July, 1688, on 
the Island of Montreal at its upper end, and 
before any opposition could be made, swept 
that portion of the island as with the besom 
of destruction ; burning, pillaging, and 
slaughtering without mercy. In the follow- 
ing October this terrible work was repeated 
on the lower portion of the island. This 
was followed by the forced abandonment of 
the fort at Niagara and Fort Frontenac, and 
the power of the revengeful Iroquois seemed 
almost equal to the overthrow of the French 
dominion in Canada. Many of the Indian 
allies of the French left them and joined the 
English, enabling them to open a trade, and 
the French colony was left in a pitiable con- 
dition. 

But this deplorable condition of affairs 
with the French was soon to meet with a 
favorable change, through the re\olution in 
England which drove James II from the 
throne and opened a war with France. 
Count de P'rontenac, whose former admin- 



40 



History of Cortland County. 



istration in the colony had given satisfaction, 
was again sent out as Governor of New 
France. He arrived October 2d, 1689, and 
immediatcl)- attempted peace negotiations 
with the Iroquois. This attempt failing, he 
planned and fitted out three expeditions in 
the winter of that year, one against New 
York, one against Connecticut and a third 
against New England. The first attack by 
number one of these expeditions was upon 
the village of Schenectady, on the night of 
February 9th, 1690, when the entire village, 
with the exception of two houses, was burfi- 
ed, the people slaughtered or taken prisoners 
and their property carried away. There 
were before the burning, "upwards of eighty 
well-built houses in the town." This disas- 
ter so discouraged the dwellers at Albany 
that they resolved to abandon their homes 
and remove to New York; they went so 
far as to pack many of their effects for re- 
moval, but were dissuaded from their pur- 
pose by the reproaches and encouragement 
offered by a party of the defeated Mohawks 
who had come to mourn with them o-ver 
their losses. Great blame is attached to the 
English colonists for their want of energy 
and activity during this period, when com- 
pared with the vigilance and valor of the 
French under the admirable direction of 
Frontenac; but through it all the Iroquois, 
with rare heroism and loyalty, adhered to 
their allegiance with the English, who 
seemed more willing to sacrifice them than 
to serve their own cause. 

In the summer of 1691 the New York 
and New England forces united in a com- 
bined attack upon the French by both land 
and water ; the former, under command of 
Major Peter Schuyler, was directed against 
Montreal, and the latter, comprising thirty 
sail, was commanded by Sir William Phips, 
and made Quebec its object of attack. Al- 
though Schuyler inflicted quite a heav}' loss 
upon the enemj', both the expeditions failed 



of their expected success. But the Iroquois 
gave the French colony no peace ; they 
forced a cessation of the fur trade, prevented 
the tillage of their lantls, causing a famine, 
and drove the old French Governor to des- 
peration over his inability to prevent the 
continued incursions and assaults of the In- 
dians; to revenge them he finall_\- burned 
two Iroquois prisoners at the stake. 

On the 6th of June, 1692, the Iroquois 
formed a treaty of alliance and friendship 
with Major Richard Ingoldesby, then Gov- 
ernor of New York ; and on the i 5th of Jan- 
uary, 1693. Count de Frontenac, impelled 
by the dissatisfaction and despondence of the 
French colonists at having so long been held 
upon the defensive, organized an expedition 
into the Mohawk country, in which si.x 
hundred French and Indians participated. 
Three of the Mohawk castles were captured 
and three hundred prisoners taken. The re- 
mainder of that year and the \-ear 1694 
were spent in attempts to negotiate a peace 
between the Iroquois, who were again dis- 
heartened by the French and the raid into 
the Mohawk country, but without avail. 
Seeing no immediate prospects of peace, 
Count de Frontenac determined upon strik- 
ing a final and eft'ective blow at the Iroquois. 
He accordingly gathered all the French mi- 
litia, and their Indian allies, with all of the 
western Indians he could control, and em- 
barked from the southern end of the Island 
of Montreal on the 4th of July, 1696. The 
expedition was designed to strike a terrible 
blow at the center of the Five Nations — the 
Onondagas ; but its effect was lost in a great 
measure through information carried to them 
by an escaped Seneca. The Onondagas fled 
from their village, with the exception of one 
old chief, said to have been a centenarian, 
who remained in his cabin, as a heroic 
method of ending his da\-s ; he was tortured 
to death, enduring the ordeal with charac- 
teristic fortitude. 



European Discoveries and Settlements. 



41 



This incursion by the French, while it cost 
the Onondagas only the loss of one old man 
and the destruction of their corn, left the 
French in a worse condition than before ; 
the absence of the agricultural portion of 
the colonists left their crops to ruin and a 
famine ensued, which was rendered more 
unendurable through frequent raids by the 
restless Iroquois. Affairs mended only with 
the treaty of Ryswick, concluded September 
1 2th, 1697. This treaty left unsettled some 
points relative to the exclusion of the Iro- 
quois from its provisions, leaving them open 
to attack by the French, and to the ex- 
change of prisoners. But the English firmly 
maintained their ground on both, and the 
French were obliged to yield. French and 
English rivalry continued, however, and was 
greatly augmented by the influence of the 
Jesuits among the Iroquois, large numbers of 
whom were induced to go to Canada to live, 
where they were taught by the missionaries 
and fed and clothed by the colony. This 
alienation caused the English to hold re- 
peated councils with the Iroquois for the 
purpose of regaining whatever of their form- 
er influence that had been lost. The Eng- 
lish made the most liberal promises of pro- 
tection through the erection of forts and 
supplies of arms and ammunition. At one 
of these councils held August nth, 1701, 
representatives of each of the Five Nations 
promised that "they would discredit the idle 
tales of the French, continue firm to the 
Crown of England, if it will protect them 
from its enemies, and were thankful for the 
promise of Protestant ministers." At a suc- 
ceeding conference they were advised by the 
English to seize all Jesuits and send them 
to Albany, where they would receive one 
I'.undred pieces of silver, eight for each 
capti\e. To this the Indians agreed. To 
continue the peaceful relations thus brought 
about, the Colonial Assembly of New York 
enacted a stringent law in 1700, imposing 



the penahy of death by hanging upon ev- 
ery Jesuit who voluntarily came into the 
province. Liberal presents were made to 
the Iroquois chiefs, and five of their number 
were taken to England to hold up before 
their uncivilized gaze the magnificence of 
the great government that was offering them 
protection. But all of these efforts on the 
part of the English were not sufficient to 
prevent the ratification of a treaty of peace 
between the Iroquois and the French in 
August, 1 70 1, in which negotiations they 
are believed to have been largely influenced 
by the great losses they had continually sus- 
tained. 

Although the eighteenth century opened 
upon a scene of peace in the New World, 
it was not of long duration. Queen Anne 
succeeded to the English throne in 1702, 
and then followed what is known as " Queen 
Anne's War," between the rival nations, 
which was not concluded until the treaty of 
Utrecht, April nth, 1713. New- England 
was ravaged during this struggle ; but New 
York was almost exempted from its touch, 
while the F"ive Nations maintained their 
neutralit)- with commendable success. By 
the treaty of Utrecht the French were en- 
joined from attacking the Five Nations, who 
were acknowledged as subjects of Great 
Britain, while free trade with them was guar- 
anteed to both France and FLngland. 

In 1713 the Iroquois, with no fighting on 
their hands at the north, took a hand in a 
contest that was going on in Carolina be- 
tween the whites of that territory and the 
Tuscaroras, a powerful nation of North Car- 
olina. The latter were defeated, many were 
killed and many captives were sold as slaves 
to the allies of the English. The remainder 
were adopted by the Five Nations, were as- 
signed territory just west of the Oneidas, 
and became known as the Sixth Nation. 

The period from 1744 to 1748 witnessed 
another war between France and England, 



42 



IIisToKV OF Cortland County. 



which was concluded by the treaty of Aix- 
la-Chapellc, made April 30th, 1748. This 
struggle was chiefly for the possession of the 
Mississippi valley, but it also opened the old 
question of Iroquois supremacy. The treaty 
which caused a cessation of hostilities was 
imperfect and left unsettled so nian\- impor- 
tant questions that the contest was again be- 
gun in 1755. The earh- French successes 
which followed caused the Iroquois, now 
about cquall)- divided between Canada and 
New York, to weaken in their alliance to the 
English, and the di\-isions among them in- 
creased as the war progressed. In April, 
1757, the Senecas, Onondagas and Cayugas 
made open peace with Canada ; but they 
were, chiefly through the influence of Sir 
William Johnson,' made to observe a fair 
degree of neutralit}-. This war was for the 
most part a bloody contest with the savage 
allies of the French, producing desolation 
and devastation on the colonial borders, 
especially in Pennsylvania. In 1756 forts 
were built at Oneida Castle and Onondaga, 
and a block house at Canaseraga, and at a 
council held at Onondaga June 19th, 1756, 
permission was gi\-en Colonel Johnson to 
erect a fort or magazine at Oswego Falls. 

The war, at first a succession of PVench 
victories, was finally turned in favor of the 
English, and was concluded by the treaty 
of Paris in 1763, leaving lingland in posses- 
sion of Canada and the country west of the 
Mississippi. Territorial disputes followed, 
however, between the Indians and the. col- 
onists, which finally led to the making of a 
treat)-, ratified by Sir William Johnson in 
July, 1770, establishing what was called the 
"Property Line." This treaty recognized 

iSir William Johnson \va.s sent to America in 1734 as 
the agent of his uncle, a great lanflholcler in the .Mohawk 
vallev. He gained an almost unbounded influence over 
the Mohawk nation, chiefly by hi» ready affiliation with 
them and his integrity in dealing. He subsequently made 
his power conspicuous throughout the Six Nations and 
was entrusted l)y the British government with the man- 
agement of its affairs in that connection. 



as Indian lands all the territory lying north 
and west of the Ohio and Alleghany rivers 
to Kittaning; thence in a direct line to 
the nearest fork of the west branch of the 
Susquehanna river; thence following that 
stream through the Alleghanies, b\- the way 
of Htirnctt's Hills and the eastern branch of 
the Susquehanna and the Delaware into 
New York, to a line parallel with the Una- 
dilla, and thence north to Wood Creek east 
of Oneida lake. But this polic\- was not 
potent to appease the complaints of the 
Indians at the encroachments of the settlers, 
which paved the way for the hostilities of 
the Iroquois and the western Indians against 
the colonists during the war of the Revolu- 
tion, then near at hand. 

In 1775 the great struggle for American 
independence began. Sir William Johnson 
had died suddenly in the previous year, and 
his office of superintendent of Indian affairs 
devolved upon his nephew, Gu\' Johnson, 
who retained much of the influence over the 
Indians enjoyed by his uncle. The Si.x 
Nations were at first disposed towards neu- 
trality, but the efforts of the English, chiefly 
through Johnson, Brant (Thajendanegea) 
and John Butler, soon overcame such dis- 
position. Brant was sent to England, where 
he was honored and feasted; returning in 
the winter of 1776, he at once began the 
work of organizing a force of Iroquois war- 
riors. In the spring of 1777 he appeared 
at Oquaga (now Windsor, Broome count}) 
with a force of Indians and tories; in June 
he ascended the Susquehanna to Unadilla, 
whence he drove oft' cattle and sheep, and 
frightened the inhabitants of that section so 
I that they retired to Cherr\- Valle}- and other 
less exposed places. Soon afterward Brant 
withdrew his forces from the Susquehanna 
and joined Sir John Johnson and John But- 
ler at Oswego, where preparations were 
made for a descent upon the Mohawk settle- 
ments. In August, 1777, Fort Schuyler 



European Discoveries and Settlements. 



43 



was attacked and the bloody battle of Oris- 
kaiiy was fought. The Oneidas remained 
neutral during these events, for which course 
their crops, castles and wigwams were after- 
wards destroyed by Brant. 

Following these events was perpetrated 
a long list of Indian and Tory atrocities upon 
the unprotected frontier settlements in New 
York and Pennsylvania, among which were 
the massacres of Wyoming and Cherry Val- 
ley in 1778, with man\- others, at later dates, 
the record of which is filled with deeds of 
bloodshed, \'indicti\'e torture, heroic defense 
and marvelous fortitude, and is printed 
upon thousands of historic pages. Intt) the 
details of these events it is not the province 
of this work to enter; it was their perpetra- 
tion, howe\^er, that led Congress and Gen- 
eral Washington to inaugurate an expedition 
in the spring of 1779 which exerted a pow- 
erful influence upon the closing scenes of 
the drama in which the Iroquois had played 
so conspicuous a part. General Sullivan 
was given command of this expedition and 
his force comprised three divisions: one 
from New Jersey, under General Ma.xwell; 
one from New England, under General 
Hand, and a third from New \'ork, under 
General James Clinton (father of Gov. De 
Witt Clinton). The first two divisions men- 
tioned, numbering thirty-five hundred men, 
under command of General Sullivan, left 
Wyoming, Jul}- 31st, 1779, and moved up 
the east side of the ri\er. The\- were 
joined at Tioga Point by Clinton's force, 
which swelled the command to more than 
four thousand. Near the site of P.lmira 
they encountered Butler with a small force 
of Indians and tories ; a battle was fought, 
Butler was defeated and the expedition 
met with little subsequent opposition, 
marching into the Genesee country de- 
stroying the Seneca villages, burning dwell- 
ings, felling orchards, cutting and burning 
corn and other corps, and leaving a track 



of utter desolation. " The Indians shall 
see," said the commander of the expe- 
dition, "that we have malice enough in our 
hearts to destroy everything that contributes 
to their support," and this expressed intent 
governed the actions of the expedition. 
F"orty Indian towns were burned, among 
j them Genesee Castle, the capital of the 
Onondagas, with its " one hundred and 
j twenty-eight houses, mostly large and ele- 
' gant," while Kanadaseagea, the capital of 
the Senecas, and Kanandaigua shared the 
same fate. The terror-stricken Iroquois 
fled to Niagara, where many perished dur- 
ing the ensuing hard winter from lack of 
habitual food and diseases engendered there- 
by — a state of affairs for which the British 
were largely responsible, as the Indians 
looked to them for the means of subsistence 
in their emergency. 

In partial conjunction with the Sullivan 
campaign, though it occurred a little earlier, 
was the expedition into the Onondaga 
country b}' Col. Van Schaick, assisted by 
Lieutenant Willet and Major Cochran, of 
the garrison at Fort Schuyler. A plan for 
this movement ha\'ing been formed by Gen- 
eral Schu)'ler and approved by the com- 
mander-in-chief, the three officers named 
started from P'ort Schuyler at the head of 
between five and six hundred men, on the 
19th of April, 1779. Great secrec)' was 
maintained even as to the destination of the 
expedition, and all Indians were detained at 
the fort. On the third day of his march 
Col. Van Schaick reached his destination. 
The place where they first reached Onon- 
daga lake was at Green Point, whence they 
proceeded to the mouth of Onondaga creek, 
and passed across it on a large sycamore 
log. Here Capt. Graham captured an 
Onondaga warrior, the first that had been 
seen; scouts also came upon the expedition 
at this point and the alarm was quickly 
spread among the nation, resulting in the 



44 



History of Cortland County. 



immediate retreat of the Indians. A si<ir- 
mish was fought, but resulted in only a 
trifling loss to the Indians. Their villages 
and property were completely destroyed by 
burning. Twelve Indians were killed and 
thirty-four made prisoners. After the de- 
struction of the villages, the expedition re- 
turned, reaching Fort Schuyler on the 24th, 
after an absence of five and a half days. 

The e.xpedition of Sullivan substantially 
destroyed the Iroquois League. While its 
form remained to a certain extent, the forces 
that bound it together were rendered prac- 
tically powerless; but they were not yet 
conquered as far as predatory warfare was 
concerned. A reorganization was effected 
in the winter and, under the leadership of 
Corn-Planter, fell upon the Oneidas and 
Tuscaroras, burned their castle, church and 
village and sent them defeated to the white 
settlements near Schenectady ; there they 
remained, devoted to the cause of the colo- 
nists, until the close of the war. In the 
mean time Sir John Johnson collected five 
hundred Indians and refugees, and passed 
through the woods from Crown Point to 
Johnson Hall, for the double purpose of se- 
curing some buried treasure left by him, 
and to punish his old neighbors. Both ob- 
jects were accomplished ; the village which 
then occupied the site of Fonda was burned, 
and many isolated dwellings for several 
miles along the Mohawk, always excepting 
those of Tories, were also laid in ashes. In 
the succeeding autumn Johnson, with a 
larger force and accompanied by Brant and 
Corn- Planter with five hundred warriors, 
entered the Schoharie valley, leaving devas- 
tation in their track; they also paid another 
visit of destruction upon the Mohawk valley, 
destroying dwellings as far up as Fort Plain. 
There they were met by Gov. George Clin- 
ton at the head of a force of militia, wliich 
was joined on the way by a strong party of 
Oneidas, led by their chief, " Atyatarongh- 



ta." The forces of Brant and Johnson were 
defeated and fled, the latter retreating to 
his boats on Onondaga lake and escaping to 
Canada by way of Oswego. Other similar 
iricursions were made in the lower counties 
of the Hudson and in the Mohawk valley in 
1 78 1, in one of which the notorious Butler 
was killed by an Oneida Indian. Thus 
ended the border incursions in New York. 

In retaliation for the bloodshed and dev- 
astation by the Iroquois throughout her bor- 
ders the New York Legislature was inclined 
to drive them all from her limits ; but, chiefly 
through the influence of Washington and 
Schuyler, more humane counsels prevailed. 
At the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, 
Oliver Wolcott, Richard Butler and Arthur 
Lee were appointed by the Federal govern- 
ment as commissioners to adjust the claims 
of the Si.x Nations. A council for the pur- 
pose was held at Fort Stanwi.x in 1784, 
where reservations were assigned to each of 
the Six Nations, except the Mohawks. The 
Oneidas and Tuscaroras had already been 
provided for through special legislation. In 
1788 the Indian title to the lands embraced 
in the Military Tract was extinguished. 

We will close this chapter with a brief 
reference to the work of the missionaries 
among the Onondagas, which has already 
been mentioned. Taking advantage of the 
temporary peace between the Iroquois and 
the French in 1654, Father Simon Le Moyne 
appeared among the Onondagas as a mis- 
sionary. He left Montreal on the 17th of 
July, "accompanied by a j-oung man of 
piety and fortitude who had long been a 
resident of that country." On the 5th of 
August he had nearly reached the end of 
his journey and wrote in his Relation : 
"We traveled four leagues before reaching 
the principal Onondaga village. I passed 
many persons on the way, who kindly sa- 
luted me, one calling me brother, another 
uncle, and another cousin. I never had so 
many relations. At a quarter of a league 



European Discoveries and Settlements. 



45 



from the village I began a harangue in a sol- 
emn and commanding tone, which gained 
me great credit. I named all their chiefs, 
families and distinguished persons. I told 
them that peace and joy were my compan- 
ions and that I shattered war among the dis- 
tant nations. Two chiefs addressed me as I 
entered the village with a welcome, the like 
of which I had never before experienced 
among savages." 

It was on the i6th of August that Father 
Le Moyne discovered the salt springs and 
made the first salt ever produced there by a 
European, "as natural," he wrote, "as from 
the sea." He made the first baptism of a 
young captive of the Neuter nation, who 
had been instructed in the faith by a Huron 
convert. Father Le Moyne's visit to the 
Onondagas was made at the special request 
of Ondessonk, the then great chief of the 
nation, who asked him to select " on the 
banks of our great lake a convenient place 
for a French habitation." In the following 
year (1655) he was followed by Fathers Jo- 
seph Chaumonot and Claude Dablon, who 
"were received with the strongest proofs of 
friendship." They founded the mission of 
St. John the Baptist, which is supposed by 
the best authorities to have been located on 
"Indian Hill," two miles south of the village 
of Manlius. The first sacrament of holy 
mass was celebrat(?d by these Fathers in the 
in the cabin of "Teotonharason," one of the 
women who came from Quebec with the 
missionaries, on Sunday, November 14th, 
1655. She became a woman of wealth and 
high character and made a public profession 
of religion, teaching the faith among the 
people. The location of St. Mary's of 
Ganentaha was also fixed in that year by 
Fathers Chaumonot and Dablon. The Re- 
lation says of it: "This day for the first 
time we visited the salt spring, which is only 
tw^o leagues from here, near the lake Ganen- 
taha, and the place chosen for the French 



settlement, because it is in the center of the 
Iroquois nation, and because w'e can from 
thence visit in canoes various localities upon 
the rivers and lakes." 

Early in the spring of 1656 Father Da- 
blon returned to Quebec for reinforcements 
to strengthen the hearts of the missionaries. 
He, with his guides, crossed Oneida lake on 
the ice and proceeded by the usual northern 
trail to the mouth of the Salmon river, reach- 
ing Montreal on the 30th of March. Fa- 
ther Chaumonot remained at Onondaga, and 
the following summer was joined by Fathers 
Dablon, Le Mercier, Rene Mesnard, Jacques 
Fremin, and Brothers Ambrose Broar and 
Bourgier, to found the mission of St. Mary's 
of Ganentaha. They arrived on the shore 
of Onondaga lake at 3 o'clock of the iith 
of Jul}-, where many of the old men and 
chiefs of the Onondagas awaited them. On 
the 17th they began the erection of their 
dwellings and a fort on the east shore of the 
lake, in the town of Salina, where the out- 
lines of the fort were found by earl\- settlers. 

This mission was for a time quite prosper- 
ous, but was finally broken up through the 
rivalries engendered by the European gov- 
ernments. In 1665 a number of French 
families returned, under the guidance of mis- 
sionaries, and settled near the Indian fort and 
village located in the vicinity of the present 
village of Jamesville. Here was established 
the mission of St. Jean Baptiste, and in the 
following year a chapel was built. Three 
years later (1669) the French were again 
at war with the Iroquois; but Father Le 
Moyne, full of religious zeal, again appeared 
among the Onondagas, having been driven 
from among the Mohawks, and was received 
with affection. The missionaries would, un- 
doubtedly, at all times have been safe among 
the Indians, even if their efforts were not the 
most successful, had it not bfcen for the con- 
stant warring of the whites. About the \-ear 
1700 the Jesuit missions began to decline, 



46 



History of Cortland County, 



partly owing to the efforts of the Enghsh to 
plant the Protestant faith among the Indians. 
The Earl of Belmont, then Go\ernor of New 
York, proposed to erect a fort and a chapel 
at Onondaga, and King William sent over a 
set of communion plate and turnitiirc for tiic 
chapel. These plans were interrupted in 
1 702 by the king's death ; but they were re- 
newed by Queen Anne, who became a zeal- 
ous patron of the missions among the Five 
Nations. 

Missions were established by the Mora\'i- 
ans among the Onondagas in 1750, when 
Bishop Cammerhoff and Brother David Zeis- 
berger, journeyed to Onondaga from Beth- 
lehem, Pennsylvania. The\- were kindly 
received by the Indians and given permis- 
sion to remain with them one or two years 
to learn their language. This mission was 
continued at intervals for several years ; but 
it was never very influential. 

The Rev. Samuel Kirkland began his 
work among the Oneidas in August, 1766, 
remaining among the Indians for over forty 
years, and gaining a wide-spread influence 
through the entire Iroquois Confederacy. 
His counsel to the Oneidas was potent to 
secure their neutrality and often their friend- 
ship to the colonists during the war of the 
Revolution. He was in all respects one of the 



most useful and successful of the devoted 
men who sought to plant good seed in the 
benighted minds of the Iroquois. He died in 
1808. Since that time numerous and per- 
sistent efforts have been made by represent- 
atives of tile different Protestant churches 
to convert and christianize the Onondagas 
and their brethren. Prominent among them 
were Eleazer Williams, who visited the On- 
ondagas in 1 8 16; afterwaril he was joined 
by Revs. Wm. A. Clark and Ezekiel G. Gear. 
It was at the suggestion of the latter that a 
school was opened at Onondaga by one of 
their own people — Mary Do.xtater, who had 
been educated by the Philadelphia Quakers 
and had taught among the Oneidas ; the 
school was begun in 1S20, but she died a few 
years later. Re\-. Rosman Ingals began re- 
ligious work among the Onondagas in 1841, 
after the Methodist faith, and after August 
I st, I S42, preaching was kept up every third 
Sunday. In that j'ear a building was pro- 
cured and fitted up for a church ; it was used 
until 1846, when a new school- house was 
built and used for a church. Here Rev. 
Daniel Fancher preached with considerable 
success. In 1848 a new and commodious 
church was erected, and religious work 
among the Onondagas has been unweary- 
ingly continued since. 



CHAPTER V. 



I'RKVIOUS T(.) COUNTY OR(,;.\N[Z.\ ITOX. 

An Indian ".Summer Resort " — Early Records anil Stale Divisions — Genealogy of Cortland County — The 
Military Tract — Its Origin and History — Land Bounties to Soldiers — Proportions of Bounties — .Vction of Congress 
in Relation Thereto — The Tract Ordered Surveyed, Mapped and Divided — Conditions Imposed upon (Irantees — 
The "Slate's Hundreds" — School and (lospel Lots — Division into Townships — Fraudulent Land Titles — 
Vexatious Litigation — Formation of the Present Towns of tlie County. 



IN the foregoing chapters it has been our 
purpose to give a record of the conspic- 
uous events in the history of the nation of 
Indians who were most nearly identified 



with the territory now embraced in Cort- 
land county, and their relations with their 
confederates in the mightiest savage organ- 
ization ever known, and with the whites 



Previous to County Organization. 



4;^. 



after tlicir advent. While it is true that few 
of these events occurred in what is now this 
county, yet every person now dwelHng here 
must feel an interest in the people who 
roamed through our productive valleys be- 
fore the sound of the white man's axe 
echoed in the unbroken forest, and who, 
after early ci\'ilized settlement had begun,' 
frequently visited their old camping grounds 
in this vicinity, planted the little clearings, 
and mingled freely vvith the pioneers and 
their families, as will be noted farther on 
in this work. Such is the reason (if any 
is needed) for de\-oting the opening chap- 
ters of the history of the county to the 
predecessors of civilization around and 
within its borders. 

Cortland count)-, as defined since the )'ear 
1808, was, perhaps, more fortunate than 
any other in the Empire State in escaping 
the terrors of border wars and devastating 
incursions by Indians and Tories. While it 
was somewhat central in the broad domain 
of the Six Nations, it seems to have been 
surrounded by the thrilling scenes and 
deeds of early times, while they penetrated 
very little within its borders. The Iro- 
quois and their enemies fought all around 
the county, if we may use the expression, 
but left it comparatively unscathed. As 
far as the Indians were concerned, we must 
believe that the territory of Cortland coun- 
ty was a peaceful Arcadia where the red 
brother of tlie Onondagas and, perhaps, 
some of his brethren of other nations, came 
to enjoy the chase, to till their little open- 
ings, and to roam through the valleys or 
drift down the winding Tioughnioga; but 
not to fight. It was to him a sort of sum- 
mer resort. 

Before referring directly to the formation 
and subsequent history of Cortland county, 
we may profitably note briefly some of the 
interesting early records and events of this 
locality. At the close of the Revolution 



Central Xew Yovk Avas still a wilderness; 
but the march of armies and the incursions 
of small parties had made known to man_\' 
its desirable characteristics for permanent 
civilized settlement. After the Duke uf 
York had superseded the Dutch, in 1683, 
the province of New York was divided into 
I twelve counties, viz. : Albany, Duchess, 
Kings. New York, Orange, Queens, Rich- 
mond, Suffolk, Ulster, Westchester, Dukes 
and Cornwall. In 1693 the latter two were 
surrendered to Massachusetts. In 1768 
Cumberland county was added, and Glouces- 
ter in 1770; these were subsequently yielded 
to New Hampshire and afterward became 
; a part of Vermont. In 1772 the count)' of 
I Tryon was formed from Alban)-, and its 
name changed in 1784 to Montgomery. 
In 1789 Ontario count)' was formed of all 
that part of Montgomery county lying 
west of a north and south line across the 
State through Seneca lake, two miles east of 
Geneva. Herkimer county was taken from 
Montgomery and organized in 1791, em- 
bracing all the territory west of Montgom- 
cr)', north of Otsego and Tioga counties, 
and east of Ontario county. In 1794 Onon- 
daga county was erected from the western 
part of Herkimer, and included all of the 
"Military Tract," which embraced the pres- 
ent counties of Cayuga, Seneca, Onondaga 
and Cortland, with that part of Tompkins 
lying north of a line drawn east from the 
head of Seneca lake to the southwest corner 
of Cortland county, and all that part of Os- 
wego county lying west of the Oswego_ 
river. Hence the territor)' of Cortland 
count)- was, from 1772 to 1794, included in 
Montgomery and Herkimer counties. In 
1788 all that part of the State of New York 
lying west of a north and south line across 
the State, crossing the Mohawk river at 
"Old Fort Schuyler" (Utica), was erected 
into a town called Whitestown, in lionor of 
Judge White, who had settled at what is 



48 



History of Cortland County. 



now Whitcsboro, in 1784. In 1786 settle- 
ment had only so far progressed that Mont- 
gomery county contained a population of 
15,057, and the great town of Whitestown 
contained only about two hundred; that was 
less than a century ago, and the same ter- 
ritory now contains several millions. It 
does not require a graphic pen to cause one 
to marvel at the transformation which has 
fallen upon the then wilderness of Central 
New York, changing it to a fruitful, blossom- 
ing garden, spread with thickly populated 
cities and villages and laced with innumer- 
able railroads. It is an exhibition of growth 
never equaled in any other country. 

Whitestown was afterwards divided into 
three towns, the original town extending 
from its former eastern limits to the present 
western line of ]\Iadison county. The town 
of Mexico included the eastern half of the 
"Military Tract," and the town of Peru the 
western half 

The genealogy of Cortland county may, 
therefore, be traced as follows : — 

Albany county formed 1683 

Try on county formed 1772 

Changed to Montgomery 1784 

Herkimer county formed 1791 

Onondaga county formed 1794 

Cortland county formed from On- 
ondaga 1808 

The boundaries of the new county were 
as follows : Beginning at the southeast cor- 
ner of the township of Cincinnatus (one of 
the townships in the tract commonly known 
as the "Military Tract"), and running'thence 
north along the east bounds thereof and of 
the townships of Solon and Fabius ; thence 
westerly to the northwest corner of lot No. 
51 in the township of TuUy; thence south 
along the east bounds of the townships of 
Sempronius, Locke and Dryden, to the 
southwest corner of the township of Virgil; 
thence easterly along the south bounds of 
the townships of Virgil and Cincinnatus to 
the place of beginning. 



THE MILITARY TRACT, 
It has already been stated herein that the 
territory now embraced within the bound- 
aries of Cortland county formerly com- 
prised four whole and two half townshijxs in 
the southeastern corner of what was known 
as the "Military Tract." This famous tract 
had its origin in congressional and legis- 
lative action whereby land bounties were 
offered to soldiers. On the 1 6th of Sep- 
tember, 1776, Congress "resolved itself in- 
to a Committee of the Whole, to take into 
consideration the report of the Board of 
War, and after some time the President re- 
sumed the Chair and Mr. Nelson reported 
that the Committee have had under con- 
sideration the report from the Board of \\'ar, 
and ha\e made sundry amendments, which 
they ordered him to lay before Congress. 
Congress then took into consideration the 
report of the Board of War and the amend- 
ments offered by the Committee of the 
Whole, and thereupon came to the following 
resolutions : — 

" That eighty-eight battalions be enlisted as 
soon as possible, to serve during the present war ; 
and that each State furnish their respective quotas 
in the following proportions : — 

New Hampshire 3 battalions. 

Massachusetts Bay 15 " 

Rhode Island 2 " 

Connecticut — 8 " 

New York 4 

Pennsylvania _. 12 " 

Delaware - _ - i " 

Maryland .- 8 

Virginia 15 " 

North Carolina 9 " 

South Carolina -.. 6 " 

Georgia — i " 

That twenty dollars be given as a bounty to each 
non-commissioned officer and private soldier who 
shall enlist to serve during the present war, unless 
sooner discharged by Congress. 

•' That Congress make provision for granting 
lands in the following proportions to the officers 
and soldiers who shall so engage in the service 



Previous to County Organization. 



49 



and continue therein till the close of the war, or 
until discharged by Congress, and to the repre- 
sentatives of such officers and soldiers as shall be 
slain by the enemy. 

" Such lands to be provided by the United 
States ; and whatever expenses shall be neces- 
sary to ])rocure such lands, the said expenses 
shall be paid and borne by the States, in the 
same proportion as the other expenses of the 
war, viz. : — 

To a Colonel 500 acres. 

" Lieutenant -Colonel 450 •' 

" Major 400 

" Captain 300 " 

" Lieutenant 300 " 

" Ensign 150 " 

" each non-commissioned of- 
ficer and soldier 100 " "' 

In addition to the above, Congress passed 
an act on the 12th of August, 1780, provid- 
ing for tand bounties as fWlows : — 

To a Major-General 1,100 acres. 

" Brigadier-General 850 " 

The bloody depredations by the Indians 
and Tories on the frontier during the revo- 
lutionary period, and especially during the 
years 1779 and 1780, and the neglect of 
several States other than New York to fur- 
nish their proper quota of troops for the 
protection of the lives and property of set- 
tlers, caused the Legislature of New York 
to enact a law in 1781, requiring the enlist- 
ment of "two regiments for the defense of 
the frontier of New York." The term of 
service was to be three years, unless sooner 
discharged, and the good faith of the State 
was pledged to the fulfillment of promises 
and payment of such services. "The Coun- 
cil of Appointment of the State of New- 
York was empowered to commission the 
field officers, and the Governor of the State, 
the captains and subalterns." 

At the close of the war, in 1783, the Leg- 
islature of New York State took action upon 
the bounties promised by the United States 
Congress for military service, and relative 

1 Extract from proceedings of Congress, 



to the granting of land gratuities by the 
State, through a resolution dated March 
27th, 1783, and introduced by Mr. Duane, 
which read as follows : — 

'■'■Resolved, therefore (if the honorable, the 
House of Assembly concur herein), That, besides 
the bounty of land so promised as aforesaid, the 
Legislature will by law provide that the Major- 
Generals and Brigadier-Generals now serving in 
the line of the army of the United States, and 
being citizens of this State, and the officers, non- 
commissioned officers and privates of the two 
regiments commanded by Colonels Van Schaick 
and Van Cortlandt ; such officers of the regiment 
of artillery commanded by Colonel Lamb and 
of the corps of sappers and miners as were, when 
they entered the service, inhabitants of this 
State ; such of the non-commissioned officers and 
privates of the said last-mentioned two corps as 
are credited to this State as part of the troops 
thereof; all officers designated by any act of 
Congress subsequent to the i6th of September, 
1776; all officers recommended by Congress as 
persons whose depreciation on pay ought to be 
made good by this State and who may hold mil- 
itary commissions in the line of the army at the 
close of the war ; and the Rev. John Gano and 
Rev. John Mason .shall severally have granted 
to them the following quantities of land, to-wit : — 
Non-commissioned officers and 

privates, each 500 acres. 

Major-General S-5o° " 

Brigadier -General _. 4,500 " 

Colonel 2,500 " 

Lieutenant -Colonel 2,000 " 

Major . 2,000 " 

Captain 1,5°° " 

Regimental Surgeon. 1,5°° " 

Chaplain 2,000 " 

Subaltern 1,000 " 

Surgeon's Mate 1,000 " 

" That the lands so to be granted as bounty 
from the United States, and as gratuity from the 
State, shall be laid out in townships of six miles 
square ; that each township shall be divided into 
156 lots of 150 acres each, two lots whereof shall 
be reserved for the use of a minister or ministers 
of the Gospel, and two lots for the use of a school 
or schools; that each person above described 



50 



History oi' Cortland County. 



shall be entitled to as many such lots as his 
bounty and gratuity land as aforesaid will admit 
of; that one-half the lots each person shall be 
entitled to shall be improved at the rate of five 
acres for each hundred acres, within five years 
after tiie grant, if the grantee shall retain pos- 
session of such lots ; and that the said bounty 
and gratuity lands be located in the district of 
this State reserved for the use of the troops by 
an act entitled, 'An Act to pre\ent grants or 
locations of the lands therein mentioned, passed 
the 2Sth day of July, 1772.' 

"Resohrd, That His Excellency, the Governor, 
be reijuested to communicate these resolutions in 
such manner as he shall conceive most proper. 

" Rcsohai, That this House do concur with 
the Honorable, the Senate, in the last preceding 
resolutions. 

" Ordered, That Mr. John Laurence and Mr. 
Humphrey carry a cojjy of the preceding reso- 
lution of concurrence to the Honorable, the 
Senate." 

After several amcndnient.s and minor 
modifications of this legislative action an 
act was passed on the 28th day of February, 
1789, in which it was provided, "That the 
Commissioners of the Land Office shall, 
and they are hereby authorized to, direct 
the Surveyor- General to lay out as many 
townships in tracts of land set apart for 
such purposes as will contain land sufficient 
to satisfy the claims of all such persons who 
are, or shall be entitled to grants of land by 
certain concurrent resolutions and by the 
eleventh clause of the Act entitled 'An act 
for granting certain lands promised to be 
given as bounty lands by the laws of the 
State,' and for other purposes therein men- 
tioned, pas.sed the nth day of May, 1784; 
which townships shall respectively contain 
60,000 acres of land and be laid out as 
nearly- in squares as local circumstances will 
permit, and be numbered from one pro- 
gressively to the last, inclusive; and the 
Commissioners of the Land Office shall like- 
wise designate every township by such name 
as they shall deem proper." 



The s"ame act also provided, "that the 
Surveyor-General, as soon as may be, shall 
make a map of each of said townships, and 
each township shall be subdi\'ided on such 
map into one hundred lots, as nearly square 
as may be, each lot to contain si.\ hundred 
acres, or as near that quantity as may be; 
and the lots in every township shall be num- 
bered from one to the last, inclusive, in 
numerical order." Under this law General 
Simeon Dewitt, assisted b)- Moses Dewitt 
and Abram Hardenburgh, laid out the entire 
tract, the former " plotting and mapping 
the boundaries, and calculating its area." 

After the survey, the making of the maps 
and their deposit in the offices of the Sur- 
veyor-General and the Secretary of State, 
the Land Commissioners were directed to 
"advertise for six successive weeks in one or 
more newspapers printed in each of the cities 
of New York and Albany (whereof the news- 
paper published by the printer to this State, 
if any such there be, shall be one), requiring 
all persons entitled to grants of bounty or 
gratuity lands, who had not already exhib- 
ited their claims, to exhibit the same to the 
Commissioners on or before the first day 
of Januarv', 1791." 

The same act ordered that " All persons 
to whom land shall be granted by virtue of 
this act, and who are entitled thereto by any 
act or resolution of Congress, shall make an 
assignment of his or her proportion and 
claim of bounty or gratuity lands under any 
act or acts of Congress, to the Surveyor- 
General, for the use of the people of this 
State." 

Following this action on the part of the 
grantees referred to in the last paragraph, 
it was provided that for all lands thus as- 
signed to the State, an equal number of 
acres should be given them by the State, 
and so far as possible in one tract and under 
one patent, "provided the same does not 
e.xceed one- fourth of the quantity of a town- 



Previous to County Organization'. 



51 



ship." This arrangement was made for the 
benefit of those holding claims to land in 
the State of Ohio, in a tract set apart by 
Congress for the satisfying of claims by per- 
sons who had served in the Re\olutionary 
War, entitling them to one hundred acres 
each. They were thus enabled to secure 
their entire claim of si.\- hundred acres in 
one tract. But if a person neglected to re- 
linquish his claim to the one hunclred acres 
in Ohio, the sixth part of what his patent 
called for reverted to the State, giving rise 
to the term, "State's Hundred." Eight 
dollars (48 shillings) were taxed each pat- 
entee as a survey fee, in case of the non- 
payment of which fifty acres of his land re- 
verted to the State ; hence arose the term 
"Survey Fifty." 

A further provision obligated the grantees 
of such lands to make actual settlement 
upon each si.x hundred acres "that may be 
granted to any person or persons, within 
seven years from the first of January next 
after the date of the patent b}- which such 
lands shall be granted ; and on failure of 
such settlement, the unsettled lands shall 
re\-ert to the people of the State." 

An exception and reservation was made 
to the people of the State of all the " gold 
and silver mines" in the lands granted. 

The Indian title to the lands embraced 
in the Military Tract was extinguished at 
the treaty of Fort Stanwix, on the 12th of 
September, 1788. 

The act of February, 1789, provided that 
six lots in each township should be reserved 
and assigned, one for promoting the spirit 
of the Gospel and for public schools ; one 
for promoting the spread of literature in the 
State, and the other four to satisfy the sur- 
plus share of commissioned officers not cor- 
responding with the divisions of six hun- 
dred acres and to compensate such persons 
as might draw any lot or lots parts of which 
were under water. 



At the time under consideration the Land 
Commissioners consisted of the Governor 
(or the person administering the State gov- 
ernment for the time being), the Lieutenant- 
Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly, 
Secretary of State, Attorney General, the 
Treasurer and Auditor, the presence of three 
being necessary for the transaction of busi- 
ness. These Commissioners held a meeting 
in the office of the Secretary of State on 
the 3d of July, 1790; there were present 
His Excellency George Clinton, Governor; 
Lewis A. Scott, Secretary; Gerard Banker, 
Treasurer; Peter T. Curtenius, Auditor. 
Maps of the surveys of twenty-six townships, 
as made by the Surveyor- General, were laid 
before the Commissioners. The townships 
were respectively subdivided into one hun- 
dred lots as nearly square as possible, each 
lot containing si.x hundred acres. The Com- 
missioners then caused the townships and 
the lots to be numbered according to law, 
as we have indicated it, and designated them 
by the names of famous men as follows: — 

1. Lysander. 14. Tully. 

2. Hannibal. 15. Fabius. 

3. Cato. 16. Ovid. 

4. Brutus. 17. Milton. 

5. Camillus. 18. Locke. 

6. Cicero. 19. Homer. 
■ 7. Manlius. 20. Solon. 

8. Aurelius. 21. Hector. 

9. Marcellus. 22. Ulysses. 

10. Pompey. 23. Dryden. 

11. Romulus. 24. Virgil. 

12. Scipio. 25. Cincinnatus. 

13. Sempronius. 26. Junius. 

This tract contained 600,000 acres and 
embraced within its limits the present 
counties of Onondaga, Cortland, Cayuga, 
Tompkins and Seneca, with portions of 
Oswego and Wayne. Cortland, as at pres- 
ent bounded, was situated in the southeast- 
ern corner of the tract. The townships, as 
surveyed, should not be confounded with 



52 



History of Cortland County. 



what is now known as a town. In early 
years a township often embraced several 
towns. I lomer township included the pres- 
ent towns of Homer and Cortland ; Virgil 
embraced the towns of Virgil, Harford and 
Lapeer; Cincinnatus included the present 
towns of Cincinnatus, Marathon, Freetown j 
and Willet ; Solon included the present 
towns of Solon and Taylor ; and Preble 
contained the towns of Preble and Scott. 
As settlement advanced the extensive towns 
of pioneer times were divided and subdi- 
vided, for the more convenient transaction 
of the increasing public business. 

On the first of January, 1791, the com- 
missioners met and proceeded under the 
laws to determine by ballot who were en- 
titled to claim the lands. Ninety-four per- 
sons drew lots in each township, and lots 
were also drawn for the Gospel, for litera- 
ture, etc., as before indicated. 

In August, 1792, the Commissioners, 
acting under a provision for grants of lands 
to the hospital department and others, 
caused the survey and numbering of town- 
ship 27, which was given the name of 
Galen. 

In January, 1795, there being several 
unsatisfied claims for military bounty or 
gratuity lands, and the twenty-seven town- 
ships being disposed of, the Commissioners 
resolved that the Sur\'e}-or-General should 
lay out still another township, as number 
28. This was afterwards named Sterling, 
and sufficed to satisfy all remaining claims. 

Many frauds were perpetrated in con- 
nection with the titles to these military 
claims, to prevent which an act was passed 
in January, 1794, requiring all deeds and 
conveyances made and executed prior to 
that time to be deposited with the Clerk of 
Albany county for examination, and all 
such as were not so deposited should be 
considered as fraudulent. Claimants' names 
were posted in alphabetical order in the 



clerks' offices at Albany and Herkimer, for 
the full inspection of all who were inter- 
ested. 

The numerous contested claims filled the 
courts with \exatious litigation, almost 
every lot causing trouble of this nature. 
Squatters settled on the soldiers' honest 
claims and it was found difficult and ex- 
pensive to eject them by process of law. 
Land sharks possessed themselves of con- 
veyances bearing anterior dates to those 
held by honest purchasers, who were sub- 
jected to threats of violence or long perse- 
cution in the courts, if they did not abandon 
their justly acquired property. Not seldom 
these land pirates were successful in their 
schemes ; but on some occasions they en- 
countered old soldiers who showed a dispo- 
sition to take the law into their own hands 
for the protection of their rights ; men who 
had faced the foe on many a bloody field, 
and were not to be easily driven from the 
lands they had thus earned. Goodwin, the 
author of the Pioneer History of Cortland 
County, is authorit)' for the statement that 
in the eastern part of Cortland dwelt one 
of these veterans whose occupancy of a 
bounty claim did not accord with the 
notions of justice entertained by a land 
pirate. The old soldier "was an associate 
with the chivalrous sons who marched to 
Quebec when winter's awful tempest op- 
posed their progress, and who crossed the 
ice-choked Delaware, regardless of chilling 
winds and angry waves ; again defying the 
rage of battle beneath the burning sun at 
Monmouth — kindred spirits to those who 
fought at Lexington, Concord and Bunker 

Hill After locating on his lot, and 

at a time when hope painted to his eager 
vision long years of future happiness, he 
was called upon by one of these gentlemen 
Shylocks, who informed him that he held a 
conveyance of his lot, and that he was the 
only legal owner, and gave him a very po- 



Previous to County Organization. 



S3 



lite invitation to evacuate his possessions. 
But the stern old patriot — the hero of 
many battles, and who carried on his per- 
son the certificates of his valor — was not 
thus hastily to be ejected from his revolu- 
tionary inheritance. The fire that once 
glowed so brightly in the old man's eyes 
on the field of battle was rekindled, and he 
would sooner have fallen a martyr to justice 
and right, than have obsequiously acqui- 
esced in the mandate of his ungallant op- 
pressor. The conveyance was at length 
laid open and examined and found to bear 
a date prior to his own. In short, it was 
a forgery. When the defrauder found that 
the stern, heroic warrior would not j'ield to 
his demand, he threatened him with the 
terrors of law and the cost of an ejectment 
suit. This, however, only caused a smile 
to play over the face of the worthy pioneer 

of civilization He knew that his 

possessions were legally bequeathed to him, 
as a comparatively small gift for the sacri- 
fices he had made in the cause of human 
emancipation ; and to be thus deprived of 
a home which he had purchased with sac- 
rifices and blood, would not comport with 
the principle for which he had contended, 
and he spurned the intruder from his pres- 
ence." 

It is to be regretted that the historian 
did not give us the name of this successful 
veteran. The act of 1794, before alluded 
to, while undoubtedly checking the frauds 
and greatly facilitating the settlement of 
claims, did not entirely dispose of the liti- 
gated disputes and contentions. Finally, 
in the year 1797, the dwellers on the great 
Military Tract wearied of the continued 
struggle for their rights and unanimousl}- 
united in petitioning the State Legislature 
to pass a law authorizing measures for the 
speedy and equitable adjustment of all dis- 
putes relating to their land titles. An act 
was accordingly passed, appointing Robert 



Yates, James Kent and Vincent Mathews 
a Board of Commissioners, with full powers 
"to hear, examine, award and determine 
all disputes respecting the titles to any and 
all the military bounty lands." The Gov- 
ernor was authorized to fill all vacancies in 
this Board. 

The Commissioners vigorously began 
and prosecuted their task. Most of the 
awards of 1798-99 are signed by Vincent 
Mathews and James Emmott ; later ones 
by Vincent Mathews and Robert Yates, 
and some in iSoi-02 by Vincent Mathews, 
James Emmott and Sanders Livijigston. 
After a long period of vexatious labor, all 
the disputed claims were passed upon and 
the inhabitaats of the Military Tract have 
since rested in security and peace. 

Following is a complete list of all the 
original townships of the Military Tract, 
the different present towns which have been 
formed from them and the counties in which 
they are situated : — 

No. Township. Present Towns. County. 

.. I. Lysander. Lysander and part of Granby, Onondaga 

Oswego 

2. Hannibal. Town and west part of the city of Os- 

wego, Hannibal, and north part of 

Granby, Oswego 

3. Cato. Victory and Ira, north part of Con- 

quest and Cato, CajTiga 

4- Brutus. Mentz and Brutus, and parts of Con- 

quest, Cato, Montezuma, Throop 
and Sennet, Cayuga 

5. Camilhis. Van Buren and Elbridge, and p.art of 

Camillus, Onondaga 

6. Cicero. Clay and Cicero, Onondaga 
. 7. ManHus. De Witt and Manlius, and part of 

SaHna, Onondaga 

8. .'Vurelius. Fleming, Auburn city and Owasco, 

most of Throop and Sennet, part of 

.Aurelius, and one lot in Montezuma, Cayuga 

9. Marcellus. Skatieateles and .MarceHus, parts of 

Spaffbrd and Otisco, Onondaga 

10. Pompey. Pompey, most of Lafayette, three lots 

in Otisco, Onondaga 

11. RomuUis Romulus, west part of Fayette and 

Varick, and four lots in Seneca 

Falls, Seneca 

12. Scipio. Scipio and Venice, south part of Led- 

y.trd, 5ve lots in Niles, and a small 
point of the northwest comer of 
Moravia, Cayug.a 

13. Sempronius. Moravia, Sempronius and most of 

Niles, and part of Spafford, Onondaga 

14. TuUy. Tully, south part of Spafford, and 

Otisco. Scott and Preble, Cortland 

M5. Fabius. .\nd north part of Tnixton and Cuylcr, Onondaga 

Cortland 



54 



History of Cortland County. 



No 


. Township. 


Prf.sknt Towns. 




COUNTY. 


No 


. TowNSHir. 


Present Towns. 


County. 


16. 


Ovid. 


Ovid, Lodi and Covert, 




Seneca 


24. 


Virgil. 


Virgil, most of Harford and Lapeer, 




■7- 


Milton. 


Genoa, 

and Lansing, 




Cayuga 
Tompkins 






and two and one-quarter lots in Corl- 
landville, and one lot {20) in Free- 




18. 


Locke. 


Locke and Summer Hill, 




Cayuga 






Utwn, 


Cortland 






and (Iroton, 




Tompkins 


25- 


Cincinnatus. 


Freetown, Cincinnatus, and most of 




4-, J. 


Homer. 


Homer and most of Cortlandville, 


Cortland 






Marathon, 


Cortland 


20- 


Solon. 


Solon, Taylor, and south part 


.f Tru.v- 




26. 


Junius, 


Jimius, Tyre, Waterloo, and north 




V 




ton and Cuyler, 




Cortland 






part of Seneca Falls, 


Seneca 


21. 


Hector. 


Hector, 




Schuyler 


'-'7- 


(lalen. 


(Jalen and Savannah, 


Wayne 


22. 


Ulysses. 


Ulysses, Enfield and Ithaca, 




Tompkins 


28. 


Sterling. 


Sterling, and east part of Wolcott and 




23- 


Dry den. 


Nearly the whole of Dryden, 




Tompkins 






Hutler, 


Cayuga 



CHAPTER VI. 



FORMATION OF THE COUNTY. 

A Division of Onondaga County Demanded — The Petition of Southern Residents for that Object* — Important 
Provisions of the Law Organizing Cortland County — Origin of Name — Changes in the Townships — Organiz.ation 
of the Courts — First County Officers — Early Political Parties — Pioneers of the County — Delays in Early Settle- 
ment — Comparative D,ates of Other Settlements — Routes of Incoming Pioneers — Privations of Early Settlers — 
Winter Travel in Olden Times — The First Settlers in Cortland County — Mrs. Beebe's Lonely Life in the Wilder- 
ness — Settlements in the Different Towns Previous to iSlo — Population at that Date — Opening of Early Roads - 
Turnpike Road Companies — Necessity for (Irist-Mills — 'I'he First Churches — Early Schools. 



AS miglit be apprehended, there were in- 
ternal causes, originating in the neces- 
sities of the inhabitants, the growth of set- 
tlements, the con\-enicnt transaction of busi- 
ness of a public nature, etc., which led to 
the formation of Cortland county as a sep- 
arate civil organization. Some of the prin- 
cipal of these causes were enumerated in 
the original petition to the Legislature for 
the division of Onondaga county, which 
read as follows : — 

"To the Honorable, the Legislature of the State 
of New York in Senate and Assembly con- 
vened : The Petition of the Subscribers, inhab- 
itants of the towns of Fabius, Tully, Solon, 
Homer, Virgil, and Cincinnatu.s, humbly shew- 
eth : — 

" Tliat the county of Onondaga is ninety-si.x 
miles in length, and at an average breadth of 
about twenty-five miles ; that from the extreme 
of the southern boundary of the said county to 
tlie court house is sixty miles, — which operates 
greatly to the inconvenience of many of your pe- 
titioners in giving their attendance at court. That 
the population of said county is now very great,' 

1 The population of Onondaga county in 1810 was 25,- 
987- 



and is daily increasing, which renders it impossi- 
ble for our Court of Common Pleas and (ieneral 
Sessions of the Peace to transact with due expedi- 
ency the legal business of said county ; whereby 
the suitors of said courts e.xperience great delay 
of justice, which, in the opinion of your petition- 
ers, is equivalent to a denial of justice. That 
your petitioners humbly conceive that a division 
of the said county will be of signal advantage to 
the inhabitants of the said towns of Solon, Fa- 
bius, Tully, Homer, Virgil, and Cincinnatus, and 
also to the inhabitants of the northern part of said 
county. 

" Your petitioners, tlierefore, humbly pray tliat 
the before-mentioned towns be erected into a 
new county by the name of Courtlandt, and that 
there be three Courts of Cotnmon Pleas and Gen- 
eral Sessions of the Peace held in the said county 
as follows, viz. : on the second Tuesday of April, 
and the first Tuesday of September and Decem- 
ber, in every year, after the due organization of 
the said county. 

"And your petitioners as in duty bound will 
ever pray." 

This petition was signed by seven hun- 
dred and forty-seven of the prominent resi- 
dents of the fi\e towns desiring the separa- 
tion. On the 4th day of February, i8o8, 



Formation of the County. 



55 



the petition was introduced in the Senate by 
the Hon. John Ballard, a resident of Homer 
and a member from the western district. It 
was referred to a committee composed of 
Messrs. Ballard, Buel and Yates. On the 
following day Mr. Ballard made a report in 
favor of the prayer of the petitioners, pre- 
senting at the same time a bill to that effect, 
which was thereupon read the first and sec- 
ond times and referred to the Committee of 
the Whole. In this Committee it was called 
up on the 8th, when it was ordered to be 
engrossed. On the loth it was read for the 
third time and passed. 

It was sent on the same day to the Assem- 
bly, read and referred to the Committee of 
the Whole. Here it met with considerable 
opposition, as important measures usually do. 
The northern towns of Onondaga count)' 
remonstrated against the proposed division 
of the county, and opposition was fostered 
among the people to such an extent that the 
Hon. Joshua Forman, the founder of Syra- 
cuse and then in the Assembl}-, made a char- 
acteristically eloquent and forcible speech 
against the measure. But it was all without 
avail ; Cortland County was to be, and it was 
— and is. The bill became a law on the 8th 
day of April, 1 8o8. Following are the more 
important sections of the law which gave 
this count}- a place among the civil organ- 
izations of the State : — 
"An Act to Divide the County of Onondaga, 

passed April 8th, i8o8. 

" I. Be it enacted by the people of the State 
of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- 
bly, that all that part of the county of Onondaga, 
to wit : Beginning at the south corner of the town 
of Cincinnatus, and thence running north along 
the east line of the towns of Cincinnatus, Solon 
and Fabius, to the northeast corner of lot num- 
ber sixty, in said town of Fabius ; thence run- 
ning west along the north line of that tier of lots, 
through the towns of Fabius and Tully, to the 
northwest corner of lot number fifty-one, in said 
town of 'I'ully ; thence south along the east line 
of the county of Cayuga, to the southeast corner 



of the towns of Virgil and Cincinnatus, to the 
place of beginning, shall be one separate and dis- 
tinct county, and shall be called and known by 
the name of Cortland. 

"II. And be it further enacted, that the 
Courts in and for the said county shall be held at 
the school house on lot number forty-five in the 
town of Homer. 

"III. And be it further enacted, that all that 
part of the town of Fabius situated in the county 
of Cortland shall be called Truxton ; and all that 
part of the town of Tully in said county of Cort- 
land shall be called Preble." 

Other sections of the Act provided that 
Cortland county should have one Member 
of Assembly ; that it should form a part of 
the Western Senatorial District and part of 
the Thirteenth Congressional District. 

The passage of this Act, forming as it did 
the town of Preble from Tully, and Trux- 
ton from Fabius, gave the new county six 
townships — Virgil, formed from Homer in 
1804; Cincinnatus, formed the same year 
from Solon ; Homer, Solon, Preble and 
Truxton. No changes were made in the 
towns during the first decade of the centurj'. 

The Act of the Legislature erecting the 
I county provided for the holding of three 
courts of Common Pleas and General Ses- 
sions of the Peace ; they were to be held on 
the second Tuesday of April, and the first 
Tuesdays of September and December, in 
every year after the due organization of the 
county. These courts were to have "the 
same jurisdiction, powers and authorities as 
the courts of Common Pleas and General 
\ Sessions of the Peace in the other counties 
of the State ha\-c in their respective coun- 
ties." Suits previously commenced, how- 
ever, were not to be affected so as to work 
a wrong or prejudice to any of the parties ; 
nor were any criminal or other proceedings 
on the part of the State to be in the least 
affected by the change ; on the contrary, all 
such civil and criminal proceedings were to 
be prosecuted to trial, judgment and e.xecu- 



56 



History of Cortland County. 



tion. It was also provided that the courts 
of the new county should "be held at the 
school- house on lot 45, in the town of Ho- 
mer." John Keep was the first County 
Judge, receiving his appointment on the 3d 
day of April, 18 10. 

As before stated, Cortland county was 
made a part of the Western Senatorial Dis- 
trict and of the Thirteenth Congressional 
District, and was entided to one Member 
of Assembly ; this latter fact continued until 
1823, when two Members, Daniel Sherwood 
and John Gillett were elected. Ephraim 
Fish was the first Member, elected in 18 10, 
taking his seat at the opening of the 33d 
session. Further first officers of the county 
were John Ballard, County Clerk, appointed 
April Sth, 1808; succeeded by Reuben 
Washburn, April 3d, 18 10. Asahel Minor, 
Sheriff, April Sth, 1808 ; succeeded by Wm. 
Mallory June 9th, 180S, (by appointment), 
and Joshua Ballard April 3d, 18 10. John 
McWhorter, Surrogate, appointed April 
8th, 1808; succeeded by Mead Merrill, 
April 3d, 1810.1 

The polidcal parties of the country at the 
time under consideration were the Demo- 
cratic and Federal ; but the era was not yet 
inaugurated when the political field was an- 
nually filled with the hotly engaged con- 
testants of later days, determined to show 
that the fate of the country depends upon 
the success of their respective parties. 

In order to place clearly before the reader 
the events leading to the formation of the 
county, its boundaries, its condition at the 
time of its formation, etc., necessary to a 
proper understanding of its detailed history, 
we have anticipated by about seventeen years 
the first settlements within its borders. Let 
us now revert to the history of that period. 

The pioneers of this county came, in the 
main, from New England — brave, hardy, 

1 For county officials ,-ifter 1810, see civil list in subse- 
quent pages. 



energetic, persevering Yankees. While it 
was not for them to perform great and 
heroic deeds, in the common understanding 
of the term, they nevertheless participated 
in events about their own hearthstones and 
in the thick forests that surrounded their 
primitive dwellings, which should record 
their names on the imperishable rolls of 
honor beside those of men who have mar- 
shaled armies to drench with blood a hun- 
dred battle-fields. They were men who 
must have lived not so much for the enjoy- 
ment of living, as for the future good that 
might accrue from their earthly work. 
Many of them had taken active part in the 
stern events of the Revolution, while all had 
felt the inspiring influences born of the 
knowledge that henceforth they and their 
country would be free; and they came into 
the wilderness full of rugged enthusiasm 
and an unflinching determination to create 
peaceful and permanent homes for them- 
selves and their posterity. 

Settlement in Cortland county was de- 
layed beyond that of most other sections of 
this State. The Indian title to the rich 
garden of the Genesee country was extin- 
guished before the Military Tract was ceded 
to the State, and it lay on the great thor- 
oughfare from the populated country farther 
east. The Phelps and Gorham purchase, 
through the energy of its owners and east- 
ern agents, was rapidly settled at an early 
date, about fifty townships having been sold 
by the year 1790; while the central por- 
tions of the State, hilly and covered with a 
heavy growth of timber, was looked upon 
with little favor by prospective pioneers. 
Hence, it was not until the fall of 1791 that 
a permanent white settler began his home 
in this county, on the banks of the Tiough- 
nioga river. At that date the valleys of the 
Susquehanna and Chenango rivers had been 
settled to some e.xtent for more than five 
years. The site of Binghamton had been 



Formation of the County. 



57 



occupied two years. Onondaga valley had 
been settled about five years. Salt had 
been manufactured at Salina for three years. 
Norwich had been settled three years ; Ith- 
aca two years. Oxford, Chenango county, 
was settled in 1790, and mills had been 
erected at Rochester in 17S8. 

The pioneers of this count}-, or a large 
majority of them, came in either by way of 
the Susquehanna, the Chenango, and the 
Tioughnioga, from the south and east; or 
southward from Manlius through Truxton, 
and later from Onondaga Vallc)-. The In- 
dian trails were followed, where practicable, 
until State roads were opened, and many 
of the limited domestic outfits of the early 
settlers were brought up the Tioughnioga 
in canoes. Journeys of hundreds of miles, 
from Massachusetts and other Eastern 
States, were made in what were then called 
" Connecticut covered wagons," which toiled 
onward through the wilderness day after 
day, the pioneer and his family sleeping in 
or beside them at night. The forests were 
peopled with innumerable deer, so that the 
pioneer seldom wanted for excellent meat ; 
but often when the journey was unexpect- 
edly prolonged, the little store of supplies 
was exhausted, and the travelers were forced 
to depend upon roots to keep away the 
wolf of hunger.^ Many of the pioneers had 
never seen an Indian ; but the greater part 
of them had read or heard of their bloody 
deeds on the border, and met them for the 
first time with much trepidation. In almost 
every instance, however, the settlers were 
kindly received, and were often placed 
under obligations almost for life itself, to 

1 An old lady relating to us the hardships through 
which they had passed, remarked that, "had it not been 
for the deer that roamed at large, they should have suf- 
fered still more severely, and perhaps unto death, as roots 
and venison were their only food for many a long and 
gloomy day;" and the tears came in the eyes of this 
sainted mother of Israel as she told her tale of privation, 
suffering and sorrow. — Goodwin's Pioneer History of 
Cortland County. 



the generous and faithful -deeds of the red 
men. 

Many of the early settlers came into the 
county in the winter season, and often suf- 
fered severe hardships. Deep snows buried 
the indefinite trails from sight, and made 
progress throiigh the forests exceedingly 
slow. But three miles a day were traveled 
at times for days together ; and when these 
unusual delays caused a scarcity of food, as 
just alluded to, the situation of the pioneer, 
in the midst of a snow-covered forest, with 
wife and children looking to him for care 
and sustenance, was not an enviable one. 

In the }'ear 1789 Amos Todd and Joseph 
Beebe left their homes in New Haven, 
Conn., and journeyed through the wilder- 
ness to Windsor, in Broome county. Thej' 
were brothers-in-law, Mr. Beebe having 
married the sister of Mr. Todd, and she 
shared the fortune of her husband and 
brother in their new and primitive home. 
Two years after their settlement in Wind- 
sor they became convinced that the valley 
of the Tioughnioga held out greater induce- 
ments for them than were offered in their 
present locality ; they accordingly deter- 
mined to penetrate still further into the wil- 
derness. After a tedious journey, accom- 
panied by the usual toil and hardship, they 
reached a point on or near the site of Ho- 
mer village, where they erected the first 
rude dwelling constructed by white men 
within the limits of this county. These 
three pioneers reached their destination in 
the fall, and immediately built their house, 
which stood near the bridge on Main street, 
just north of Homer village. The dwell- 
ing was built mainly "of poles, twelve by 
fifteen feet." During the following winter 
the two men returned to Windsor for the 
remainder of their household goods which 
had been left behind. Instead of making 
the journey as anticipated, the)- were snow 
bound for six weeks, leaving Mrs. Beebe 



58 



History of Cortland County. 



alone in the wilderness, her only compan- 
ions the howling wolves and other beasts 
of the forest. But her remarkable bra\er\- 
and hopeful patience sustained her through 
the long period of loneliness and anxiety as 
to the fate of all that was dearest to her. 
It was an example of womanly heroism of 
which there are few parallels.' 

The two men packed their goods in a 
canoe, and at the earliest possible moment 
started towards the waiting wife and sister. 
At Binghamton they were joined by John 
Miller, a native of New Jersey, and in due 
time reached the loneh- woman. Mr. Mil- 
ler explored the East river section, and 
then returned southward. In the spring he 
came into the county accompanied by John 
House, James Matthews, James Moore, 
Silas and Daniel Miller. All of the.se men 
located near the site of Homer village, Mr. 
Miller on lot 56, (now in Cortlandville) ; 
Messrs. Beebe and Todd subsequently set- 
tled on lot 42. Darius Kinney came to 
Homer in 1793, and other settlers in that 
vicinity rapidly followed, more particular 
records of which will be found in the his- 
tory of the town of Homer. In 1797 Ho- 
mer contained but ninety-two inhabitants. 

In the year 1792 Joseph Chaplin came 
into the town of Virgil and made the first 
permanent settlement ; he located on lot 
50 and two years later moved on his family. 
He explored and surveyed the State Road 
from Oxford, Chenango county to the Cay- 
uga lake during the first season, afterw.ard 
employing assistants and fulfilling his con- 
tract for the construction of the road. It 
was completed in 1793-94; after which he 
brought in his family. About the same 
time a road was surveyed and partially cut 
through the wilderness from the south, near 
the river, until near the present site of Mar- 

' A more detailed account of this event, and one that 
sheds some new light upon it, will be fmind in the hi-- 
lory of the town of Homer. 



athon village, when, diverging from the 
stream, it crossed the south line of lot nimi- 
ber 72, about three-fourths of a mile east of 
the village of Marathon, and, continuing in 
a northerly direction, intersected the State 
road on lot 42 in Freetown and so passed 
on northward through the county to the 
Salina salt works, gi\'ing it the name of "the 
Salt Road." These two roads were the 
first in the county that were worthy of 
being called roads. 

The next settlers came into \'irgil in 
1795, after which time, as will be learned 
in the history of that town, settlement was 
made from year to year, though not so 
rapidly as in some other portions of the 
county. 

Ezra Rockwell and his sons, Thomas and 
Ezra, jr., came into the present town of 
Taylor in 1793; they were from Leno.x, 
Mass., and settled on lot 78, a bounty for 
the father's services in the Revolution. 
Two years later (1795) Thomas Rockwell 
removed to Cincinnatus, occupying lots 9 
and 19, the latter including the site of Cin- 
cinnatus village. Settlements in Taylor 
were few until after i8io. 

The first actual settlers of the town of 
Marathon were Dr. Japheth Hunt and wife, 
then aged people, two sons, James and Wil- 
liam, and three daughters, Betsey, Nancy 
and Hannah. The family came up the 
Tioughnioga in canoes in the year 1794, 
and located about a mile south of the site 
of the village. Settlements had progressed 
but to a limited extent by 1 8 10. In the 
same year (1794) Nathaniel Potter, Jonah 
Stiles, Christopher Whitney, David Morse 
and Benjamin Brown located in the town 
of Truxton, and a large number of settlers 
had located in the town by 18 10. Settle- 
ment within the present limits of Cincinna- 
tus was begun in 1795, about which time 
John Kingman, Thaddeus Rockwell Zurial 
Raymond, Dr. John McWhorter, and Sam- 



Formation of the County. 



59 



uel Vining came in. By the year iSiO set- | 
tlement in this town had ad\anced so that 
the population was about 1,500. Solon was 
first settled in 1 794, by Roderick Beebe and 
Johnson Bingham, the former locating on 
lot 75, a portion of which has since been 
called Mt. Roderick ;. he was from Massa- 
chusetts and Mr. Bingham from Connecti- 
cut. During the succeeding five or six 
years settlement in this town progressed 
slowly. 

In 1794 the first of those energetic men 
— men of brain as well as muscle — who 
laid the foundation for the present prosper- 
ity of the town of Cortlandville, made a 

1 
settlement near the site of the present thriv- j 

ing village. Jonathan Hubbard and Moses 
Hopkins both came that year, the former | 
becoming the owner of the greater part of 
the land on which the village now stands, 1 
and the latter locating on lot 64, just west 
of the village. They came in by way of 
Cazenovia and Truxton. Several accessions 
were made in the settlement during the 
years 1796 and '97, and from that time to 
1810 pioneers came in rapid!)-, attracted by 
the natural features of the spot and in a 
greater degree, doubtless, by the influence 
of their predecessors. By the year 18 10 
the nucleus of a village was established, 
while a settlement of still greater activity 
existed at Port Watson. The lands in that 
vicinity had passed into possession of a few 
eastern men, the principal one of whom 
seems to have been Elkanah Watson, whose 
name appears in the records of the County 
Clerk's office with wonderful frequency from 
the year 1800 through the succeeding twelve 
or fifteen years, as the seller of lots in the 
\illage of Port \\'atson. Watson's home is 
given as in "Albany county (now Pittsfield), 
Massachusetts." Many of his sales were 
made by attorney, and will be more partic- 
ularly referred to in the history of the town, 
in a subsequent chapter. 



Settlement was begun in Freetown in 
1795 and in Preble in the next year; the 
former town by Ensign Rice, who settled 
on lot No 2, which was drawn by Robert 
Smith, a soldier of the Revolution. Rice 
was a son-in-law of Smith and the latter 
also settled on the lot in 1800. James 
Cravath and John Gill were the first settlers 
in Preble, the former removing from Pompey 
Hill, whither he had migrated from Con- 
necticut; he located on lot 68 and Gill on 
lot -jQ. 

In the \ear 1797^ Ebenezer Crittenden 
settled within the present town of Willet. 
He came from Barrington, Mass., married 
a wife in Binghamton, and, with their child, 
he pushed a canoe containing his family and 
household goods up the river to the chosen 
spot for their pioneer home. About twenty 
families had located in the town b\- 18 10. 

The town of Scott was settled in 1799; 
Lapeer in 1802 and Harford in 1803. In 
the latter but few families had arrived b}' 

1 Our authority for the date given above is Goodwin's 
History. French's Gazetteer gives tlie date of Critten- 
den's arrival as 1793; but it is probable that this is in- 
correct. In this connection the following statement from 
Elder S. G. Jones, of Virgil, who formerly lived there, is 
important. He says : " Do not make the mistake of 
crediting Ebenezer Crittenden with being the first settler 
of the old town of Cincinnatus (including Freetown, Mar- 
athon and Willet. ) Elnathan Baker was the first settler 
and located on the east side of the Otselic, a mile and a 
half north of Dyer Hill. I .saw his son fifty years ago 
— the Rev. Elnathan Baker. We visited thesite of his 
father's log hut ; it was then grow n up with trees six to 
ten inches through. He said that the only white man he 
saw while they lived there was Dr. McWhorter. A 
young Irishman came to their cabin one day and reported 
that his father had been shot by an Indian ; the bullet 
being lodged in his thigh. Dr. McWhorter extracted the 
ball, and after the wounded man's recovery he and his 
son went down the Otselic and the Susquehanna to their 
home. It was reported that he was shot in after years 
by the same Indian. North of the cabin of Mr. Baker 
was what was known fifty-eight years ago, as the " Indian 
orchard," comprising some fifty trees. The younger 
Baker says his father planted the seeds from which this 
orchard grew, and he saw the work done; the trees were 
growing when they left the locality, which was « hen he 
was ten years old. He died in Luzerne county, I'a. 



6o 



History of Cortland County. 



1810. Peter Gray, a native of Fishkill, 
Duchess county, was the first white settler 
in Lapeer,' locating on lot 70. Peleg Bab- 
cock, with his brothers, Solomon and Asa 
Howard, came into the town of Scott in 
'799. from Leyden, Mass. The former lo- 
cated on lot 82, with Solomon and Asa H. 
beside him on the same lot. Settlement 
in this town was slow, until later than 18 10. 
"The population of the towns that had 
come into existence by the year 18 10 as 
shown b\- the census report was as follows : 

Homer, 2,975 

Solon, 1 ,263 

Virgil, 906 

Cincinnatus, 1,525 

Preble 1 , 1 79 

Tru.xton, i ,03 i 

In the portion of this work which is to be 
devoted to a general review of the history 
of the county, it is unnecessary to follow 
farther the course of settlement in the differ- 
ent towns, as those matters will be treated 
in full detail in subsequent chapters The 
reader has learned in the foregoing few- 
pages that, during the first decade of the 
present century, settlement by white people 
had become firmly established in nearly all 
sections of the county, while in the more 
favored Iccalities it had progressed rapidly, 
with assurances of still faster growth in the 
immediate future. Lots in many sections 
had already been cut into smaller farms and 
were changing hands at gradually advanc- 
ing prices. While the primeval forest still 
covered a large portion of the county, still 
the settlers, who had occupied their farms 
for periods ranging from ten to fifteen years, 
cleared acre after acre and, hampered as 
the}' were by numerous obstacles and trying 
circumstances which would in these days 
appear insurmountable, were rapidly plac- 

1 Primus Grant, a colored man, purchased lot 594 and 
settled thereon in 1799. He died on his farm and was 
buried l)y the side of the " liig brook." 



ing their cleared lands luidcr a state of cul- 
tivation. 

The principal difficulty with which the 
pioneer had to contend was the absence of 
roads, mills and markets. The first author- 
ized road in the county was the old State 
Road before alluded to as having been 
opened by Joseph Chaplin ' and finished as 
far as his contract went, in 1794. This road 
extended from Oxford, Chenango county, 
to Ludlowville, on the eastern shore of Ca- 
yuga lake, a distance of about sixty miles. 
Coming into this county in the southeastern 
part, it passed through Willet, thence along 
the north line of the present tow n of Mar- 
athon and through Virgil. 

At this time several roads had been 
opened through the northern part of what 
is now Onondaga county, and, in 1796, $500 
was appropriated from the first money com- 
ing into the hands of the Surveyor-General 
for the improvement of the roads of the 
country. What the final result of this ap- 
propriation was, we have been unable to de- 
termine. 

Within a few years after the opening of 
the State Road, and before 1 800, a road from 
Port Watson to Solon was opened, and 
about the same time numerous short inter- 
secting roads were laid out in different parts 
of the county. The main road from Cort- 
land village to Virgil was opened in 1806.- 

In the year 1 807 the Salina and Che- 
nango Turnpike Company was incorporated 
by the Legislature. The company com- 

' Mr. Chaplin was drowned a few years later in the 
Hudson river at Co.\sackie. See history of town of Virgil. 

- " At this period (1800) a road had been cut through 
to X'irgil Corners, to intersect the State Road. Another 
had l5een cut through to Locke — now Groton ; a third 
to McGrawville ; a fourth to Truxton, and a fifth to Ho- 
mer." — Goodwin. It is probable that Mr. Goodwin's 
statement refers merely to the " cutting out " of these 
roads, or a portion of them at least, and not to their being 
opened and worked. The late Nathan Bouton gives the 
date of the o|)ening of the road from Virgil to Cortland 
as 1806, and his authority on the subject can scarcely be 
questioned. 



Formation of the County. 



6i 



prised Samuel Coe, Reuben Cross, Chaun- 
cey Hyde, Daniel Hudson, Elisha Alvord, 
Joseph Smith, Samuel Trowbridge, Levi 
Bowen and John Ballard. Sev-eral of these 
men were residents of this county. The 
road was to run from Salina, through On- 
ondaga Hollow to the north line of Tully ; 
thence southerly through the towns of Tully, 
Homer, Virgil and Cincinnatus to Lisle, and 
thence to Chenango Point (Binghamton.) 
There were 6,000 shares of stock put in 
market, at $20 per share. 

On the 4th of April, 1 8 1 1 , a road was au- 
thorized from Manlius to intersect the turn- 
pike in the northeast corner of lot 87, in the 
town of Truxton. 

June 2d, 18 1 2, the Cortland and Seneca 
Turnpike Company was incorporated, with 
Jonathan Hubbard, David Jones and Parley 
Whitmore as corporators. The road began 
at the house of Daniel Miller in the town of 
Homer, and ran thence to Ithaca. The cap- 
ital of the company was $25,000 divided 
into shares of $20 each. The company were 
authorized to erect a toll gate as soon as 
twelve miles of the road were finished. This 
road was not built, probabl\% until after 
1 8 16, as in that year the charter of the com- 
pany was revived by the Legislature. 

Much of the business of the Legislature 
from 1800 to 1820 was in connection with 
the incorporation of turnpike companies and 
other road matters ; and in 1804 <i Board of 
Turnpike Commissioners was appointed by 
the State, whose duty it was to inspect the 
State roads, hear complaints relative to the 
highways, and kindred duties. Their com- 
pensation was two dollars per day. 

During the period under consideration 
grist-mills were exceedingly scarce in Cort- 
land county, and, indeed, throughout Central 
New York ; the nearest to most of the set- 
tlers were thirty or forty miles distant, and 
several of the earliest years of settlement 
had elapsed before there were any even at 



that distance. The prevailing substitute for 
mill-stones was an enormous mortar made 
by digging and burning a hollow in the top 
of a hickory or other hard wood stump, after 
the manner of the Indians. Into this the 
corn was put and pounded into coarse meal 
by the action of a heavy pestle attached to 
a sweep or spring-pole. This primitive 
method was followed even after mills were 
built at Onondaga Hollow, Manlius, Che- 
nango Forks and Ludlowville ; for it was not 
always that a journey could be made by in- 
habitants of Cortland county to either of 
those distant points with a small grist ; they 
were all nearly or quite forty miles distant 
for most of the settlers of the county, and 
more than that for many. As there were 
no roads, the trail being followed by marked 
trees, with often considerable streams to 
ford, the grists being mostly transported 
upon "dra}-s,"i or carried in a single bag 
on horseback, it will be readily imagined 
that " going to mill" was not the light task 
that it soon afterward became.'- It was, 
therefore, a source of great relief to the early 
settlers of this county when Asa White and 
John Keep, of Homer, built the first grist- 
mill in the county, at Homer village, in 

1 The "dray" was simply a large crotched limb or 
tree, across which were nailed a few boards ; to this the 
horse was attached. 

2 Mr. Orellana Beebe, of Taylor, informed Mr. Good- 
win that he was compelled, one spring, in order not to 
neglect other necessary work, to send his ten-year old 
son to Genoa, after either grain or flour. The boy 
mounted the horse and started with three bags, each con- 
taining eight pounds of maple sugar, which would pay 
for three bushels of wheat. The distance was forty 
miles, and the road a line of blazed trees. Reaching his 
destination after a long and fatiguing day, the httle fel- 
low was filled with grief when informed by 'Squire Brad- 
ley that he could not have the grain. He was much re- 
lieved, however, when the kind man agreed to open a 
barrel of flour in the morning and give him the value of 
the sugar in that. With his precious load the boy reached 
the residence of Judge Bingham, on the Salt Road, at 
nightfall, where he was kept over night, and at ten o'clock 
the next day he turned the flour over to the admiring 
father and mother. Of such determined character were 
the boys of that day. 



62 



HiSTOUY OF CuRTI.ANI) CuUNTV. 



1798, which was followed within the suc- 
ceeding two or three years by that of Jona 
than Hubbard, on the west branch of the 
river and now within the corporation of 
Cortland \'illage.' While these mills were 
not comparable in any sense to what is con- 
sidered in this day as necessary in a good 
flouring mill, they were, nevertheless, a 
blessing to the pioneers, the magnitude of 
which can scarcely be appreciated. Other 
mills, both grist and saw-mills, .succeeded 
each other in diflerent parts of the count}', 
as the needs of the inhabitants demanded — 
in Virgil in 1805 ; in Truxton in 1809, etc., 
as hereafter noted. 

Previous to the beginning of the century 
most of the limited supplies of groceries 
used b}' the inhabitants of the county were 
procured in Manlius, or at other distant 
points whither it was necessary to go to get 
milling done ; but it must not be supposed 
that" groceries" were then considered the 
necessity that they soon became, under the 
advance of civilization.- Maple sugar in 
any quantity the settlers could make on 
their own farms, and tea and coffee were 
not by any means a daily beverage with 
many of them until long after the period 
under consideration. By the )'ear 18 10, 
however, there were stores in the little vil- 

1 Jonathan Huljbaid must have had an interest in 
the Homer (village) mill as early as 1800, as Mrs. Hub- 
bard, of Cortland, possesses an article of agreement dated 
June 23d, iSoo, made between Jonathan Hubbard (senior) 
and Asa White of the first part, and James Turner of the 
second part, whereby the first parties lease to Turner for 
the sum of fifty dollars, "a privilege of water to carry a 
fulling mill at their mills on lot number 45 in Homer, at 
all times when it does not damage their mills now 
erected," etc. 

2 "The early pioneers located in these dense forests 
erected their rude unadorned cabins, hoping for the sure 
rewards of industry, perseverance and economy. But 
they were often subjected to great inconvenience and 
sufferipg, for the want of the necessary articles of hus- 
bandry, and also those of subsistence. We have been 
told of instances of whole families living for successive 
weeks upon turnips and salt ; of others wlio boiled roots 
gathered in the forest and ate them with a relish thai is un- 



lages of Homer, Cortland, Port Watson and 
a few other points in the county, which 
were a great convenience to the inhabitants 
and will be found further noticed in the sub- 
sequent town histories. 

Religious and educational matters early 
commanded the attention of the people of 
this county. The first church was organ- 
ized in the town of Homer as early as 180 1, 
and religious services had been observed 
since 1793.' In June, 1807, a commodious 
house of worship was dedicated, with a ser- 
mon, by the Rev. Mr. Darrow. The edifice 
stood upon the site now occupied by the 
haudsome brick church in rear of the "green " 
in Homer village. The organization of a 
Baptist church was effected' through the 
joint labors of the inhabitants of Cortland, 
Port Watson, on the East river and in 
Homer, in the same year (1801) and a build- 
ing erected in 181 1, about " one- half mile 
north of the old court-house." A Conere- 
gational church society was formed in Tully 
(now Preble) in 1804, and in Virgil in the 
succeeding year. A Methodist meeting 
was held in the house of Jonathan Hubbard 
in Cortland in 1804, and a class was soon 
after formed, and other religious organiza- 
tions rapidly followed the march of settle- 
ment in other and more remote portions of 

known to the epicurean lords of the present day. To them 
a mess of parsley presented by a neighboring hand was 
regarded as an act of marked and generous attention. 
Grain and potatoes were not to be had in the country. 
David Merrick (of Cortland) sent his team through the 
woods to Geneva by a neighbor, to whom he gave five 
dollars, just enough to purchase two bushels of wheat. 
It was procured and ground ; but on the return one of 
the bags was torn open by coming in contact with a tree, 
and the flour of one bushel was lost ; the remainder was 
emptied on its arrival by .Mrs. .Merrick into a four quart 
pan." — Goodwin. 

1 The records in the County Clerk's oflice bear evidence 
that on the 20th day of April, 1805, the I'irst Religious 
Society of Homer, represented by Thomas L. Bishop, 
.\dmatha Blodgett and Eliphalet Price, trustees, pur- 
chased for $1.00 sl.\ acres on lot 45, Homer village, "for 
the purpose of erecting a meeting house and all necessary 
outbuildings, and a burying ground." 



The Second Decade. 



63 



the county, extended reference to which 
will be found in the proper course of the 
town histories herein. 

Contemporaneous with the organization 
of religious societies and the building of 
churches, the establishment of schools was 
effected, the first of which was opened in 
Homer in the year 1798 ; the building stood 
near the railroad crossing just north of Ho- 
mer village. A second one was built a 
little later on the northeast corner of the 
"green." A school was taught in Cincin- 
natus in 1797; in Marathon in 1 803 ; in 
Preble in 1801 ; in Scott in 1803 ; in Solon 
in 1804; in Truxton in 1799; in Taylor in 
1 8 10; in Harford in 1806, etc. Indeed, in 
every neighborhood where there were fam- 
ilies of children (and that was the rule in 
almost every neighborhood in early times) 
it was considered one of the first duties of 
the settlers to provide, by the most availa- 
ble means, for their education. It mattered 
little what were the conditions — how far 
the little ones must trudge through the 
woods, or how hard the seats they were 
compelled to occupy through each day — to 
school they were sent at the earliest possible 
time ; thus assuring the intelligent commun- 
ities that grew up throughout the county. 



The information that we have been able 
to obtain as to the first birth in the county 
has not been very satisfactory ; but it was 
probably that of Stephen Potter, of Trux- 
ton, in 1794. Mr. Potter's father was killed 
in the year 1798, by a falling tree. The 
first death in the county of which we find 
reliable record was that of Mrs. Thomas 
Gould Alvord, of Homer, in 1795. 

It may not be uninteresting to close this 
chapter (which carries the general county 
histor\' through the first decade of the cen- 
tury) with a brief reference to a few of the 
quaint names found among those of the 
early settlers. The gradual change in the 
character of names given to children has 
often been remarked ; very few of the old 
bible, classical and heroic names are now 
inflicted upon offspring. This change will 
be a desirable one, or otherwise, according 
to the tastes of different persons. We find 
among the names of early Cortland county 
residents, numerous examples of the Asaphs, 
Zerahs, Keziahs, Zadocs, etc., of olden 
times ; but perhaps the most astonishing 
of the entire list were those of Increase 
Hooker, Remembrance Curtiss, and, to cap 
the climax, Preserved Fish. Yet, after all, 
" What's in a name? " 



CHAPTER VII. 



THE SECOND DEC.VDE. 

Dwellings and Surroundings of Early Settlers — Household Conveniences — House Raising — The Pioneer's 
First .\gricultural Work — " Logging Bees" — The .Settler's Diet — Scarcity of Money — .Advantages of Asheries — 
The Tioughnioga River as a Highway to Market — The Head of Navigation — Port Watson Village — The First 
Newspaper in the County — Its Chief Characteristics — Old Advertisements — The First Court-House — An Old 
Building Document — Village Rivalry — Further Organization of Turnpike Companies — Change of Boundary — 
The First Newspaper in Cortland Village — .\n Early Celebration — Struggle Over the Site of the Gaol — Its Final 
Location in Cortland — Newspaper Recrimination — The First Agricultural Society — The Old County Clerk's Office. 



THE progress of settlement and improve- 
ment in Cortland county during the 
second decade of the century was not very 
rapid, although in the vicinity of the villages 



of Cortland and Homer the prospects were 
most encouraging. The war of 1812-15 
retarded settlement here, as it did in all 
parts of the country not yet thickly popu- 



64 



HlbTUKV OF COKTI.AND COUNTV. 



lated, and Central New York, as we have 
previously hinted (and we believe the state- 
ment will apply with equal force to the 
comparatively small extent of territory with- 
in the present bounds of Cortland county), 
was for quite a period looked ii[)on as about 
the least desirable point in the State for 
settlement ; large tracts of it were hilly, and 
nearly the whole was covered with an ex- 
ceptionally heavy growth of timber, much 
of which was of the hardest species of 
wood ; moreover, the territory was remote 
from what promised to be the main thor- 
oughfares of travel and commerce, making 
it inconvenient of access. But in spite of 
these objectionable features, many resolute 
and determined men, with little but their 
own brawny muscles to depend upon for 
their living and the improvement of their 
farms, had made long journeys across the 
wilderness country, or had pushed their 
frail barks, containing their earthly all, down 
the Otselic and up the Chenango orTiough- 
nioga, built their rude dwellings and begun 
a warfare upon the forest that would not 
cease until it was transformed into pleasant 
and profitable homes. These pioneers were, 
as a rule, poor in the world's- goods ; if they 
owned -a yoke of o.xen, a few very primitive 
household utensils, and a small stock of 
provisions, they were accounted in pretty 
good circumstances. The houses they first 
erected were scarcely worthy the name ; 
yet who will say that there was not more 
of happiness and its twin, contentment, in 
many of them than is often found in the 
modern palaces of the wealthy ? The dwell- 
ing of that period was frequently a mere 
cabin of small logs, such as could be handled 
by one man, covered with bark. It was 
not always that it contained a floor, and if 
so, it was made of split logs, or "punch- 
eons," which did not always lie upon the 
precise level that was desirable. The set- 
tler who had neighbors within a reasonable 



distance in numbers sufficient to aid him in 
putting up a log house, of even small di- 
mensions, was very fortunate ; while the 
dweller in a house, say sixteen feet square, 
roofed with shingles, with a floor of boards 
and a glass window, was almost reverenced 
for his exalted worldly thrift. 

The furniture in these early dwellings 
was of a character to correspond with the 
houses. A feather bed was a luxury occa- 
sionally, but not often, brought from the 
haunts of civilization. Bedsteads, other 
than such as the pioneer could construct of 
poles and strips of bark, were still rarer, 
while a real chair, as differing from a bit of 
slab split from a log, with holes bored in 
the corners and rough legs inserted, was 
seldom seen. The settler's clothing for the 
first few years after his arrival was eked out 
of what he brought with him ; and this soon 
became patched out of all semblance of its 
former appearance. If a man came upon 
his lot alone, as was frequently the case, he 
put up his little cabin, sometimes miles from 
his nearest neighbor, and there lived as best 
he could, with the occasional kind service 
of a neighboring matron to bake his bread. 

And new-comers were always sure of a 
warm welcome in any and every locality ; 
their arrival meant so much more improve- 
ment, so many more dwellings, so many 
more acres cleared, so much nearer neigh- 
bors, so much more civilization. If a new 
house was to be raised for one of them, 
notice was given to all within a circuit of, 
perhaps, a dozen miles, resulting m the 
gathering of as many men, but men who 
were adepts at the business ; and before 
night, under the blows of their skillful axes, 
and often the inspiriting influence of the 
nimble whisky jug (then considered a prime 
necessity in the work-field), the new-com- 
er's dwelling was ready for his occupancy, 
and could be given its last touches by its 
owner at his leisure. 



The Second Decade. 



65 



If he came very early in the season, he 
might get a Httlc corn planted among the 
stumps of the little clearing, to the making 
of which his first and most energetic efforts 
were devoted. If he could not effect this, 
he labored early and late to prepare a piece 
of ground for the sowing of a little winter 
wheat in the fall. In this work the "log- 
ging bee" was a powerful factoi" in those 
days. Like the house-building, it often 
called together the settlers over a wide ex- 
tent of territory, as neighborhoods are now 
viewed, with their teams, if the_\- possessed 
them. A "boss" was appointed who su- 
perintended the work ; the trees had been 
felled and the ground burned over, and the 
blackened logs were "snaked" with marvel- 
ous energy and rapidity jnto pro.ximity 
with each other, when the\- were rolled into 
huge heaps and consigned to the flames. 
The workmen were sometimes divided into 
gangs, among whom a spirit of riwilr}' 
would spring up, and the work would be 
rushed on with redoubled energ\-, a liberal 
share of which was the indirect result of 
the circulating jug. So was prepared the 
land for the pioneer's corn and wheat. The 
winters were given up largely to the split- 
ting of rails with which to lay the "worm" 
fence in the spring, and to providing plenty 
of wood for the great household fire-place. 

The daily food of the early settler was 
necessarily of tlie plainest character. Corn 
bread, made of the coarse pounded meal, 
with occasionally a change to wheat, with 
pod^a^ a standard meat, except when it 
gax'^^va)- to venison procured of the In- 
dians, was the usual order. Many of the 
settlers brought with them into the wilder- 
ness a cow, and sometimes a few sheep. 
But the keeping of the latter was attended 
with nightly risk from the prowling, sneak- 
ing wolves ; while the bears made frequent 
raids upon the pens of the porkers. When 
the sheep were successfully wintered, their 



wool furnished the stock for the household 
clothing. Tea and coffee were rare lux- 
uries for a time ; but the great maples, 
which were found in all parts of the county, 
furnished maple sugar of the best kind ; the 
big kettle and some buckets, or, much more 
often, the hand-hewn sap troughs, were an 
essential part of every farmer's utensils. 
Old residents of the country districts (now 
fast pa.ssing away) will recall many a hilar- 
ious evening in the midst of the "sap-bush," 
beside the glowing, crackling fire, over 
which steamed and bubbled the sweet ex- 
tract. 

Money was scarce — very scarce. If the 
early farmer fortunately raised more pro- 
duce than he needed for his famih', he 
might exchange it for tea or coffee, or lin- 
sey-woolsey, or a farming tool ; but to get 
mone\' for it was not so easily accomplished ; 
there soon, however, arose a source from 
which the settlers of the county derived in- 
finite benefit — that was the numerous ash- 
eries that were put in operation on all sides. 
F"or the product of these — the "black salts," 
or potash — there was always a good mar- 
ket. The land had to be cleared of the 
forest, and the wood could as well be burned 
in the arches of the asheries, except that it 
must be cut and drawn to them, as to burn 
it to waste upon the land ; while the uncon- 
verted ashes, made to quite an extent in 
every household, were in good demand 
everywhere, or they were leached and boiled 
down to the black salts in the asheries, and 
then converted into potash. 

For the marketing of potash, maple su- 
gar, whisky, pottery (which pretty nearl)- 
covered the early productions of the county 
that could be profitabl)^ shipped away), the 
Tioughnioga was the great highway. In 
the spring, fall, and usually in June, when 
there was generally a freshet, the river was 
a rushing, turbid torrent on which scores of 
a species of craft called arks were floated 



66 



History of Ccjrtland County. 



down to the Sus(|tR-haniia, and on that 
stream to 1 larrisburg, Northumbcrlaiul, 
Siinbur)-, aiul points on tlie Chesapeake 
ba)-. These arks were built, in some in- 
stances, ninety feet long, and with a depth 
of six or seven feet, carrying an enormous 
tonnage. After the building of dams was 
commenced in the ri\er, the arks gave way 
to scows or flat boats, which, singly or in 
pairs, lashed together, could pass through 
the sluices, which the laws provided should 
be left in the dams, with a greater degree 
of safety than the ungainly arks. 

Port Watson was the head of navigation,' 
which fact was influential in giving the vil- 
lage that sprang up in that vicinity a pres- 
tige which made it for a number of years a 
powerful rival of Cortland, and even of Ho- 
mer. It had been surveyed and mapped 
in the year 1800, by Harvey I. Stewart, 
laid out into streets and put in the market 
by Elkanah Watson, whose residence is 
given in the records of the county as "late 
of Albany (Pittsfield), Mass. ; " he after- 
wards lived at Port Watson, which received 
his name. Many of the sales of Watson's 
lands were made by attorney, as will ap- 
pear in the town history of Cortlandville, 
and were made to Jonathan Hubbard, Na- 
than Blodget, Moses Hopkins, and later 
well known early settlers. 

In the year 18 10 an event occurred that 
must be looked upon as one of importance 
in any new community ; this was the estab- 
lisliment in Homer village of the first news- 
paper published in the count)-. It was 
called the Cortland Courier, and was pub- 

1 .\ii Act of the Legislature passed .Vpril I5lli, 1814, 
provided that the " Western branch of liie Chenango 
river, commonly called the Onondaga branch, from the 
Forks on lot 66, in the town of limner, in the county of 
Cortland, to the upper bridge, on lot 45, in said town, be 
and the same is hereby declared to be a public highway." 
The same act authorized the Judges of the Supreme 
Court to appoint commissioners to examine dams and 
direct alterations in them whei'e necessary to make them 
conform to the Laws. 



lished by James and Samuel Percival. Our 
utmost efforts have been unavailing to se- 
cure a copy of this paper, before its name 
and proiirietorshij) were changed ; but 
James Percival afterward (in i8i 5) started 
the Cortland Rtptiblicaii, in the village of 
Cortland, aiul, judging by that journal, the 
pioneer newspaper of the county was a 
creditable production. In the year 1S12 it 
seems to ha\'c passed into the hands of H. 
R. Bender and R. Washbtirne, who changed 
its name to The Farmers Jounial. In the 
following year (18 13) Dr. Jesse Searl be- 
came its proprietor, changing its name to 
the Repository, and published it for about 
twelve years. Of this paper we have se- 
cured some stra\' numbers, to which a brief 
reference will be made, leaving the details 
of its experience, with that of other county 
journals, until further on. The Repository 

\ was, like all newspapers of that period, 
printed on )-ellowish-hued paper, coarse and 
rough in te.xture. There were four wide 
columns on each page, the type used being 

! the size known as pica ; there were no rules 
used between the columns. The distin- 
guishing features of all early newspapers 
was the entire absence of all local news in 

I their columns, while page after page was 

I given up to detailing foreign events, which 
would seem to have possessed but little in- 

I terest to the pioneers of a new countr\-. If 

! we look in their columns for local informa- 
tion, it must all be gleaned from the adver- 
tisements. From this source, in a number 

I of the Repository of J tine, 1 8 14, we learn 
that Robert Lewis had commenced stock- 
ing-weaving in "the town of \'irgil, on lot 
13, about 2 1-2 miles sotith from Mr. Gard- 
ner's tavern in Homer. " 

Thomas L. Bishoji offered for sale "that 
well-known tavern stand at the lower end of 
this village (Homer) near where the East and 
West Turnpike crosses the North and South 
road leading from Onondaga to Owego." 



The Second Decade. 



67 



Jacob Wheeler, of Cortland village, of- 
fered generous wages to a good journeyman 
blacksmith. 

C. Burroughs, of Port Watson, " wishes 
to inform his friends that he has repurchased 
the Carding Machine lately occupied by L. 
B. & A. Rice, which he purposes to keep 
rimning the remainder of the season. He 
has also a new machine for carding Merino 
Wool — has employed E. W. Edgecomb to 
attend to carding, and flatters himself that 
those who favor him with custom will meet 
with entire satisfaction." 

Rice & Jenks gave notice that " they have 
four machines now ready for carding wool 
at the upper and lower ends of this village. 
Terms — Six cents in cash down, or every 
tenth pound of wool ; or ten cents per 
pound paj'able on the first of January next." 

The " Homer W'oUen Manufacturing 
Company" informed the i)ublic that " their 
Factory is now in operation, with a full com- 
plement of hands. They ofier to take good 
clean wool and manufacture it at the halves, 
(that is deliver one-half of the cloth from 
the press in a workmanlike manner.)" This 
advertisement is signed by Jabez N. Cush- 
man, Agent. 

But perhaps the most unique advertise- 
ment in the paper is that of Joseph S. Mer- 
ris, of Homer. It is headed, verbatim, with 
the words, "Blue Dying." There has been 
a vast amount of "blue dying" by distressed 
humanity since this little yellow newspaper 
was printed. 

The list of letters, as printed, remaining 
in the Homer post-office comprises nearlj- 
one hundred names, scattered in all parts of 
the county. President Madison publishes 
his proclamation raising the blockade of 
American ports, and the details of the de- 
thronement of Bonaparte are given, with 
other foreign intelligence; but not a line of 
news that might be termed local. During 
the year 1S14 the Repository was published 



by Searl & Osborn. Further details of the 
press of the count)' will be given in a sub- 
sequent chapter. 

An act of the Legislature passed April 
5th, 1810, appointed Joseph L. Richardson, 
of Auburn, Nathan Smith, of Herkimer, and 
Nathaniel Locke, of Chenango, as a Board of 
Commissioners to select a site for a county 
court-house. The courts were then being, 
and had previoush- been, held since the 
county was organized in the school-house 
in Homer. Then began a strife between Ho- 
mer, Cortland and Port Watson, each pre- 
senting, with all possible urgency, its claims 
as the most eligible point for the public 
buildings. The citizens of each village 
seemed to intuitively foresee that the county 
seat would some day become the center for 
a thriving village, and they labored accord- 
ingly. The hamlet at McGrawville also 
ad\-anced its claims as the most eligible site 
for the court-house. 

Jonathan Hubbard, of Cortland, was then 
in the \igor of his years and actixe on all 
occasions for the advancement of the vil- 
lage. In the public building matter he found 
his opportunity ; he quietly visited all of the 
commissioners at their homes and it may be 
assumed that whatever of argument there 
was in favor of locating the buildings in 
Cortland, was energetically advanced. His 
argument embraced an offer of a free con- 
veyance of land on " court-house hill," 
which offer was, undoubtedly, a strong in- 
ducement with the commissioners; for the 
county was poor. Mr. Hubbard had made 
an arrangement with Samuel Ingalls, who 
owned the land, by which it was to be con- 
veyed to the county, Mr. Ingalls probably 
assisting in the matter. Mr. Hubbard also 
paid $1 ,000 out of his private purse towards 
the subsequent building of the court-house. 

After a careful consideration of the dif- 
ferent proposed locations, the commissioners 
finally settled upon the commanding emi- 



68 



History of Cortland County. 



nonce just west of the village of Cortland, 
as it then existed (now known as Monroe 
Heights). As is common in similar cases, 
the decision pro\oked groans and com- 
plaints of dissatisfaction from the disap- 
pointed residents of the other localities men- 
tioned.' But there was no appeal from the 
decision of the commissioners, and the first 
county court-house was erected in 1812— 13 
on what was long known as "Court- House 
Hill." 

The court-house was a wooden structure, 
with a steeple and spire, its front facing the 
village ; standing upon such an eminence, 
it presented a not insignificant appearance ; 
while the view from its windows was a masf- 
nificent one. After the frame of the build- 
ing was erected, it was finished by Josiah 
Cushman, who entered into contract with 
John Keep, Jonathan Hubbard and Mead 

'A ludicrous representation of the commanding struct- 
ure, and of some of the op]josing interests, was ])repared 
by a wag, which was rendered from existing circumstances, 
somcwliat amusing. The "was-to-lie" elegant and 
dignified edifice appeared quite accurately drawn on old- 
fashioned foolscap, rearing aloft its hold outlines of pine 
and liemlock, and looking down with defiant scorn on 
the outraged citizens of Homer and Port Watson. Two 
lines of lieavy cordage were attached to it ; one leading 
to Homer, the other to Port Watson, and t<) each of these 
were clinched the firm hands, as with a tiger's grasp, of 
several of the prominent and most influential leaders 
of the aggrieved ])arties. There they stood, pulling as 
if for life, resolved upon at least bringing the stupend- 
ous fabric to their notions of right, inasnmch as they had 
failed in securing the good will and approbating judg- 
ment of the self-willed commissioners. If thev could 
not bring them to a correct judgment they could at least 
pull the magnificent structure down. Hut look again. 
On the other side of the "legal pile" stands William 
Mallory, grasping a still heavier piece of cordage, deter- 
mined on contesting the skill and strength of the oppos- 
ing forces. His heels are imbedded in the earth as he 
braces himself to the work of j>reservation. But the scene 
was suddenly changed on turning the paper over, though 
the ludicrous picture was measurably the same. There 
it stood an unyielding mass of timber. There stood the 
venerable Mallory holding on to his rope, while a smile, 
peculiar to him alone, played over his flushed counte- 
nance. But where were his hitherto unyielding oppo- 
nents ? Their cords had parted and forced them into the 
unpleasant attitude of turning double semi-circles down 
the steep pathway. — GooiiwiN. 



Merrill, tlie regularh- appointed Building 
Commissioners, on the 4th day of March, 
181 2. The original contract is now in pos- 
session of Mrs. Jonathan Hubbard, of Cort- 
land, and has been kindly loaned us for in- 
sertion in this work. It will be read with 
interest, and contains, perhaps, the only at- 
tempt at a desciiption of the building now 
extant : — 

" Menioranduni of an agreement made this 4th 
(lay of March, in the year one thousand eight 
hundred and twelve between Josiah Cushman, 
of the town of Homer, in the county of Cortland, 
and State ol New York, of the first part, and 
John Keep, Jonathan Hubbard ami Mead Mer- 
rill, of town, county and Stale aforesaid, of the 
second ])an. as Commissioners for building the 
court house in said county. a[)pointed in con- 
formity to an Act entitled, 'An .\ct to fix the 
site of a court house and gaol in the county of 
Cortland,' dated April 5, iSio. 

"Witnesseth — That the party of the first part 
has contracted and agreetl with the parties of the 
second part to complete the house now erected 
for the court house in said county all above the 
underpining, except the two lower rooms in the 
south end, and the painting of the house; said 
house is to be finished as to the view of the out- 
side, doors and windows, and the division of the 
house into rooms, above and below, as near as 
may be agreeable to the plan hereunto attached 

! and signed by the |)arties ; the outside to be cov- 

i ered with 1st rate [line stuff clapboards suitable 
thickness, from six to eight inches wide ; fals sills 
to be cased ; water-tables, corner boards, cor- 
nices, front door ami side-lights similar to Mead 
Merrill's new dwelling house; windows to con- 

' tain twenty-four lights of glass, eight by ten 
inches, and cased with single archatri\es — the 
first deck of the step is to be made with two 

■' thicknesses of inch pine boards jointed, corked, 
pitched and well nailed ; ballistrades with ])osts 
and urns, plain, souare banisters on said deck . 

I the second story to be finished with selling, ])ilas- 
ters and doric capitals, witli cornices to both 
stories, similar to the other part of the house; 
with a decent t'ircular roof coveted with tin, ami 
a suitable iron s[)ire, schrolls and vane. .All below 
the first deck of the stept to be comenced by the 



The Second Decade. 



69 



first day of July next, except the outside doors, 
which, together with the uper part of the stejU 
are to be compleated by the first day of Septem- 
ber next. The lower floors to be laid with white 
ash stuff 1 and i-4th inches thick, ]jlaincd, jointed 
and matched, and well nailed. The floors in the 
rooms above to be laid with pine stuff i and 
I -4th inches thick, plained, matched and well 
nailed. The floors in the court room to be laid 
with second rate pine board, inch thick, plained, 
jointed, lined with 1-2 incii boards and well 
nailed. The court room to be finished in the 
form of Seneca court room ; all the rooms and 
hall are to be seiled up to the bottoms of the 
windows with second-rate pine stuff suitable for 
the purpose, anrl the sides of the room and over- 
head are to be lathed, plastered and white- 
washed. A Barr in sriuare form and suitable size 
to be in the northeast room below, and a butery 
in the northwest room of suitable size and con- 
venient shelves. A circular staircase in the porch, 
twist rail; said rail and banisters to be made of 
cherry timber. Outside doors to be made of 
two- inch stuff"; two hall doors to be six-panel, 
and one of four panel ; ten inside doors five of 
them to be made of i and :-2 inch plank, and 
five doors made of 2 and i-4th inch plank ; the 
side door to be cased with single architrave ; is 
to be five chimney pieces, one to be worth four 
dollars in court room ; tw^o in the jury rooms 
worth three dollars ; two in kitchen and ban- 
room worth two dollars and fifty cents; is to 
l)uild a good and sufficient chimney with two 
fire places below and ditto above in the court 
room ; and the other chimney to be finished, 
together with hearths, etc. ; and to find all the 
materials for said house, and the labour, board- 
ing the hands, etc., are to be provided at the 
expence of the said Cushman ; all the materials 
are to be of suitable quality, well seasoned and 
proportionable to the ])urposes for which they are 
designed, as herein mentioned. The whole work 
is to be done in a neat, plain, substantial, work- 
manlike manner, and to be completed -by the 
15th day of April, in the year one thousand eight 
hundred and thirteen. In consideration of the 
same being done agreeable to the true intent and 
meaning of this article, the parties of the second 
part agree and bind themselves to pay the party 
of the first part, his heirs or assigns, the sum of 



sixteen hundred dollars, payable as follows : 
Two hundred dollars within two days from the 
date hereof; one hundred dollars by the first day 
of May next ; one hundred dollars by the first 
day of July next ; seven hundred dollars in ma- 
terials for building when called for by the party 
of the first part, or in good merchantable neat 
stock by the first day of October next ; one hun- 
dred dollars by the first day of March, 1814, and 
two hundred dollars by the first day of March, 
181 5; the two last payments to bear interest 
from the com[)letion of the said house. 

" In witness whereof, the parties to these pres- 
ents have hereunto set their hands and aflixed 
their seals, the day and year first above written." 
This old document is signed by the par- 
ties and witnessed by John Morse and Ira 
Brown. 

The Board of Supervisors for the year 
1 8 14 directed by resolution that the court- 
house be " painted a spruce yellow, trimmed 
with white, or the whole white, as the com- 
missioners for building the court-house shall 
direct." Also, " that the commissioners be 
requested to undcrijin the same with stone;" 
and " that the public ground around the 
court-house may be leased out for the term 
of three years from the first Tuesday of 
October inst., to be well stocked to grass at 
the expiration of the term of time." Another 
1 resolution directed tiiat " the court-house be 
rented to Stephen B. Loundsbury, for the 
sum of twenty-five dollars for one year from 
the first Tuesday in October inst." 
' The privilege of occupying the court- 
I house at a small rental, the occupant to keep 
the rooms clean, was e.xtended to different 
persons for a number of years, as will be 
seen from the following e.xtract from the 
proceedings of the lioard of Supervisors of 
1819: — 

" It is agreed between the board of supervisors 
of the county of Cortland and Peleg Babcock 
and Moses Hopkins as follows, to wit, : The said 
Hopkins agrees to pay the county eight dollars 
for the use that the said Babcock has made of 
the court-hou.se previous to this date, and the 



70 



History of Cortland County. 



supervisors agree to let the said Babcock have 

the use of said house, except when wanted for 

puhhc business, one year at twenty-five dollars, 

he keeping the same clean. The said Ho])kins 

and Babcock agree to jjay the said sum for the 

use of the same. 

"Oct. 8, 1810. ,, ,, 

' ■• Pei-kc. Babcock. 

" Moses Hopkixs. 
"\\'. Adams." 

Similar leases were made for the grounds 

belonging to the count)-. 

On the 5th of April, 1813, an act was 
passed b\- the State Legislature, directing 
that the courts be held at the court house in 
the village of Cortland on the 2d Tuesday 
in Ma\' and September, and the last Tues- 
da)' in December. But the settlement of 
these questions did not, unfortunately, end 
the rivalry between the villages, which will 
be again referred to a little farther on. 

At this period much of the State legis- 
lation was directed to the opening and im- 
provement of roads, many of which origi- 
nated in, or passed through Cortland coun- 
ty. As railroad companies are organized 
in these latter days, so turnpike road stock 
companies were then organized as specu- 
lati\^e enterprises, the companies building 
and improving the highways, and getting 
their recompense from the collection of 
tolls. On the 25th of March, 18 14, was 
organized and incorporated what was called 
the Fifth Great Western Turnpike Road 
Company. The road was to begin at the 
termination of the Fourth Great Western 
Turnpike Road Company's road, in Homer 
(coming through Truxton from the north- 
west), and continue through Locke into Ca- 
yuga county. There were a thousand shares 
of stock provided for, at $20 per share. 
Jabez Bradley, David Ogden, John Tillot- 
son, Elbert Palmer, Amos Todd, Enos 
Stimpson and Hezekiah Roberts were the 
incorporators. 

On the 15th of April, of the same year, 
the Homer and Cayuga Turnpike Road 



Company was incorporated. Its road was 
to begin at Daniel Miller's house, in Homer 
(probably on lot 56, now adjoining the 
northeastern corner of the corporation of 
Cditland \illage), running thence to Cort- 
land village near the court-house; thence 
to intersect the Fifth Great Western Turn- 
pike Compan\-'s road, and so on westward. 
In this company there were 1,000 shares 
of stock at $20 per share. Henry Bloom, 
Wait Ball and John Kingman were desig- 
nated as the persons who were to lav out 
this road. 

On the 12th of April, 18 16, the Homer 
and Geneva Turnpike Road Company was 
incorporated, whose road was to run from 
ftear the house of Daniel Miller, Homer, 
by the most eligible route to the house of 
John I'^Ilis, in Dr_\-den; thence along the 
State road to Cayuga lake in the town of 
Genoa; 1,500 shares of stock were in mar- 
ket at $20. 

On the 28th of March, 1817, the Homer 
and Elbridge Turnpike Road Company was 
incorporated. The road was to begin on 
lot 45, in Homer, and run through the 
towns of Scott, Spafiford, and the village of 
Skaneateles to Elbridge. The shares in this 
company were placed at $25, and 1,500 
were in market. Other similar companies 
were organized and incorporated, some of 
which, undoubtedly, did not accomplish the 
object for which they were started; but 
man}- of them did, thus opening up better 
communication between this inland section 
and the settlements of more thickly popu- 
lated regions, attracting more rapid settle- 
ment and generally benefitting the county. 

On the 14th of April, 181 5, the State 
Legislature passed an act which slightly 
changed the southern boundary of the coun- 
ty. One of its sections provided that "all 
that part of the line between the counties 
of Broome and Cortland, l,\-ing west of the 
Onondaga branch of the Chenango river, 



The Second Decade. 



;i 



shall be as follows: Beginning at the south- 
east corner of lot 600 (one of the lots of 
the Boston Ten Townships, so called), thence 
westerly on the south line of the north tier 
of the short or square lots, so called, to the 
west line of the count)' of Cortland; and 
the tier of lots called the long lots and the 
north tier of the short or square lots, so 
called, shall hereafter belong to the count)' 
of Cortland, and hereafter be the boundary 
line." Another provision of the same act 
related to the equalization of the taxes and 
the establishment of title on the lands affect- 
ed by the change. 

On the 30th day of June, 181 5, an event 
of great importance to Cortland village, 
and, indeed, to the whole count)', occurred 
in the establishment of a newspaper in Cort- 
land village, b)' James Percival. This jour- 
nal contained four wide columns on each 
page, was strongly Republican in politics, 
and appears to have been ably conducted, 
as compared with other papers of that 
period. But what was of still greater im- 
portance, probably, it gave the residents of 
this town and village a weapon with which 
to fight its bloodless battles with the rival 
villages. For a short time its utterances 
were of a peaceful nature, its very first 
number containing the following extended 
notice of the approaching celebration of 
the Fourth of July at Homer : — 

" At a meeting of the young gentlemen of 
this village, held for the purpose of making ar- 
rangements relative to carrying this important 
resolution into effect, it was thought to be ex- 
pedient and proper that a suitable respect be 
paid to an event so great, so noble and so joy- 
ous as that period of time when our national in- 
pependence was declared and our rights secured. 
In a Republic which yet enjoys the fruits of our 
hard-earned liberty, who can forbear to honor 
this day and render a proper tribute to the 
memory of the patriot band who left us the long 
to be remembered inheritance at the e.xpense of 
their blood I 



" Under these impressions the Committee of 
Arrangements respectfully request the citizens of 
Cortland county, independent of political dis- 
tinctions, to attend. 

" Order. 

" The day will commence with the discharge 
of cannon. The procession will form at the 
house of Major Enos Stimpson at 10 o'clock 
a. m., and will march from there to tlie meeting 
house in the following order : — 

" The guard in front with martial music. 

" Spectators from different parts. 

" Elder citizens of the town and vicinity. 

" Young gentlemen in general. 

" Band of music. 

"" National flag borne by the son of a Revo- 
lutionary patriot. 

" Singers. 

" Ladies. 

" Committee of arrangements. 

" Marshals, mounted. 

" Reverend clergy. 

" Vice-president and orator. 

" President and chaplain." 

The exercises at the "meeting-house" 
consisted of pra)'er, vocal music, reading of 
the declaration of independence, instru- 
mental music, oration, etc. The assemblage 
was entertained, after tiie public proceed- 
ings, at the house of Enos Stimpson, where 
" toasts were drank under the discharge of 
cannon." 

While all this seems to the rising genera- 
tion of to-da)', accustomed as they are to 
displays of magnificence and grandeur on 
such occasions, like the puny eflbrts of chil- 
dren, it was in those days an event of great 
importance and was carried out with the 
greatest satisfaction to all the participants. 

We have already referred to the acti\'e 
rivalry between the villages of Cortland, 
Homer and Port Watson. At this period, 
say from 18 15 to 1820, their relatixe im- 
portance and prospects may be stated thus : 
Homer was the largest of the three places, 
and was growing faster than the others ; its 
business was larger, at least at the begin- 



72 



History of Cortland County. 



nin<;j of the period mentioned. Port Wat- 
son was the liead of navigation on the river 
— a matter of no small importance at that 
time; what little manufactiu"ini,' and milling 
had developed was principall}' in that direc- 
tion, and the sales of lots into which the 
land had been divided, on both sides of the 
stream and its branches, was pushed with 
vigor; it will be acknowledged, even at 
this late day, that, as a site for a village, 
Port Watson was admirably chosen. But 
Cortland had the court-house ; it was irre- 
vocably settled that this village would be the 
county seat, the importance of which fact 
was not underestimated by settlers. More- 
over, among its business men were some of 
bold enterprise and indomitable energy. 
Asahel Lyman had established a store, and 
had come to stay. William and Roswell 
Randall, two men who were to exercise a 
powerful influence upon the growth of the 
village, had decided in its favor, as against 
Port Watson, and were well established in 
mercantile business, in distilling and the 
manufacture of potash. This situation of 
affairs in the ri\'al \'illages, coupled with the 
establishment of a newspaper in 1815, as 
alluded to above, were sufficient to indicate 
to the sagacious observer, that sooner or 
later Cortland village would take the lead ; 
but the others were not disposed to ac- 
knowledge that fact, nor to permit its con- 
summation without a struggle. Hence the 
bitter rivalry, the recrimination by the ed- 
itors of the opposing newspapers, and the 
efforts on the part of communities and in- 
dividuals to promote the growth and ad- 
vancement of their own localities at the ex- 
pense of the others. Out of this feeling 
grew the struggle over the location of the 
county gaol and the attempt to secure the 
removal of the court-house to Homer vil- 
lage. 

On the 15 th of April, 18 17, the Super- 
visors were authorized to raise a sum not 



exceeding $5,000, by tax, for tlic purchase 
of a site and the erection of the jail build- 
ing. Moses Hopkins, the enterprising pio- 
neer, J^illy Trowbridge and George Rice 
were made commissioners to superintend 
the building of the structure. A meeting 
of the Board of Supervisors was ordered 
for the second Tuesday of May, succeeding, 
" and if in their opinion the gaol should be 
located on the flat in Cortland village, they 
are empowered to purchase a lot and erect 
the building thereon ; " otherwise they were 
to occupy the lot now owned by the county 
(on the hill). The latter site was decided 
upon ; but it appears, naturally enough, 
that there were men in the Board of Super- 
visors, as well as out of it, who would let 
no opportunity slip b}- which they might 
benefit Homer village as against Cortland, 
and a bold attempt was made to secure the 
location of even this unimportant county 
building at that point. The development 
of the scheme may undoubtedly be traced 
in the following action of the Board of 
Supervisors, in October, 18 16: — 

" Resolved, That the minds of the board be 
known whether it be lawful to build the gaol on 
the public grounds separate from the court house. 

"Ayes — Messrs. Holland, Sherwood, Hedges, 
Rice, Lucas and Babcock. 

" Nays — Phelps. 

•'■Resolved, That there be three commissioners 
appointed to superintend the building of a gaol. 

''Resolved, That Obadiah Boies, Wm. Lucas 
and George Rice be commissioners to superin- 
tend the building of said gaol.' 

''Resolved, That the site of gaol be altered 
from where it now stands. 

" Ayes — Phelps, Lucas, Babcock and Hedges. 

" Nays — Holland, Sherwood and Rice. 

"Resolved, That there be a petition presented 
to the honorable the Legislature of this State 
])raying the appointment of three disinterested 
men to alter the site of the gaol. 

"Ayes — Phelps, Lucas, Babcock and Hedges. 

1 These names would indicate a change in the Building 

Cummibsion since first appointed. 



The Second Decade. 



73 



" Nays — Holland, Sherwood and Rice. 

" Motion made to reconsider the vote taken 
to petition the Legislature to ap|)oint three com- 
missioners to alter the site of the gaol. 

" Motion lost. 

" Resolved, That the vote taken to enter the 
protest of Messrs. Rice, Sherwood and Holland 
be reconsidered. 

'• Unanimous. 

''■Resolved, That instead of entering said pro- 
test on the clerk's book it be kept on file in his 
office. 

''Resolved, That the clerk shall, at the rec|uest 
of any individual, give a certified copy to any 
individual of any proceedings or writings of the 
Board of Supervisors, then in his hands, at the 
expense of said individual 

^'■Resolved, That the treasurer redeem all 
county orders presented to him with the first 
money that comes into his hands. 

^^ Resolved, That the treasurer ])ay five hun- 
dred dollars to Obediah Boies. William Lucas 
and George Rice, the Commissioners appointed 
to superintend in building a gaol in the countv 
of Cortland, of the first money that comes in his 
hands not otherwise appro])riated. 

"■^ Resolved, That there be a committee of five 
chosen to form or procure a draft of a gaol for 
this county by December term. 

"Resolved, That John Keep, John Miller, John 
Ballard, William Mallory and .Samuel G. Hatha- 
way be the above committee." 

The Republican newspaper, to which ref- 
erence has already been made, passed out 
of the control of Mr. Percival at the end of 
September, 1815, with the following an- 
nouncement : " The public are informed 
that from this day I shall relinquish my 
concern in the office of the Cortland Repub- 
lican, published by Osborn & Campbell, 
whose talents are ample and whose political 
tenets are orthodox." 

In the issue of this paper of November 
1st, 1 8 16, a long letter appeared signed "C. 
v.," in which the correspondent speaks of 
the unscrupulous eflbrt of the Supervisors 
to fi.K the site for the gaol in Homer, when 
the court-house was in Cortland ; the writer 



then proceeds to show how entirely out of 
place the jail would be in Homer, although 
that village would pay the most money to 
have it in their midst. It appears that a 
meeting had been held two evenings pre- 
vious to the issue of the paper containing 
this letter, at the house of Moses Hopkins, 
of which Colonel Obadiah Boies was chair- 
man and Roswell Randall secretary. The 
following resolutions were passed ; — 

"Resolved, That we view with deep detestation 
and abhorrence the late conduct of a majority of 
the Board of Supervisors, in surreptitiously and 
under false and deceitful pretenses, endeavoring 
to remove the site of the public buildings, estab- 
lished by Legislature. 

" Resolved, That we regard with equal abhor- 
rence tine conduct of a junto of ambitious and cor- 
rupt demagogues, aided by an upstart and hol- 
low-hearted office-seeker, whose tergiversations 
are as notorious as his apostasy, in endeavoring 
to change the site aforesaid, heedless of the con- 
tentions and bitter animosities which will rankle 
in the bosoms of the two contending interests in 
the county." 

Other newspaper letters of a ver)- bitter 
character followed, but ne\'er a word of edi- 
torial on the subject. It was charged that 
a committee traveled over the county ob- 
taining signatures to a petition for the re- 
moval of the site to Homer, at the same time 
representing that their efforts were directed 
towards fi.xing it "on the flat" in Cortland ; 
and that signatures were obtainedof men who 
were not present, etc. Meetings were held at 
James Chatterton's house in Virgil, in Solon, 
in Cincinnatus, and perhaps other southern 
towns, to protest vehementh' against locat 
ing the site in Homer. 

The result of the matter appears in an 
editorial in the Republican of March 7th, 
1 8 17, as follows : — 

" We have the pleasure of informing the friends 
of justice, that the attempt of a few designing 
men to rob the citizens of the county of their 
rights, has completely failed — that the intrigue 
and deception has been exposed and that they 



74 



History of Cortland County. 



have been defeated ; not because they have not 
made every exertion which could be resorted to 
in a desperate cause; but justice was not on 
their side. The liill was lost in the .\ssembly." 

The editor closes his remarks with a brief 
reference to the "deep-rooted and deadly 
hostilit}' of the Homer \illage people to the 
(growing prosperity and respectability of our 
village ; " which was certainly strong enough 
language for the most ardent Cortland ad- 
vocates. 

The first jail was accordingly erected in 
1 817-18 on "Court-House Hill," a little 
north of the court-house ; it was a square 
brick structure, two stories in height; the 
cells being made of heavy maple planking. 
It appears to have occupied several years in 
building, as the Board of Supervisors in the 
)'ear 1825 resolved to " receive the jail as it 
now is and discharge the commissioners 
from any further service respecting said 
jail." The commissioners were Obadiah 
Boies, Wm. Lucas, Geo. Rice. 

This controversy was only one feature of 
the strong feeling that lasted for years be- 
tween the ri\-al villages, and served as an 
unfailing text for scathing editorials in the 
newspapers of the different localities for 
years. 

On the 4th of November, 181 5, Elnathan 
Andrews, Luther Geere, David Woodcock, 
Parley Whitmore, Wm. Mallorj' and Oliver 
Wiswell gave notice in the newspaper that 
they would appl)- to the next Legislature for 
a grant to establish a road from Daniel Mil- 
ler's house in Homer, to Cortland ; thence 
to Dryden and thence to Ithaca. Previous 
to this date there was no road running from 
Cortland toward East river, except as trav- 
elers went by Homer village and then over 
the hills. 

A similar publication was made in the 
following year (18 16) that the Legislature 
would be petitioned for authority to open a 
road through Cincinnatus, Solon, Truxton, 



Fabius and Pompey to the Salt Springs. 
This highway became known as the "Salt 
Road ; " it was probably constructed in 1819 
or 1820, as we find notice of a meeting to 
be held in Tru.xton on the i 2th of March, 
1 8 19, to organize the Onondaga and Che- 
nango Turnpike Company. In this latter 
year the Legislature was also petitioned for 
a turnpike road from Cortland to Virgil Four 
Corners ; thence to the Susquehanna and 
Bath Turnpike and on to Owego. 

On the 30th day of March, 1818, a meet- 
ing was held at Hopkins's Hotel, in Cortland, 
for the purpose of organizing an agricultu- 
ral society. After discussing the subject, the 
following resolution was adopted: "AV- 
solvcd. That if our neighbors and the sur- 
rounding towns will concur therein, we will 
form ourselves into an association to be 
known by the name and style of 'The Agri- 
cultural Society of the County of Cortland.' " 
This meeting resulted in the organization of 
the first society of the kind in the county, 
which will be further described in its proper 
place. 

Previous to the year 18 19 the county 
records had been kept in different places in 
the care of the clerks, or in the court-house 
after 1813, and, of course, exposed to dan- 
ger from fire and loss. On the 12th of 
March an act was passed by the Legislature 
authorizing the Board of Supervisors to 
raise the sum of $1,200 by general tax, with 
which to purchase a site and build a fire- 
proof building for the safe deposit of all 
public records. The second section of the 
act reads as follows : — 

" James Chatterton, Samuel G. Hathaway and 
Grove Gillett shall be a Board of Commissioners 
to purchase a suitable lot to erect said building 
on, which lot shall front the main street in Cort- 
land \illai,'e, and also to superintend the erection 
of said building; and the said Commissioners, 
or a majority of them, may draw their order on 
the treasurer of said county for the said sum of 
.$1,200 whenever it may come into his hands." 



The Third Decade. 



75 



This action resulted in the well known 
building which sufficed as a County Clerk's 
office for nearly sixty years (until 1876), 
occupying the site of the present handsome 
and substantial structure. It became a well 
known landmark to every resident of the 
county ; and although it was often, in late 
years, the subject of ridicule, and constantly 
menaced with danger the \aluable records 
kept in it, it withstood both for the long 
period mentioned. 

The equalized valuation for the different 
towns of the county, as fixed b)- the Board 
of Supervisors, for the }-ear 1820, was as 
follows : — 





Re.\i.. 


I'K.KSllNAI.. 


TnlAI,. 


Preble, 


$109,322 


$ 3.2SO 


$II2,6oS 


Homer, 


578.236 


27,606 


605,842 


Virgil. 


180,519 


7.381 


187.900 


.Solon, 


158.924 


1.434 


160,358 


Truxton, 


322.213 


8,662 


330.875 


Scott, 


84.579 


844 


85.423 


Cincinnatus, 


92,280 


9,287 


101,567 


Freetown, 


64.339 


6.309 


70.648 


Harrison, 


75.552 


4,064 


79.616 


Willet, 


62,236 


2,057 
$70,930 


04.293 




$1,728,200 


$1,799,130 



The same Board of Supervisors resolved 
that the bounty for killing wolves in the 



county should be twenty dollars, and seven 
dollars and fifty cents on whelps. And 
that was only sixty- four years ago. They 
also resolved that the count)' should pay to 
William Lucas forty-five dollars for the use 
of a certain house near Homer village for 
the term of two years, for the purpose of 
keeping paupers. Peleg Babcock was at 
that time occupying the court-house, and 
caring for it at a certain rental, and the Su- 
pervisors resolved to retain him in the posi- 
tion for another year, for twenty-five dol- 
lars, "by his giving suret)\" He was also 
authorized to "make a good picket fence 
from the northeast corner of the court-house 
to the southeast corner of the gaol, with a 
gate through the same," and present his bill 
for the same. 

During this decade (from 18 10 to 1820) 
changes were made in the towns of the 
county b}' the formation of Scott from 
Preble, April 14th, 1815; of Freetown from 
Cincinnatus, April 21st, 1818; of Marathon 
from Cincinnatus (as "Harrison") on the 
same date, and of Willet from the same 
town on the same date. 



CHAPTER Vni. 



TIIK THIRn DECAHK. 

Condition of the Community — Abandonment of the 'rioughnioga as a P'reight Highway — The Erie Canal 
Project and its Influence on the County — The Constitutional Convention of 1S21 and the Changes Wrought thereby 
in the County — The First Railroad Charter — .S.alina and Port Watson the Terminal Points — More Turnpike 
Companies Incorporated — The Canal Mania — The Syracuse and Port Watson Canal Project — Other Internal 
Improvements — Statistics. 



THE opening of the third decade of the 
century found the inhabitants of the 
several small villages in Cortland county 
still striving under somewhat adverse cir- 
cumstances and surroundings to supply the 
community at large with their household 
necessities and the few luxuries then in de- 
mand, at the same time gradually building up 



for themselves mercantile and manufactur- 
ing interests which they hoped would in 
future years remunerate them for their early 
labors. The farming communities were 
still engaged during liberal portions of each 
year in divesting their lands of the original 
forest and putting them under culti\ation ; 
for them it was still a period of severe toil 



76 



History of Cortland County. 



and privation, witli the satisfaction at the 
close of each year, if no ill fortune had 
overtaken them, that they were in no worse 
circumstances than they were at the begin- 
ning, while their farms were slowly but 
surely appreciating in value, productive- 
ness and consequent revenue. Much of the 
land in the countw particularly in the out- 
l)-ing districts, was still either forest- covered 
or thickly studded with stumps of all sizes,' 
while the inhabitants were yet, to a large 
extent, dwelling in log houses. Markets 
for the limited surplus produce were distant 
and not easih- accessible;' the eight to ten 
days' journey to Chenango Forks; six to 
eight to Ludlowville or Manlius Square, of 
the earlier days, were things of the past, to 
be sure; but Homer and Cortland were 
still a long distance from some portions of 
the county, when the character of the roads 
was considered, and their markets were not 
very favorable to producers, chiefly on ac- 
count of the long distances all household 
goods had to be hauled by team; and 
money, as used for a medium of exchange 
with the farmingpopulation, was very scarce. 
While the roads had been opened with 
distant and populous places, most of them 
were still anything but well kept highways. 
Goods and farming implements came into 
the county chiefly from Albany, by way of 
Schenectady, thence through the canal to 
Little Falls, then through W'ood's Creek, 
Oneida lake, the Onondaga river (as it was 
called) and the Tioughnioga; or, by land 
from Albany and Utica direct; these were 
long and expensive routes, and necessarily- 
caused high prices, which were onerous to 
the farmers and mechanics. The surplus 
produce, and the whisky, potash, pottery 
ware, maple sugar, etc., which were ex- 
ported from the county, still found their 
way largely down the Tioughnioga and 
Susquehanna rivers in arks and scows, or 
\\'ere transported to distant markets with 



teams; but within a few years after the be- 
ginning of the decade, the waterways, as 
routes for the transportation of freight were 
abandoned, and the intermittent occupation 
of the old pilots and captains in the county, 
who plumed themselves considerably upon 
their reputations as successful navigators of 
the freshet tides of these capricious streams, 
was gone forever. 

It will be understood, therefore, that the 
inhabitants of Cortland count)', from the 
highest to the lowest and from the remotest 
boundaries to the busiest centers, felt the 
deepest interest in the great project of a 
canal from Lake Erie to the Hudson river, 
which promised to bring ample and eco- 
nomical transportation facilities even so near 
as thirty-three miles from their doors. 

This was a period, also, of great political 
activity; the great struggle of i8i6,i which 
which had placed DeWitt Clinton in the 
Governor's chair was still fresh in the pub- 
lic mind, and that statesman was preparing 

l"Here (in this county) the parties were arrayed un- 
der the respective banners of Republican and Federal. 
John Miller, of Truxton, was the Republican candidate 
for Member of Assembly. In the bitterness of the cam- 
paign Mead Merrill accused him of stealint; meal from a 
building occupied by one Scott, a tenant of Miller's. 
Miller sued Merrill for slander and the defense inter- 
posed was a justification of the charge. The action was 
brought on for trial at the Cortland circuit. The public 
mind of the county was deeply agitated. Counsel of the 
highest standing in the State were retained. The cele- 
brated and peerless Elisha Williams, of Hudson, and 
Thomas J. Oakley, of Poughkeepsie, conducted the case 
for the plaintiff; and John W. Hulbert, of Auburn, then 
the most eloc|uent advocate of Central New York, was 
the leading counsel for the defense. The court-room 
was filled to its utmost capacity during the several days 
of the trial. The severe and exciting cross-examination 
of John Scott by Williams is still remembered by those 
who heard it. The witness suffered himself to be over- 
whelmed in contradictions, became hopelessly confused 
and lost his balance of mind. Notwithstanding, at the 
the close of the evidence the defense claimed that the 
circumstances proved had established a justification of 
the charge, while the plaintiff claimed that the defense 
had failed. And then ensued a forensic disjjlay before 
the jury, not since surpassed, or perhaps etjualed, in the 
courts of this county. The jury rendered a verdict for 
the plaintiff." — Hon. Horatio Ilallard's Kcminisccnccs. 



The Third Decahe. 



71 



for his work in the interest of the canal 
enterprise. The period of poHtical activity 
continued until 1820, which campaign was, 
perhaps, the most exciting since that of 
18 16. In those days the house of Moses 
Hopkins, in Cortland village, appears to 
have been a sort of political headquarters, 
where the prospects of prominent can- 
didates were discussed, "slates" made (if 
such political accessories were then known), 
and the omnipresent cheap whisk}' of that 
period absorbed in unknown quantities. 

The Erie canal was completed and opened 
in 1825, which auspicious event was hailed 
with the utmost satisfaction in this county, 
as well as in all other parts of the State.' 
The farmers realized that now they could 
find shipment, either by their own efforts 
or through the leading merchants of Cort- 
land and Homer villages, for all of their sur- 
plus produce, as near as Syracuse or Man- 
lius, while merchants and manufacturers 
accepted with pleasure the fact that trans- 
porting their wares into the count)- would 
be both greatly facilitated and reduced in 
cost. 

In the spring of 1817 Samuel Nelson be- 
came a resident of Cortland — a man'who 
subsequently attained to the highest judicial 
honors in the gift of his country. He was 
a delegate from this county to the Consti- 
tutional Convention of 182 1, and the young- 

1 The enthusiastic editor of the Cortland Republican in 
commenting upon a report of the Canal Commissioners 
in 1818 (De Witt Clinton, S. Van Rensselaer and Myron 
HoUey), said: " Remote as we are (it was thirty-three 
long miles from the canal) it is not probable we shall ex- 
perience any immediate l)enefit from it." But along the 
line of the canal the editor foresaw great possibilities. 
*'The yelling of savages and the howling of woh'es," he 
predicted, " will be succeeded by the sounds of the axe- 
man's blows and the bleating of the flocks ; " and 

"' Where the hooting owl doth to the moon complain,' 
anthems will be chanted to the IJod of Nations in those 
churches which a pious and thankful people will con- 
secrate to his service. Schools and academies will rise 
where now the savage huts, scattered promiscuously 
through the dreary wilderness, are the only human habi- 
tations." 



est member of that body. Under the con- 
stitution passed by that convention, the 
judiciary of the State was reorganized. In 
the legislative session of 1823 the State 
was divided into eight circuits, correspond- 
ing with the eight Senatorial Districts, for 
which eight circuit judges were to be ap- 
pointed by the governor and the Senate. 
Cortland county became part of the Sixth 
Circuit. James Clapp, of Oxford, Da\id 
Woodcock, of Ithaca, and Samuel Nelson 
were candidates for the appointment of 
judge in the Sixth Circuit. All of them 
were strongly supported, but Nelson won 
the prize. 

Previous to the Constitutional con\-ention 
alluded to, sheriffs and county clerks were 
appointed by a tribunal located in Albany, 
known as the "Council of Appointment." 
This tribunal was abolished b\' the conven- 
tion, and those offices made elective by the 
people. In 1823 Samuel Hotchkiss, who 
had been deputy county clerk in this coun- 
t}' since 181 5, was elected clerk, and held 
the office for twelve successive j'ears, be- 
ing an efficient and popular officer. In the 
same year Moses Hopkins was elected 
sheriff. 

In the year 1 829 the Salina and Port Wat- 
son Railroad Company was incorporated. 
Jedediah Barber and Andrew Dickson, of 
this county, were members of the original 
company. The road was to start at Salina, 
run through Syracuse and Onondaga Hol- 
low to the "headwaters of the Tioughnioga ; 
through Hotner to Cortland, and thence to 
Port Watson." Cars on this road could be 
run, under the law, by either steam or an- 
imal power. The capital stock was fi.xed at 
$350,000, and seven years were allowed for 
the completion of the road ; if not finished 
in that time the law became inoperative. 
This road never went any farther, that we 
can learn, than the application to the Leg- 
islature. 



78 



History of Coktlaxu Countv. 



This mo\'cnicnt indicates tliat tlierc were 
prominent men in the county who still be- 
lieved in the future importance of Tort 
Watson ; it was acceding considerable to 
project a railroad through the v^illages of 
Homer and Cortland, and make its proposed 
terminus at that point; and that was but 
fifty-five years ago. 

Up to this period of the county's history 
there had been three terms of court held ; 
but the Board of Supervisors of 1824, with 
an eye to econoni)', passed the following 
resolution : — 

"Resolved, That we petition to the next Leg- 
islature to abolish the September term and alter 
the May term from the second Tuesday to the 
last Tuesday." 

It ma\- not, moreover, be uninteresting to 
know that the same Board passed the fol- 
lowing prudential and humane measure: — 

"■Resolved, That Jabe/ B. Phelps and Martin 
Keep be a committee to see to the prisoners' 
fare, and procure a lightning rod and one stove 
for the court-house." 

We find no record of any such change as 
that contemplated by the first of these two 
resolutions. Three years later, however, (in 
1827) the time of holding the terms of courts 
of Common Pleas and General Sessions of 
the Peace was changed to the third Tuesday 
in April, the second Tuesda\' in September, 
and the second Tuesday in December. 

The opening of roads, the improvement 
of those already open, and the organization 
uf turnpike companies, continued to occupy 
the attention of the people during this dec- 
ade. In 1824 the Onondaga and Cortland 
Turnpike Company was incorpgrated, with 
Barak Niles, John Miller, Elijah Miles and 
Joshua Forman as corporators. The act of 
incorporation provided that the company 
should make a good ami sufficient turnpike 
road, to begin at Sjracuse and running 
thence "until it intersects the Onondaga 
river, in the town of Truxton," and thence by 
the mast eligible route to thedwellingof John 



McWhortcr, in Cincinnatus." There were 
1 ,250 shares of stock at $20 per share, with 
the usual provision for toll-gates, tolls, etc. 

In the same year Beach Ufford, Jeremiah 
Whipple and Ichabod S. Spencer were ap- 
pointed by the State as Commissioners to 
lay out a road from Canastota, by the most 
eligible route, to intersect the Geneganselet 
turnpike in the town of Cincinnatus. 

In 1825 Bildad Beach, Samuel Tj'ler and 
Barber Kinion were appointed Commission- 
ers to lay out a road from the canal at Ca- 
millus, Onondaga county, by way of Mar- 
cellus and Otisco to Port Watson. 

By way of further internal impro\-ements 
it was undoubtedly encouraging to the res- 
idents of the county in 1825, as it certainly 
is amusing to the present reader, to learn 
that it was seriously contemplated in that 
year to construct a canal from Syracuse to 
Port Watson, and that the Canal Commis- 
sioners were instructed to make the neces- 
sary examinations as to the feasibility of 
the project. Two years later (in 1827) we 
find the following on a kindred topic in the 
Cortland Journal : — 

"Upon the subject of the canal from Manlius 
to Chenango Point, little has been said. It is 
of so much importance to the commercial and 
agricultural interests of this .section of the State, 
that we hope spirited efforts will be made to have 
an act passed in relation to it. More on this 
subject hereafter." 

But, contrary to the last editorial sen- 
tence, little or nothing was heard on the 
subject thereafter. About that period it 
was looked upon as a remarkably poor 
season for canals when two or three new 
ones were not projected and discussed. 

In April, 1826, an act of Legislature was 
passed making Cortland county a part of the 
Sixth Senatorial District, and giving it two 
Members of Assembly. John Lynde and 
Augustus A. Donnelly were elected to the 
Assembly in that year. 

Down to the year 1829, although the 



P'KOM 1830 TO Till-: PkKSENT TlME. 



79 



village of Cortland had become a thriving 
little place of several huiidrctl inhabitants, 
and settlement in the \icinit\' had progressed 
considerably, these places were still a part 
of the town of Homer; but on the i ith of 
April, 1829, an act was passed b\- the Leg- 
islature dividing Homer in halves, and 
designating the southern half as the town 
of Cortlandvillc. The boundaries of this 
town were changed in 1845 by the addition 
of lot No. 10, and that part of lot 9 of the 



town of Virgil lying east of the Tioughni- 
oga river, and the following year that por- 
tion of lot No. 8 lying east of the ri\er in 
Virgil was also annexed. 

At the close of the third decade the jiop- 
ulation of the towns then in existence was 
as follows: Homer, 3,307; Solon, 2,033; 
Virgil, 3,912 ; Cincinnatus, 1,308; Preble, 
1,435 ; Truxton, 3,885 ; Scott, 1,452 ; Free- 
town, 1,051 ; Marathon, 895 ; Willet, 804; 
Cortlandvillc, 2,fiji. 



CHAPTER IX. 

I'ROM 1S30 TO Till-; PRESENT TIME. 

lieginnini; of tile Third Decade — Condition of the County at Large — New Road Companies Organi/.ed — The 
County Poor-IIouse — liuilding of the New Court-House — Raih-oad Agitation — Incorporation of Two Companies 
for Lines through Cortland — Organization of the Second Agricultural Society — Political Reminiscences — The 
Leaders of Other Days — The Campaign of 1844 — Changes in Congressional and Senatorial Districts — Town 
Boundaries Altered — Town Genealogy — Development of Dairying Interests — Public Education — The Old Stage 
Routes — The Railroad Again — A New Charter Obtained — The Road Finished — Public Demonstrations of Satis- 
faction — Effects on Villages — The First Death Penalty — Political E\ents — Building of a New Jail — New Railroad 
Connections — Statistics. 



BETWEEN the events recorded in the 
last chapter and the middle of the cent- 
ury, the histor\- of Cortland county may 
be briefly summarized ; it was a period of 
slow but sure growth in all directions; the 
establishment of new business enterprises 
to meet the wants of the increasing popula- 
tion ; the multiplication of churches and 
schools; the beginning of manufacturing in 
a small way ; the clearing of lands in the 
country districts, with improvement in the 
methods of farming and the development 
in the later years of the dair\-ing interest. 
All this was interspersed and \-arieci with 
projects and rumors of projects for opening 
railroad communication with the outside 
world. 

There was some legislation during this 
period which had a bearing upon this count}-. 
In June, 1832, Cortland, Tioga and Tomp- 
kins counties were made to constitute tlie 



2 2d Congressional District, by act of Legis- 
lature ; the district was entitled to two mem- 
bers. Samuel G. Hathaway, of Solon, was 
elected in that year. The Oxford and Cort- 
landvillc Turnpike Company was incorpor- 
ated in 1835, for the purpose of building a 
road from Oxford across the " new bridge 
in Cincinnatus," on lot No. 19, running 
through Solon to Cortland village. Austin 
Hyde, Benjamin Butler, Chas. Kingman, 
Roswell Randall, John F. Hill and Harry 
McGraw were made commissioners to re- 
ceiv-e subscriptions to the stock of the com- 
pany. 

It was in this year also that the village 
of Homer was incorporated. Its population 
was then considerably less than a thousand ; 
but it was still the leading business center 
' of the county and continued such for more 
than twenty j'ears, in spite of the feet that 
Cortland was the county seat. 



So 



Hjstorv of Cortland Cointy 



In Mard». 1S36, the poor-house, with 
iS{> acres of land, was purchased by the 
county for $5,000, The house was origi- 
nally enacted by John Keep, near thebegin- 
ninsj of the centxiry. $6,000 were raised. 
$3,000 of which were borrowet.1 of the Srate 
and the remainder raised by tax in the j-ears 
1S37, 1838 and 1^39- The purdiasc was 

made from Mr. Munson. who bought 

of Mathew S. Bennett, the purchaser from 
Mr. Keep. Munson was the fin?t poor-mas- 
ter ; he was foUowe^^l b\- ^[r. Se\nnour, 

Al\-ali Harmon. Sanford Bouton, Morgan 
L. Hopkins, Nathaniel IV^ynton, Al\-ah Ben- 
jamin, Clinton Rindge, Saw\-er, A. W. 

Gates cmd Jerome \\"heeler, the present in- 
cumbent. The brick structure was erected 
under Mr. Gates's administration, and the 
new building for the insane in i SS:;. 

In the \-ear 1S36 the new court-house 
was erected, the act* being passed in April. 
William Bartlit,J Elejtxer \V. Edgcomb and 
Anthony Freer were the commissioners. 
Although the site of the old building was a 
most commanding one, it was found, as the 
business of the courts incie;i5ed, that the 
steep hill which had to be ascended sev~eral 
times each court day by all who w~ere in- 
terested in the proceedingSs was a serious 
incv>n\-enience ; the changing of the site was 
therefore left to the Super\-isors, a majoritj- 
of whom decided in fe\-or of the remo\-al. 
A sum not exceeding $6,000 was to be 
taken from the treasur\\ .wd $1,000 more 
\\-,is authoriied to be niised by lax- tor the 
purpose ; the selection of die new site was 
left to the Supervisors at their next annual 
meeting. After considerable deliberation 
the present location on the comer of Court 
and Church streets was selected and the 
structure V - .ndence 

of the bef ,, 

In I $37 an act Wsts passed authorizing 
the incorponuion of a jail in the new build- 
ing, at a cwst not tv> exceexi $^,000. In pur- 



suance of this provision a jail was constructed 
in the rear basement of the court-house, 
which aftervvard gave place to the present 
substantial stone structure built above the 
ground. Additional sums of $3,000 were 
borrowed in the years 1S3S and 1S39. with 
whicli to complete these public buildings. 

The continued agitation of railroad proj- 
ects resulted, in the spring of i S36. in the 
in the inc\>ryK>nition of the Sjracuse. Cort- 
land and Binghamton railroad company. 

Shut in. as the inhabinmts of this countj' 
had been, from easy and rapid communica- 
tion with the rest of the State, which was 
more fortunate in this respect, the exultant 
anticipations of the farmers along the rich 
\-alleys of the Tioughnioga and the trades- 
men of the prominent villages in the countj- 
o\-er this prospect of a railroad, may be left 
K» the imagination of the reader. But rail- 
road building was not then so well under- 
stood as it became within the succeeding 
few years, and this project was doomed to 
aband- -nment. This organiiation was gi\-en 
tour \-ears only in which to construct their 
road. Ae route of which is indicated by its 
name. Among the commissioners who 
were authorized by the act K> recei\-e sub- 
scriptions for stock we find the names of 
Henrx' Stephens (afterwards president of the 
Sxxacuse and Binghantton rulroad), E, \V. 
Edgcv>mb. Augustus Donnelly. Samuel G. 
Hathaway. E. C~ Reed. Roswell Randall 
and WlUiani Randall. These names of 
Cortland countj- men. or many of them, are 
found in connection with all measures of 
importance: to them is undoubtedly due 
much of the credit for the early growth of 
die material interests of the counlj-. An- 
other railroad company incorporated that 
\-ear w;»s the Ow . ■ ± Its 

road was to run fix- ^.^ -..1 Dr>-- 

den and th<aice to Cortland and Homer. 
Xdther of these projects, as is well known, 
was consummated : but their incorporation 



From 1830 to the Present Time. 



81 



shows that the idea of railroad communica- 
tion with the other portions of tlie State was 
not allowed to sleep, imbued the inhabitants 
with faith in their ultimatel\- standing on a 
level with other localities in this respect, 
and gave assurance that it was a question 
of only a short period before the locomotive 
and its train would dash through the fertile 
valleys of the county. 

On the 1st of October, 1838, the exist- 
ing County Agricultural Society was organ- 
ized, with a board of officers comprising 
many of the more prominent men in the 
county. The first fair was held that }"ear, 
continuing with increasing interest from 
year to year, until a spirit of emulation was 
aroused in the farming and mechanical 
classes which resulted in great and perma- 
nent benefit. The history of this society 
will be found in its appropriate place in these 
pages. 

During the period from 1840 to 1845, or 
a little later, politics were uppermost in 
Cortland count}', as well as- in other parts 
of the countr\-. Here the Whigs were a 
little in the majority, and they were quite 
abl\- marshaled by the prominent local 
leaders, among whom may be mentioned 
William Andrews, David Mathews, Harry 
McGraw, Cephas Comstock, John J. Adams, 
Tercius Eels, Alanson Carley, Isaac A. 
Gates, Gideon Babcock, Joel B. Hibbard, 
Danforth Merrick, Jedediah Barber, James 
C. Pomero}-, Daniel Hawks, and otliers. 
The Democrats, if inferior in numbers, were 
not so in political prominence and ability. 
Their hosts were under the leadership of 
such men as Joseph Re\nolds, Samuel G. 
Hathawa\-, Henry Stephens, Roswell Ran- 
dall, William Bartlit, Edward C. Reed, 
Townsend Ross, George Ross, J. De Puy 
Freer, Anthony F"reer, John Gillet, Alanson 
Coats and others among the older heads ; 
with Horatio Ballard, Henry S. Randall, 
Frederick Hyde, Henry Brewer, William 



H. Shankland, James S. Leach, William P. 
Lyndes, Andrew Dickson, William B. Al- 
len, S. G. Hathaway, jr., and Oliver Glo\er 
as the ycninger element. 

The //'///> and the recently established 
Danocrat were the organs of the respective 
parties, and their editors and contributors 
made the local campaign a lively and in- 
teresting one. The Whig made the most 
of Ogle's storj- of Mr. Van Buren's "gold 
spoons" and extravagance in the White 
House — all amounting to the remarkable 
sum of five or ten thousand dollars — while 
the Dciiwcrat showed up the terrors of Nick 
Biddle's United States bank — then ex- 
ploded and bejond the power of mischief 
— the sinfulness of hard cider and coon- 
skins nailed up on a log-cabin to dry ; and 
the general weaknessess of "old granny 
Harrison," The Whigs had the best of the 
performance during the campaign. The 
September and October elections were a 
cjxlone. The November elections finished 
the work. 

Again, in 1844, the political legions of 
the county went forth to battle for the wel- 
fare of their country, and a repetition of the 
scenes of four years previous was enacted. 
Mass meetings, processions, the glory of 
banners without number prevailed, and a 
general political jubilee was held, which 
many now living will easily call to mind.* 

1 The boys and young men in each party entered into 
the prerailing rivalry. The glee clubs, or some of them, 
were the most grotesque organizations, considered in a 
musical sense, but for making noise the Cortland Polk and 
Dallas glee club was simply huge. They could " Hur- 
rah for Polk ! " much more harmoniously than ihcy could 
sing their songs. Sinclair was the foreman in the Demo- 
cral office, and a zealous Democrat in politics. He han- 
dled the pyramid of bells in the glee club, and fairly howl- 
ed when he sang I His voice was sonorous, and by way 
of diverting the Whigs along .Main street, every hour or 
two he would thrust his head out of the office window 
and shout, " H-u-r-r-a-h f-o-r P-o-l-kl" until the sound 
would reach the ears of Conger, in his law office in the 
William Randall building, on the corner of Main and 
Court streets, grate harshly uix)n those of James C. Pom- 
eroy, stir up the quiet 'Squire Adams and staid Hiram 

6 



82 



History of Cortland Countv. 



In the year 1842 an act of Legislature 
made tlic counties of Cortland and Cayuga 
to comprise the Twenty-fifth Congressional 
District, which remained in force until the 
change which constituted the district of the 
counties of Cortland and Onondaga. In 
1846 Cortland was placed in the Twent}-- 
third Senatorial District, with Broome and 
Tioga counties. It now, in connection with 
Onondaga county, comprises the Twenty- 
fifth Senatorial District. By the constitu- 
tion of 1846 Cortland count}- lost one 
Member of Assembly, having previously 
elected two. The Courts of Common Pleas 
and General Sessions of the Peace were also 
abolished, and the County Court, with one 
county judge, substituted. 

Several changes were made in the town 
boundaries during this decade (1840 to 
1850). An act was passed in May, 1845, 
erecting the towns of Lapeer and Harford 
from the southern half of Virgil.' In De- 
Hopkins, usually found at Oren Stimpson's store, and so 
up to the Whig headquarters at the Cortland House, 
where the portly Danforth Merrick would utter an e.N- 

pletivein disgust at "that Polk machine in the 

Democrat off\ce'." The U'/iii;, unluckily, adopted the 
phrase editorially, and from thenceforward that " Polk 
machine " was in operation when Conger was within 
ear-shot. It was " Hurrah for Polk 1 " at five o'clock in 
the morning, at midnight, and nearly all the hours be- 
tween, until the Whigs gave up in despair. The laugh 
was agamst them. .Another incident of this canvass was 
the roorback forgery and its circulation by the Whigs ; 
and still another, the printing of a private letter involv- 
ing Joel B. Hibbard, who was inclined to the anti-slaverv 
side, and the .■\bolitionists, of whom there were three or 
four hundred in the county, under the lead of (ohn 
Thomas, on purpose to cast that vote for the benefit of 
the Democrats and adversely to Mr. Clay, whose position 
on the <|uestion of Texas annexation was not satisfactory 
to the Abolitionists. — H. C. Crouch's Reminiscences of 
the Corlland County Press. 

1 ".\fter the tide of revolution had rolled away and the 
people were becoming comparatively happy, conflicting 
claims and unpleasant controversies were renewed, hav- 
ing a strong tendency to create bitter recriminations be- 
tween inhabitants of adjoining States, and especially those 
of New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts and 
New \m\.. The controversy pending the conflicting 
claims of the two latter States grew out of an anli(|uated 
and pretended right on the part of Massachusetts to a 



cember, 1849, Taylor was erected from the 
eastern half of Solon; and in i85olotNo. 20 
in Virgil was annexed to Freetown. This 
was the last change of boundaries made in 
the county, with the exception of the forma- 
tion of the town ofCuyler from Tru.xton in 
the fall of 1858, which may properh^ be 
noted here, arid followed with the geneal- 
ogy of all of the towns in the coimt)-, 
thus: — 

Homer was formed in Onondaga county 
March 5th, 1794, and embraced the pres- 
ent town of that name and the present 
towns of Solon, Virgil, Taylor, Cincinnatus, 
Marathon, Freetown, Willet, Lapeer, Har- 
ford and Cortland. 

Solon was formed from Homer March 
9th, 1798, and embraced the present towns 
of Solon, Cincinnatus, Marathon, Freetown, 
Taylor and Willet. 

certain portion of land lying within the boundaries of 
! New York. In 1786 the question at issue was finally 
settled Ijy an amicalile adjustment of the differences of 
opinion, tiirough the united exertions of commissoners, 
duly apponited and clothed with the confederative power 
to arrange the matter in controversy, and thus silence the 
clamor which had for a long time tended to create un- 
pleasant remarks as well as to weaken the bonds of fra- 
ternal fellowship. The commissioners granted to Massa- 
chusetts 6, 144,000 acres of lan-d, known as the Genesee 
country. This tract comprised all the land of the State 
west of a line beginning at the mouth of the great .Sodus 
Bay on Lake Ontario, and running due south through 
the middle of Seneca lake to the north line of Pennsyl- 
vania, excepting one mile in width the whole length of 
Niagara river, which was ceded to New York, .\nother 
tract, afterward known as the ' .Massachusetts ten town- 
ships,' embracing 230,400 acres, lying between the 
Owego and Chenango rivers, was also ceded without the 
least equivalent to Massachusetts, reserving to New York 
barely the right of sovereignty. The former was sold to 
Oliver Phelps anil Nathaniel Oorham, and the latter was 
purchased by |ohn lirown & Co., for a fraction over 
.$3,300. It ^^■ill be observed that we have heretofore 
spoken of Virgil as township No. 24 of military lands. 
It should, howe\'er, be noted that the whole of the town 
of Virgil did not originally belong to the military grant. 
A strip of about one and a half miles wide running across 
its southern side from east to west was taken from the 
ten townships grant to Massachusetts." — Goodwin. 

This strip is now in the towns of Harford and Lapeer, 
with a small tract in Marathon, as will be seen on the 
map herein. 



From 1850 to iiie Present Ti.mk. 



Cincinnatus was formed from Solon April 
3d, 1804, and embraced the present towns 
of Cincinnatus, Marathon, Freetown and 
Willet. 

Virgil was formed from Homer April 3d, 
1804, and embraced the present towns of 
Virgil, Harford and Lapeer. 

Preble was formed from Tully (Onondaga 
county) April 8th, i 808, embracing the pres- 
ent towns of Preble and Scott. 

Truxton was formed from Fabius (Onon- 
daga county) April 8th, 1808, and embraced 
the present towns of Truxton and Cuyler. 

Scott was formed from Preble April 14th, 
1815. 

Marathon, Freetown and Willet were 
formed from Cincinnatus April 2 1st, 1818. 

Cortlandville was formed from Homer 
April iith, 1829, with its present bounda- 
ries, except that lot No. 10 and a portion of 
lot 9 were added to it in 1845-46. 

Lapeer and Harford were taken from 
Virgil May 2d, 1845. 

Ta}-lor was formed from Solon December 
5 th, 1849. 

Cuyler was formed from Tru.xton No- 
vember 1 8th, 1858. 

By the middle of the centur\' Cortland 
county had taken her place in most partic- 
ulars beside the older and larger divisions 
of the State ; an exception should, perhaps, 
be noted regarding her manufacturing in- 
terests, which were still small. The farmers 
had brought their domains generally into a 
good state of cultivation, especially in the 
valleys and near to the business centers, 
while those living farther back upon the 
hills were rapidly clearing their lands of 
the remaining forests and stumps. 

It was about this time that the dairying 
interest of the county began to receive that 
degree of attention from the farmers to 
which it was entitled ; and from that date 
down to i860, the product was largely in- 
creased and the quality so much improved 



that its reputation in the great markets was 
soon enhanced to within one or two coun- 
ties of the highest in tlie State — a rejiuta- 
tion that has steadily advanced during the 
succeeding years. 

Meanwhile the inhabitants of the county 
were not at all backward in the matter of 
education. The Cortland Academy (in Ho- 
mer) was at the height of its long career of 
prosperity ; the Cortlandville Academy, in- 
corporated in 1842, started out under the 
most favorable auspices upon a course of 
many years of usefulness and success ; the 
Cincinnatus Academy was incorporated in 
1855 and soon became a popular and suc- 
cessful institution ; and churches and excel- 
lent district schools were rapidly multiplied 
on ever}' hand. 

But the greatest obstacle to material ad- 
vancement was still the difficulty of reach- 
ing markets and of tra\'eling beyond the 
boundaries of the county, except by meth- 
ods that had begun to be looked upon as 
somewhat primitive. The plank road con- 
structed between Cortland village and Syr- 
acuse in the years 1849-51 afforded a de- 
gree of relief, enabling passengers to take 
either of two lines of stages each way per 
day, which made the trip in about six hours, 
while freight was transported in heavier 
loads and in much shorter time than over 
the former turnpikes; the plank road was 
wood in its way, but it was not what was 
needed. The old-fashioned coaches, d'rawn 
by four horses, guided by skillful dri\-ers, 
who swung them up with a grand flourish 
at the doors of the famous hostelries — Van 
Anden's and Harrop's in Homer ; the Ea- 
gle and the Cortland House in Cortland and 
scores of lesser establishments along the va- 
rious turnpikes leading to Syracuse, Owego, 
Binshamton, Truxton and Cazenovia and 
other points — were often overloaded with 
passengers. Old residents still recount many 
amusing and interesting incidents connected 



84 



History of Cortland County, 



with tlio former coaching dnjs ; but, \\ liilc 
tliat method of travel was untioiibtedly pict- 
uresque in fa\orable seasons and conducive 
to iieahh and plcasui'c, it was decided!)- slow 
when compared with the locomotive. It 
was doomed. The turnpikes, and later the 
plank road from Cortland to Syracuse, were 
necessaril)' thronged with heavily-laden 
wagons during the greater portion of each 
year, transporting the products of the county 
to the canal and railroads, and returning 
with goods for the merchants and stock for 
the young manufacturing interests of the vil- 
lages ; but this mode of freighting scotched 
the wheels of progress and growth, and the 
leading minds of this county and vicinity 
felt the force of that fact and deplored it. 
The Tioughnioga, and the Susquehanna, as 
far as it applied to this section, had long been 
given up as permanent and useful channels 
of transportation ; the waters of the Tiough- 
nioga, once a broad a!id rapid stream, were 
gradually but surely diminishing, and the 
last freighting of much importance on its 
freshet tides was done as late as about 1 840. 

In this condition of affairs and for all these 
reasons, it is litde wonder that one of the 
unfailing themes of discussion and the con- 
stant hope and dream of the inhabitants, in 
their semi-isolated situation, was a railroad. 
It had been discussed in all its bearings 
ever since the first charter was granted, by 
men who fully appreciated its importance 
and ,were ready and willing to contribute 
largely to its success, and by others all the 
way down in the scale of brain, energy and 
wealth to those who could not have bought 
a single spike and could scarcely summon 
the energy to drive one. Everybody wanted 
a railroad. 

Syracuse was pushing forward under the 
impulse of her salt interests and canal and 
railroad connections, while farther north 
Oswego sat at the foot of the great lake 
system of the country, thriving upon her 



comniLrcial marine. To the southwartl 
15inghamton, with a population of 10,000, 
contiguous to the opening coal fields of 
Penns\-lvania, with the consequent extensive 
railroad connections, gave promise of being 
the bustling city of to-day. These were 
some of the outside business centers toward 
which Cortland stretched her burilcned 
hands, but which could be reached only by 
the slow means of horse-power; her inhab- 
itants saw the tide of commercial and man- 
ufacturing prosperit}- swelling around them 
in all directions, but were helpless — with- 
out a railroad. 

Hence, the renewed agitation of the sub- 
ject of a road from Syracuse to Bingham- 
ton, running through the central portion of 
this county, in 1848-49, found hundreds of 
earnest men ready to favor it to the utmost 
of their ability ; among them were several 
of the original charter petitioners. Again 
the Legislature was petitioned and a char- 
ter obtained. Meetings were held in the 
towns of the count}', and along the entire 
line, at which the proposed road was ex- 
plained and its advantages advocated. Sub- 
scription books were opened, and, early in 
the year 1850, such progress was made in 
this direction that steps were taken for pre- 
liminar)' surveys. W. B. Gilbert, a thor- 
oughly competent engineer, was engaged 
for the surve\\ But it must not be pre- 
sumed that this line of road was to be fin- 
ished without meeting with obstacles. Dif- 
ficulties in the way of organizing the corn- 
pan}-, growing, to some extent, out of per- 
sonal feeling, were encountered, and just as 
the work of construction was begun, the 
country began to feel the effects of one of 
those periodical financial revulsions to which 
it has on several occasions been subjected. 
Those persons who had money became wary 
about letting it leave their possession for 
even such a boon as a railroad ; those who 
had little or none, saw the apparent neces- 



. From i8so to the Present Time. 



8S 



sity of hoarding all they could get for future 
needs ; many who had subscribed in good 
faith for stock in the road, found themselves 
unable to fulfill their obligations. 

Yet, in spite of all this, and through the 
persevering efforts and the indomitable en- 
ergy of those who were at the head of the 
enterprise, many of whom were residents of 
this county, with the liberal subscriptions 
of all classes throughout the counties tra\'- 
ersed by the line, the work was finished in 
1854. 

A formal opening of the road occurred on 
the 1 8th and 19th of October, of that year. 
An excursion train of twenty-seven cars 
ran over the road from Syracuse to Bing- 
hamton and return, which was so loaded 
with enthusiastic passengers that many were 
compelled to stand. The gratification felt 
in this county over the auspicious event was 
exhibited in the ringing of bells, firing of 
cannon and display of banners at every sta- 
tion, while immense crowds congregated to 
witness the fruition of their long-deferred 
hopes. 

The original plans of the projectors of 
this road included connections with the Syr- 
acuse and Oswego road to Lake Ontario, 
and, of course, direct connection with the 
Erie canal in Syracuse. The feasibility of 
making these connections was used as 
among the strongest arguments in favor of 
the construction of the road. But the com- 
pany were unable to secure the coveted con- 
nection to Oswego, or even to run their 
tracks through to the canal for the rapid and 
economical transfer of freight to the great 
waterway. Another company was, there- 
fore, organized under the general act to 
construct a broad gauge line to Oswego 
from Syracuse, on the east side of Ononda- 
ga lake and the Oswego ri\'er. But no 
satisfactory arrangement for this purpose 
could be made with the holders of the 
mortgage bonds of the existing road to 



Binghamton, and operations had to be sus- 
pended. 

These untoward circumstances crippled 
the road and so restricted its operations and 
profits that in 1856 the bondholders were 
forced to foreclose and sell it. It was bought 
by J. M. Schermerhorn, then of Homer, 
and the company subsequently reorgan- 
ized. The road was finished to the canal, 
and arrangements were perfected whereby 
the Erie railroad would accommodate the 
cars of the Delaware, Lackawanna and 
Western road for the transportation of coal 
and freight, making the Syracuse, Bingham- 
ton and New York road (as it was re- 
named) the proper and most available chan- 
nel for carr}-ing their coal to the canal at 
Syracuse and to Oswego, Canada and the 
great West. This road passed into the 
hands of the great corporation, the Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad 
Company, a double track was laid, and it 
is now one of the best equipped and most 
successful branches in the State 

While the sale of this first railroad in this 
county under the mortgage was disastrous 
to the original stockholders, none of whom 
realized anything directly from their invest- 
ments, it is doubtless true that not one of 
them failed to see in the near future that 
their money had thus been wisely expended. 
Every acre of land in the county was in- 
creased in value, while the annual benefits 
to farmers, tradesmen and manufacturers, 
after the road went into operation, could 
scared}- be over-estimated. 

The construction of railroads in this coun- 
ty produced the common effect of building 
up some of the villages at the expense of 
others. It was about the period under con- 
sideration, or a little later, that Cortland 
began to show unmistakable indications of 
rivaling and outstripping her sister \-illage 
on the north ; though the almost phenom- 
enal growth of the former i)lace did not be- 



86 



History of Cortland County. 



gin until some years later. Preble and 
Little York, which were (especially the 
former) busy and thriving villages previous 
to the ad\'ent of the railroad, soon came to 
a stand-still, if they did not actually retro- 
grade, in favor of Homer and Cortland ; the 
same may be said of Virgil and Blodget's 
Mills, the former once thriving and grow- 
ing village suffering materially from its per- 
manent isolation from railroad communica- 
tion. Marathon is situated far enough south 
of Cortland to prevent the loss of much of 
its business in that direction, while it has 
profited by the contiguity of Lisle (Broome 
count)") on the south, and the hamlet of 
State Bridge and East Virgil on the north. 
It is, moreover, in the midst of an excel- 
lent grazing and agricultural district, and 
became a market of importance for butter 
and other products, so that its advancement 
has been continuous. Cincinnatus, Taylor, 
WiUet, Scott, and most of the hamlets of 
the county have not directly gained in 
business importance through the construc- 
tion of the railroad. 

On the 2d day of September, 1853, the 
first and only death penalty ever inflicted in 
Cortland county was paid by Patrick O'Don- 
ohue, for the murder of Mrs. Jane Ann 
Kinney, of Truxton, on the 3d of Septem- 
ber, 1852. The following account of the 
traged)' is condensed from Goodwin's his- 
tory : — 

"O'Donohue's daughter, Elizabeth, a girl of 
ten years, had been forbidden to visit ti.e house 
of Mrs. Kinney. This command she disobeyed, 
and to escape the vengeance of her father's fiend- 
like temper, her two elder sisters secreted her in 
a ledge of jagged rocks, and then informed their 
father that she had been stolen. O'Donohue 
hastened from his work in the woods, accom- 
panied by his wife and two or three children, all 
in a high state of e-xcitement. He was falsely 
made to believe that the abductor was no other 
than the husband of Mrs. Kinney, whom he pre- 
sumed to be his enemv. 



"A search for the little girl was instituted by 
the father and his son, the former carrying a 
loaded gun. The search was given up about the 
middle of the forenoon ; at about this time Mrs. 
Kinney and her daughter were on their way to 
the residence of a neighbor, and of necessity had 
to pass by the house of O'Donohue. Just as 
they drew near it they were met by the murderer, 
who angrily asked Mrs. Kinney if she had seen 
Elizabeth. Receiving a negative answer, he flew 
into a terrible passion, leveled his gun and fired 
at Mrs. Kinney ; the contents of the weapon 
grazed her side, causing her to stagger forward. 
O'Donohue was now more enraged than before. 
Reversing his gun he struck the defenseless wo- 
man several blows, the second of which dislo- 
cated her neck. Not yet satisfied he flew at the 
daughter, who had fallen from fright, and plunged 
the bayonet of the gun into her body; although 
she seized the weapon, the demon wrenched it 
from her grasp and thrust it again and again into 
her body. The tragedy was discovered, soon 
after it was committed, by Charles McKnight. 
As he approached the spot his hfe was threat- 
ened by O'Donohue, but he gained a full view 
of the victims. He advised the murderer to go 
to the village and give himself up to the author- 
ities, presuming him to be crazy. He told him 
that men suffering from a diseased mind were 
not always responsible for their acts ; perhaps he 
would not be punished. The murderer seemed 
to accept the counsel, for he, with his wife and 
son, started toward the village, where he was 
afterward arrested. His indictment followed at 
the October term of the County Court, and he 
was tried at the following July Oyer and Ter- 
miner. Hon. Schuyler Crippen was the presid- 
ing judge, associated with John S. Dyer and 
Noah H. Osborne. R. Holland Duell, then 
district attorney, and General Nye, appeared 
in behalf of the people; Horatio Ballard and 
Daniel Gott, counsel. The prisoner was found 
guilty of murder in the first degree, on the 3d 
of August, 1853. O'Donoliue w-as hung in the 
court-house on the date before mentioned." 

We now approach the period in the his- 
tory of Cortland count}' when the great 
political movement began which resulted in 
the formation of the Republican party in 



From 1830 to the Present Time. 



87 



the year 1855, and led thence rapidly down 
to the beginning of a foiirj-ears' war, which 
drenched the country in the blood of her 
own sons — a war born of the insatiate pur- 
pose of a section of the Republic to perpet- 
uate in a civilized country an uncivilized and 
uncivilizing institution, the keystone of 
which was, property in the bodies and souls 
of men, women and children. The organ- 
ization of the new party in this county was 
effected pursuant to the following call : — 

"Republican County Convention. Those 
electors of the County of Cortland who are op- 
posed to the extension of .slavery over the Ter- 
ritories of the United States, and to the reception 
into the Union or annexation of States, Territories 
or Countries, where slavery already exists and are 
in favor of forming a new party for the defense 
of freedom against the encroachments of the slave 
power, are requested to meet in Convention at 
the Court House in Cortland Village, on Wed- 
nesday, the 15th day of August, at one o'clock, 
P. M., for the purpose of choosing delegates to 
the State Republican Convention at Syracuse, 
on the 26th day of September next, and for tran- 
sacting such other business as may be necessary. 
Dated Cortlandville, July 20th, 1855. 

"C. Green, Samuel Babcock, Chas. H. Whea- 
don, J. M. Schermerhorn, Jos. R. Dixon, Joseph 
Conger, G. W. Phillips, Geo. W. Samson, E. F. 
Thomas, H. F. Lyman, S. Brewer, F. Goodyear, 
Michael Spencer, Wm. R. Stone, Wm. Elder, 
L. D. Davis, Josiah Stone, W. H. Harrington, 
N. Jones, jr., Samuel Plumb, Geo. P. I^ann, An- 
drew Hutchings, Lora Gross, O. H. Smith, John 
J. Adams, E. Mudge, C . W. Copeland, Israel 
Palmer, J. B. Gates, H. T. Townley, A. Mudge, 
Edwin Norton, R. P. Babcock, A. \V. Clark, A- 
D. C. Barber, Joseph .\twater, A. Salisbury, 
Isaac W. Brown, Manly Hobart, Newell Jones, 
Jabez Briggs, Geo. K. Stiles, G. N. Woodward, 
H. Bowen, H. A. Jarvis, J. W. Strowbridge, 
Horace Buel, James Freeman, L. H. Utley, M. 
Woodruff, Thos. G. Copeland, A. G. Tuttle, R. 
Lambert, E. W. Edgcomb, Z. B. Mason, R. 
Palmer, James T. Hawley, William McGraw, 
Deloss C. McGraw, T. Boland, Judah Cowles, 
L. G. Calkins, Russel Cowles, A. Caldwell, Wm. 
C. -Angel, M. R. Smith, Nelson L. Brooks, Na- 



than Bouton, N. Haight, Theodore Hooker, 
John Hillsinger, S. Conger, F. M. Buell, John 
R. Earl, J. T. Bostwick, T. G. Jones, Edwin 
Darby, S. Lucas, M. G. Lee, Israel Gee, Edward 
Gee, Arthur Holmes, D. Corey, Wm. W. Brown, 
L. W. Holmes, H. D. Corey, Miner Webster, 
Emory Potter, Elijah Jipson, Shuball Carver, 
Jacob Hutchings, J. H. Parker, G. L. Oakley, G. 
W. Crocker, Eben. Perkins, Jesse Rogers, Wm. 
Squires, Nathaniel Bouton, C. S. Hyatt, E. F. 
Phillips, J. Taggart, David Scofield, Mose.s-Van 
Buren, J. L. Gillett, H. Orcutt. J. Van Orsdale." 

This call was first published on the 29th 
of July, 1855. The convention was iield 
and delegates appointed to attend the State 
Republican convention in Syracuse, on 
the 26th of September. The new party 
started out under what appeared favorable 
prospects as far as related to this county. 
The W^iig, of Homer, changed its name to 
the Republican, which title it has since re- 
tained. H. G. Crouch, who had for several 
years published an excellent Democratic 
organ in Cortland, left the Democrat, which 
passed into the hands of Edwin F. Gould 
and soon became the Cortland American, 
the organ of the Know-Nothing party. The 
new Republican party received the expected 
ridicule and predictions of disaster from the 
organs of the opposite faction ; but it was 
destined for a great future, which has passed 
into histor)-. The resolutions of the new 
organization, passed at the first county con- 
vention, were as follows : — 

" Whereas, The system of human bondage is 
radically antagonistic to the principles of religion 
and the dictates of morality — a curse to any 
country that cherishes or sustains it ; and espe- 
cially opposed to the genius of our free institu- 
tions; and at war with their welfare and per- 
petuity. 

" And, whereas. The South, in conjunction with 
dough-face abettors, for years has evinced a deter- 
mination by all means, and at ail hazards, to 
strengthen and extend this system, which design 
has been strikingly manifested in the passage of 
the Fugitive Slave Law — in the repeal of the 
Missouri Coni[)romise. and more recently in 



88 



History of Cortland County. 



tyrannizing by a ruffian mob over the citizens of 
Kansas — suppressing the freedom of speech — 
corrupting the ballot box — sporting with their 
lives — and tram])ling under foot their property; 
therefore — 

" Resolved, That we will consent to no further 
compromise with slavery, that we demand the 
immediate and unconditional repeal of the Fugi- 
tive Slave Law — that we will resist to the last 
extremity the admission into the Union of another 
Slave State, and the spread of slavery over another 
foot of American soil. 

'^Resolved, That the freemen of the north, 
whether Whigs, Democrats, Know Nothings, 
Know Somethings, or Abolitionists, are now called 
upon for the vindication of their insulted man- 
hood as well as the defense of their country's 
freedom, to break loose from party ties, to lay 
aside old political predilections, and unite in one 
common cause — resistance to the encroach- 
ments of the Slave Power. 

"Resolved, That slavery is sectional — but that 
Freedom is national ; and that those who rally 
for its defense are not sectionalists or disunionists; 
but guard the corner stone upon which are pil- 
lared the prosperity and very existence of our 
whole country. 

"Resolved, That while we are laboring to re- 
strain and banish from our land the system of 
physical bondage, we would not be unmindful of 
that vile and degrading servitude to the intoxi- 
cating cup that oppresses so many thousands ; 
but we bid God speed to every effort calculated 
to deliver and restore them, and especially to 
those at the ballot-box ; and that we have full 
confidence in our present Prohibitory Liquor 
Law." 

The local political field continued to be 
occupied by quite active spirits until the 
memorable campaign of 1859-60, when 
Abraham Lincoln was made president of 
the United States, taking upon himself one 
of the greatest burdens ever borne by man. 
Cortland was then in the 23d Senatorial Dis- 
trict, with Madison and Chenango ; P. H. 
McGraw was elected Senator. R. Holland 
Duell was elected to Congress, Geo. B. Jones, 
district attorney, and J. A. McVean Mem- 



ber of Assembly, and the Republican ticket 
generally triumphed. The contest between 
A. P. Smith and Hiram Crandall for county 
judge was especially spirited, daily editions 
of both Republican and Democratic organs 
being issued in support of the respective 
candidates, who were, as usual in such 
cases, made to appear by the opposite or- 
gans as most decidedly unfit for the office. 
Mr. Crandall was elected. The Civil War 
was ushered in with the attack on Fort 
Sumter on the 9th day of April, 1861, the 
history of which, as it relates to this county, 
is given in another chapter. 

It had for several years, prior to i860, 
been apparent to the Supervisors of the 
county that something must be done to 
provide better jail accommodations. The 
old jail under the court-house had been 
frequently enlarged and repaired, and in 
1859 the Supervisors authorized Abram 
Mudge to associate himself with another 
competent person to estimate the cost and 
propose plans for a new jail suitable for the 
county and report at the meeting of i860. 
In November, i860, the board authorized 
the raising of $8,000 for the purpose of 
building a jail substantially on the plans 
suggested b}- Mr. Mudge, who, with W'm. 
E. Tallman, was made the building com- 
mittee. The present excellent jail was the 
result of this action. ^ 

1 It was in the Board of Supervisors of 1865 that 
Erving Taintor, the "Bard of Harford," offered a reso- 
lution providing, in substance, for application to the 
Legislature for such alteration of the laws as would al- 
low the dog ta.x to be applied to the school fund. .Ap- 
pended to the resolution in the old record liook appears 
the following poetical argument in favor of the resolu- 
tion : — 

Now, in the Scriptures it is said 

Vou shall not take the children's bread 

.\nd give it to the dogs ; 
Neither shall men, or boys, or girls. 
Or lovely women take their pearls 

.\nd cast them to the hogs. 

But e'er intent on doing good, 
C'live hogs and dogs their proper food, 
\n<\ knowledge to the fools; 




A. L. CHAMBERl.AIX 



From 1830 to the Present Time. 



89 



Between the years 1865 and 1870 the 
people of the count)', and especially of 
Cortlandville, became very enthusiastic over 
the subject of further railroad construction, 
which would give them better connections 
with other portions of the State. The vil- 
lage of Cortland had fully entered upon the 
period of growth which has since given it 
justly earned fame from Lake Erie to the 
Hudson river ; manufacturing interests were 
springing up or being earnestly discussed 
in Cortland, Homer, Marathon, McGraw- 
ville and other localities; the farming com- 
munities were prosperous, the dairying in- 
terest having shown a wonderful increase 
since i860 and become an important source 
of revenue; cheese factories had been es- 
tablished in all parts of the county, and the 
quality of their product, with that of the 
county butter, ranked second to those of 
only one or two other counties in the State. 
This state of affairs found the towns through 
which it was proposed to run new railroad 
lines ready to lend them their aid through 
the liberal issue of bonds, or in other ways. 

In 1869 the Ithaca and Cortland Railroad 
Company was formed, for the construction 
of a line terminating at these two villages. 
In aid of this project the town of Cortland 
voted to bond itself for $100,000. The 
road was completed and opened, and finally 
extended to Elmira, making a valuable 

So, 'tis the fashion now to raise 
By various means and various ways, 
Money for our schools. 

Now, if a thieving dog you keeji. 
Or one that never killed a sheep. 

Or dog of any kind, 
Let him be taxed to raise a store 
Of several hundreds, if no more, 
To cultivate the mind. 

Then, every dog of every breed 
Will teach the children how to read. 

Or help their education; 
.\nd thus a useless race be made. 
That never learned a trade, 

To benefit the nation. 



connecting link with the D., L. & W., and 

e\'entually proving of much benefit to the 
county at large. 

Immediately following the agitation of 
this railroad enterprise, the Auburn branch 
of the great Midland line, which might or 
might not come through Cortland, became 
a topic of earnest and widespread discus- 
sion. Cortlandville and other towns were 
willing to bond themselves in large amounts 
to attract the road in this direction. When 
it subsequently appeared improbable that 
this object could be accomplished, and in 
response to the generally existing feeling in 
the county in favor of railroad building to 
almost any point, the Utica, Chenango and 
Cortland Railroad Company was formed ; 
prominent men became interested in this 
organization, one of the foremost of whom 
and one whose interests would be large!}- 
subserved by the proposed road, being Hon. 
Perrin H. McGraw, of McGrawville. The 
charter of the company is dated April 9, 
1 870. Preliminary surveys had been made 
under direction of Fred. E. Knight, of Cort- 
land village, as chief engineer, and after the 
company was fully organized the work of 
construction was begun. In aid of this 
road the town of Cortlandville voted to 
bond for $150,000; Solon for $44,000; 
Cincinnatus for $45,500; Taylor for $20,- 
000 ; Mr. McGraw was made president of 
the company and the work of grading was 
rapidly pushed forward for a time. But 
difficulties of a serious character arose, into 
the details of which we need not enter, and 
the work was suspended after about eighteen 
miles were graded, bridges and culverts 
built and more than $300,000 expended. 
The suspension was due chiefly to trouble 
with contractors, underestimates of cost, the 
later failure of negotiations for consolida- 
tion with the Midland Company and the 
financial panic of 1873—74. Almost the 
whole sum, for which the towns named issued 



90 



History of Cortland County. 



their bonds, has been expended on this line. 
Whether all of the towns will finall)- pay 
these bonds entire, is a question for the 
future to decide; although some of them 
will do so, the town of Cortlandville among 
the number; her bonds having been re- 
funded at five per cent, interest. 

The line of this road passed through 
McGrawville, Solon, down the valley of the 
Gee brook, Taylor to the Otselic valley to 
an intersection with what was known as the 
De Ruyter branch of the Midland ; it is 
generally conceded to be a natural and de- 
sirable route for a railroad. Since the sus- 
pension of work on the line various plans 
have been suggested and discussed and 
efforts made to finish the road, but as yet 
(1884) nothing has been accomplished. It 
is believed, however, by those competent to 
judge, that it will be put in operation at a 
not distant day. The first of Board of 
Directors were David R. Pierce, of Otselic; 
Addison Taylor and John S. Blackman, of 
Cincinnatus; Calvin L. Hathaway, of Solon; 
P. H. McGraw, O. S. Kinney, H. P. Good- 
rich, Allen B. Smith, Chauncey Keator, 
Charles C. Taylor and James S. Squires. 
The board met at the Messenger House in 
Cortland, March 14th, 1870, and elected P. 
H. McGraw, president; B. F. Tillinghast, 
vice-president; J. S. Squires, treasurer; 
Frank Place, secretary. 

The branch of the Midland Railroad did 
finally come through Cortland county, and 
was subsequently leased by the Utica, Ithaca 
and Elmira road and is now operated bj- it. 
These lines that are now in successful opera- 
tion give ample railroad connections east, 
west, north and south, and have done much 
to aid in the development of the resources 
of the county. This process of develop- 
ment and the growth of the county in vari- 
ous respects during the past twent)- years 
will be better understood bj- reference to a 
few statistics from the census reports, with 



which and the civil list this chapter will be 
closed : — 

The aggregate population of Cortland 
county in 1855 was 24,575. I" l^So it had 
increased to 25,825. Cortland village had 
a population in 1855 of 2,1 17, which in- 
creased to 4,050, in 1880. Homer village 
increased her population during the same 
period from 1,625 to 2,331; and Marathon 
from 500 to 1,006. At the former date the 
acreage of improved land was 194,736, 
against 218,736 in 1875. In 1855 the 
amount of butter made in the county was 
2,379,257 pounds, against 2,995,101 twenty 
years later ; while the cheese production 
increased in the same period in a similar 
ratio. In manufactures the growth, espe- 
cially during the past ten or twelve years, has 
been even more marked. That this ad- 
vancement will continue in the future there 
is little doubt. 

CORTI,.\XD county CIVIL LIST. 

County Judges.i — John Keep, appointed- 
April 3d, 1810; William Mallory, January 
31st, 1823; Joseph Reynolds, March 9th, 
1833; Henry Stephens, May 17th, 1838; 
Daniel Hawks, elected June, 1847; Lewis 
Kingsley, November 7th, 1851; R. Holland 
Duell, November 6th, 1855; Stephen Brew- 
er, November 14th, 1859; Hiram Crandall, 
November, 1859; Abram P. Smith, Novem- 
ber, 1867; S. S. Knox, November, 1882. 

County Clerks.'- — John Ballard, appoint- 
ed April 8th, 1808; Reuben Washburn, 
April 3d, 1810; John Ballard, March 4th, 
1811 ; Mead Merrill, April 2d, 181 3 ; Will- 
iam Mallory, March 2d, 1815 ; Joshua Bal- 
lard, July 7th, 1819 ; Matthias Cook, Feb- 
ruary 14th, 1S21 ; Samuel Hotchkiss, elected 
1822; Orin Stimpson, 1834; Gideon C. Bab- 

1 Previous to the adoption of the Constitution of 1846 
this office was filled by the "Council of .\ppointnient " 
at Abany. 

- This office was made elective by the Constitution of 
1821. 



From 1830 to the Present Time. 



91 



cock, 1840; Samuel Hotchkiss, jr., 1843; 
Rufus A. Reed, 1849; Allis W. Ogdcn, 
1858 ; De Witt C. McGraw, 1861 : Frank 
Place, 1867; W. S. Maycumber, 187C; 
Howard J. Harrington, 1879; R. W. Bourne, 
1882. 

District Attorneys. — Augustus Donncll}', 
1 8 19; Edward C. Reed, 1827 ; William H. 
Shankland, 1836; Horatio Ballard, 1844; 
Augustus S. Ballard, 1847; R. Holland 
Duell, 1850; Edward C. Reed, appointed 
1856 ; Abram P. Smith, elected 1856 ; Geo. 
B.Jones, 1859; Alvah D. Waters, 1865; 
Riley Champlin, 1870; Lewis Bouton, No- 
vember, 1870; Benjamin T. Wright, 1873; 
Byron A. Benedict, 1876; Irving H. Pal- 
mer, 1882. 

Sheriffs.' — Asahcl Minor, April 8th, 
1808; Wm. Mallor\-, appointed June 9th, 
1808; Joshua Ballard, April 3d, 18 10; Billy 
Trowbridge, March 25 th, 18 14; Wm. Stew- 
art, March 2d, 1815 ; Noah R. Smith, Feb- 
ruary 13th, 1819; Moses Hopkins, Febru- 
ary 1 2th, 1821 ; David Cove, elected 1822; 
Adin Webb, 1828; Wm. Andrews, 1831 ; 
Gilmore Kinney, 1834; E. W. Edgcomb, 
1837; Alanson Carley, 1840 ; Christian Etz, 
1843; George Ross, 1846; J. C. Pomeroy, 
1849; Frederick Ives, 1852 ; John S. Sam- 
son, 1855 ; Silas Baldwin, 1858; Frederick 
Ives, 1861 ; N. H. Haynes, 1864 ; Isaac W. 
Brown, 1867; John D. Benton, 1870; N. 
H. Haynes, 1873; Harlow G. Borthwick, 
1876; Gerret S. Van Hoe.sen, 1879; H. G. 
Borthwick, 1882. 

Treasurers.- — Justin M. Pierce, 1848; 
Edwin F. Gould, 185 i ; Isaac M. Seaman, 
1854 ; Horace L. Green, 1857 ; Lora Gross, 
i860; Daniel H. Burr, 1863; George W. 
Webster, 1866 ; John S. Cornue, 1869 ; A. 

• This office was made elective in 1821. 

- In all of the civil lists availalile this office is dated 
from 1848. Obadiah Boies was treasurer of this county 
from its organization and held the office until 1822, when 
he was succeeded by Kdmond .Mallory, who was followed 
in 1825 by William Mallory. 



S. Waters, 1872; Robert Bu.shby, 1875; 

the present incumbent. 

Surrogates.' — John McWhorter, ap- 
pointed April 8th, 1808; Mead Merrill, 
1810; Luther F. Stevens, 1811; Adin 
Webb, 1816; Jabez B. Phelps, 1823 ; Chas. 
W. Lynde, 1828; Townsend Ross, 1832; 
Anthony Freer, 1836; Adin Webb, 1840; 
Anthony Freer, 1844. 

Members of Assembh'. — Ephraim Fish, 
1 8 10; Billy Trowbridge, 181 1; Wm. Mal- 
lory, 1814; S. G. Hathaway, 1815 ; Joseph 
Reynolds, 1816; John Miller, 1817; S. G. 
Hathaway, 1818; Joseph Reynolds, 18 19; 
John Miller, 1820; John Osborn, 1821 ; 
Daniel Sherwood, 1822 ; John Gillett, 1823; 
Matthias Cook and Wm. Barto, jr., 1824; 
Josiah Hart and J. Chatterton, 1825 ; John 
Lynde and Augustus A. Donnelly, 1826; 
Nathan Dayton and Cephas Comstock, 
1827; Nathan Dayton and John L. Boyd, 
1828; Gideon Curtis and Alanson Carley, 
I 829 ; Henry Stephens and Chauncey Keep, 
1830; Fredus Howard and Chas. Richard- 
son, 183 1 ; Andrew Dickson and J. L. 
Woods, 1832 ; David Mathews and Enos S. 
Halbert, 1833 ; Oliver Kingman and S. Bo- 
gardus, 1834; Barak Niles and Aaron 
Brown, 1835 ; Chauncey Keep and Cephas 
Comstock, 1 >i^6 ; Josiah Hine and John 
Thomas, 1837; John Osgood and David 
Mathews, 183S; G. S. Green and George 
Isaacs, 1839; Jabez B. Phelps and Wm. 
Barnes, 1 840 ; Nathan Heaton and Lovel 
G. Mickels, 1841 ; Orin Stimpson and Jesse 
Ives, 1842 ; H. McGraw and George N. 
Niles, 1843 ; J. Kingman, jr., and Piatt F. 
Grow, 1844; John Pierce, 2d, and Geo. J. 
J. Barber, 1845 ; Amos Graves and John 
Miller, 1846 ; Timothy Green, 1847 ; James 
Comstock, 1848; Ira Skeel, 1849; Lewis 
Kingsley, 1850; Alvan Kellogg, 1851; 
Geo. W. Bradford, 1852 ; Ashbel Patterson, 

1 After the adoption of the Constitution of 1846 this 
office has been merged with that of county judge. 



92 



History of Cortland County. 



1853; Jolm 11. Knapp, 1854; Georj^e J. 
Kingman, 1855; Joseph Atwater, 1856; 
Nathan Bouton, 1857 ! Artlnir Holmes, 
1858; John A. McVcan, i860; Loammi 
Kinney, 1861 ; Thomas Barry, 1862; Henry 

B. Van Hoesen, 1863; B. F. TilHnghast, 
1864; Dann C. Squires, 1865; Stephen 
Patrick, 1866 ; Horatio Ballard, 1867 ; Ray- 
mond P. Babcock, 1868 ; Hiram Whitmarsh, 
1869; Charles I'oster, 1870; Henry S. 
Randall, 1871; Dann C. Squires, 1872; 
Geo. W. Phillips, 1873; Geo. W. Phillips, 
1874; Daniel E. VVhitmorc, 1875 ; Judson 

C. Nelson, 1876; Deloss McGraw, 1877; 
Orris U. Kellogg, 1878; Geo. H.Arnold, 
1879; Samuel A. Childs, 1880; Alburtis 



A. Carley, 1881 ; Alburtis A. Carley, 
1882. 

Members of Congress from Cortland 
County. — John Miller, 1824; Edward C. 
Reed, 1830; S. G. Hathaway, 1832; Jo- 
seph Reynolds, 1834; Lewis Riggs, 1840; 
Harmon S. Conger, 1846; R. Holland 
Duel), 1858, 1871 and 1873. 

State Senators from Cortland County. — 
William Mallory, 1818; S. G. Hathaway, 
1822; Chas. W. Lynde, 1S30; \Vm. Bart- 
lit, 1841 ; Geo. W. Bradford, 1853, 1855; 
Perrin H. McGraw, i860. 

Secretaries of State from Cortland Count)-. 
— Henry S. Randall, 185 i ; Horatio Bal- 
lard, 1 86 1. 



CHAPTER X. 

MII.nWKV history. — the 76TII RICOIMENT. 

Early Organizations — Military Spirit in Early Days — "General Training" Days — Military Dignitaries in the 
Old Militia — Cortland County in the War of the Rebellion — The News from Bull Run — Its Effects at the North 
— The County Aroused — .An Imiiortant Meeting — Suggestions for the Organization of a Regiment — Meetings 
Held Throughout the County — Recruiting — The 76th Regiment Organized — Camp Established on the Fair 
Grounds — The Green-McNett Trouble — Departure of the Regiment — Reorganization — Line and Staff Officers — 
Off for New York — Ordered to \Yashington — Camp Life at Meridian Hill — Ordered to Fredericksburg — Colonel 
Wainwright Assigned to the Command of the Regiment — The First Battle — Ex.amples of Heroism — The 
Second Bull Run — .South Mountain and the Conflict — .At Fredericksburg — The Bloody Field of Gettysburg — An 
Execution — In the Wilderness — M Spottsylvania — In Petersburg — "Expended in the Service" — Home. 



ALTHOUGH Cortland county is one of 
the smallest in the State, she has every 
reason to be proud of her military record. 
Many of the early residents, or their imme- 
diate relatives, took part in the war of 1 8 1 2, 
and it is stated tliat sixteen soldiers of the 
Revolution drew lots and located in this 
county. The sad story told by many hun- 
dreds of graves, marked and unmarked, re- 
veals what a host went out from here to 
fight for the preservation of the Union in 
the last terrible conflict. 

The first military organization directly 
affecting the territory embraced within the 
coiuit)', dates back to 1796. In March, 



1794, after the erection of Onondaga county 
from Herkimer, various appointments were 
made for the new count)-, particularl)' for 
the battalions of Major John L. Harden- 
burgh, Moses Dewitt and Asa Danforth, 
the latter of Onondaga count)'. In 1796 his 
battalion was made a regiment, its material 
to come from the townships of Hannibal, 
Lysander, Cicero, Manlius, Pompey, Fabius, 
Solon, Cincinnatus, Ttilly, Virgil, Camillus, 
Sempronius, Locke, Dr)-den, and the Onon- 
daga Reservation. Mr. Danforth was made 
Lieutenant- Colonel coinmandant. 

In tliose days the military spirit was more 
active than at the present time. The war of 




KISKNEZER MUUGK. 



MiLiTARV History. — The 76x11 Regiment. 



93 



the Revolution had terminated but a few 
years before, and the Federal constitution had 
recently gone into effect. The new govern- 
ment was looked upon as to a certain extent 
experimental, doubts being felt of its perma- 
nenc)-. Foreign complications were threat- 
ening the peace, while the borders were still 
menaced by the Indians. Therefore the 
wisdom of kecing up efficient military or- 
ganizations in every county was generally 
acknowledged. Military honors and office 
implied much more distinction than in later 
years, and were sought with corresponding 
avidity. Seekers after political preferment 
were prompt to join the military ranks as a 
step thereto, while the wearing of a uniform 
and the pleasure and excitement of "train- 
ing days" attracted the masses of those lia- 
ble to military duty. Wherever they were 
held, thousands flocked to the scene, filling 
the adjacent highways, perching on the 
fences and climbing trees. The farmers came 
in with barrels of new cider in their wagons, 
which fluid was supplemented by the pop- 
ular golden ginger bread, and general hilar- 
ity ensued on all such occasions. 

The old militia organization continued in 
this State until the year 1862, when it gave 
way to the "National Guard of the State of 
New York," and this was, in turn, swallowed 
up by the organization of the vast northern 
armies for the suppression of rebellion. Go- 
ing back to the year 1818 (and probably 
even earliei'), we find indications of an act- 
ive martial spirit in Cortland county. At 
that time it appears that the Thirty- sixth 
Brigade embraced the county, of which 
Martin Keep was brigadier-general, Enos 
Stimson, brigade-major and inspector, and 
Augustus Donnelly, aid-de-camp. The lat- 
ter officer was appointed on the ist of June 
of that year, under brigade order, dated at 
headquarters in Homer. The same order ap- 
pointed Lieut. S. G. Hathaway, Capt. Sam- 
uel Bull, Capt. John J.Adams, Capt. 



Hemenway and Lieut. Chauncey Keep, a 

coiul martial. Another brigade order of that 
year commanded all non-commissioned offi- 
cers and musicians to meet September ist 
at 9 o'clock, at the public square. Homer, 
for military exercise. "Col. Elijah Wheeler 
will issue similar orders to his regiment of 
artillery and riflemen." The 58th Regiment, 
under comfnand of Col. Martin Phelps, was 
ordered to parade on the 15th of Septem- 
ber, on the public square at Homer ; and 
the 4th Regiment, Col. Wheeler, on the i6th 
of September, in Solon. 

A brigade order of August, 1819, was 
signed by Martin Phelps as brigadier-gen- 
eral, and appointed Andrew Dickson, pres- 
ident, Capts. Washington Parker, Wm. H. 
Warner, and Solomon Baker, jr., and Ad- 
jutant Azariel Blanchard, a court martial. 
In that )-ear the regiments of Cols. Dickson, 
Hathaway and Reynolds were ordered to 
parade. In 1820 S. G. Hathaway became 
commander of the 36th Brigade. In 1833 we 
find notice published by Col. Judah Pierce, 
jr., commanding the 67th Regiment, of a 
court martial to be held in Truxton in May 
of that year. In 1853 this count}- was em- 
braced in the 5 2d Regiment, commanded 
by Col. O. M. Welch, which, with the 51st 
Regiment of Onondaga county, formed the 
24th Brigade. A four days encampment of 
the brigade was held in Syracuse, in Au- 
gust of that year. 

But we need not follow through the many 
succeeding years the almost innumerable 
changes and promotions that occurred in 
the officers of the old militia organization 
of the county ; suffice it to say that the mil- 
itary spirit of those days, coupled, as it often 
was, with political distinction, developed 
many officers \\ho would undoubtedly have 
pro\en their heroism and bravery on a hard 
fought field, if such had been their destiny ; 
but, hapijil)-, they li\-ed ihrough an era of 
peace, closely following upon the bloody 



94 



History of Cortland Cuuntv. 



heels of war. The annual reviews of the 
several regiments of the county were for 
many years held cither in Homer, Virgil, 
Cincinnatus or Solon ; in later years some 
of the "trainings" were held in Cortland 
village, in the fields then vacant south of 
Tompkins and west of South Main street. 
In the Reminiscences published a few years 
since by Hon. Horatio Ballard, he gave the 
following account of military affairs here- 
abouts in early times, which will recall vivid 
recollections of their martial experience in 
the minds of the few who are left of the elder 
organizations : — 

"The regiment embracing the undivided town 
of Homer, Preble and Scott was a noble one. It 
was composed of a company of cavalry, grena- 
diers, artillery, rifle and infantry. Military pride 
was then cultivated and upheld throughout the 
ranks of society. I hope there are some yet liv- 
ing who will remember the splendid 'troop of 
cavalry ' as it paraded on the ' green' in Homer, 
commanded by Joshua Ballard, and officered by 
the cherished names of David Coye, Isaac Rindge, 
Stephen Knapp, Henry De Voe, and others, with 
Roswell Lee as trumpeter, and ' Hi.' Herrick as 
color-bearer; or the brilliant company of gren- 
adiers, dressed in beautiful uniforms and com- 
manded by Hezekiah Roberts, with Jeremiah 
Day on the fife, and Jerry Selkreg on the drum, 
as his chief musicians ; or the heavy artillery, 
with its brass ordnance, marching with stately 
tread through the streets of Homer, and com- 
manded by Benajah Tubbs ; or the rifle com- 
pany, in uniform of green tunics and feathers in 
caps, moving on the double-quick, and com- 
manded by John Etz. 

"0, who that shared them ever shall forget 

The emotions of that spirit-rousing time," 

when the old-fashioned "general training day' 

occurred in the village of Homer, and General 

Daniel Miller,' in full military dress, including 

1 General Miller, whose name has often occurred in 
these pages, was for a time on the Niagara frontier in the 
War of i8i2. It is said of him (hat he gained his knowl- 
edge of how to handle men by military tactics through 
practice with kernels of corn, before he left his home ; but 
he acknowledged after his return, that when it came to 
commanding men in the field, he found a vast difference, 
which made it difficult to apply his hard-earned knowledge. 



a tall, straight yellow jjlume and chapeau and 
buff pants, bestriding his caparisoned horse, with 
erect and stately mein and commanding look, 
took his station with his staff" to receive the 
marching salute of the regiment. A jjicket guard 
had to be stationed to withstand the jjress of the 
multitude. 

" It was a marked era in the history of the old 
brigade when Roswell Randall became its com- 
mandant. He was a model military officer, 
possessed of faultless taste in the matters of mil- 
itary dress, and was fond of the splendors of mil- 
itary parades. The brigade staff was composed 
of Enos Stimson, brigade inspector; J. De Puy 
Freer, judge advocate; John D. Matthews, sur- 
geon ; Henry S. Randall, aid ; Hiram C. Mc- 
Kay, quartermaster, and George Barber, pay- 
master. On the resignation of Major Stimson, 
the writer of this number was appointed by the 
governor as brigade inspector. 

" In the uniform of the general and staff", and 
the trappings of the horses, the military regula- 
tions were fully carried out. Nothing was want- 
ing. The county was laid under contribution 
for the best horses for annual parades. These 
were palmy days in the military annals of the 
county. 

" General Randall possessed manly beauty and 
a graceful horsemanship, combined with a thor- 
ough knowledge of inilitary evolutions. He was 
ambitious to sustain the organization of the mili- 
tia, and to have the reviews command not only 
the respect but the admiration of the people. 
His words and his example were felt throughout 
the military ranks of the county, and were effect- 
ual in improving discipline and exciting admira- 
tion for the parades and maneuvers of the regi- 
ments. 

"This was the period when Eleazer May was 
the colonel of the regiment which met at Homer; 
William Squires, colonel of the regiment which 
met at Virgil; Eli C. Dickinson, colonel of the 
regiment which met at Cincinnatus; and Judah 
Pierce, colonel of the battalion which met at 
Truxton. 

"The general and staff' were accustomed to 
ride in carnages until within a short distance of 
the hotel quarters, and then to mount the led 
horses and ride into town under the animating 
blasts of the bugle, and with quickened pace, 



MiLiTARV History. — The 76111 Regiment. 



95 



forming in platoon before tlie hotel, when every 
rider Vould deliver at command a ])istol shot. 
This was a sort of prelude for the awakening 
scenes of the day. .\fter the review was a state- 
ly march of tlie regiment from the jiarade ground 
along the streets of the town, escorting the gen- 
eral and staff, with banners flying, and the mul- 
titude electrified with scores of 'ear- piercing 
fifes,' and scores of 'spirit-stirring drums,' em- 
phasized with the roar of cannon. Then came 
the halt and the official dismissal, and thus 'gen- 
eral training day' was closed. 

"The only surviving regimental commandant 
of that period is Colonel William Squires, now 
(1878) a resident of Marathon. In the vigor of 
his years he had a passion for the military. He 
soon rose to the command of a regiment, and 
then it was that he began to display that re- 
markable magnetic power over a corps of men 
in the field which gave him renown. He would 
maneuver a regiment so that they would go 
through successive evolutions with the regularity 
of the pieces in a game of chess. It was a no- 
ble military spectacle, and gave delight to the 
encircling field of beholders. But the general 
and most of his staft", and the field officers of the 
several regiments, have been dismissed from 
duty in life's campaign." 

CORTLAND COUNTY IX THE WAR OF THE 
REBELLION. 
When the startling news of the defeat of 
the northern army at Bull Run in 1861 
came flashing from the telegraph, the peo- 
ple from among whom had marched that 
army — a host great in numbers and be- 
lie\'ed to be invincible against the boasting 
enemies of the government — could scarce- 
ly believe the appalling intelligence. The 
great army beaten by a lot of rioters I Fly- 
ing in defeat to the defenses of Washing- 
ton ! It could not be true. The sequel is 
well known history. The North, for a mo- 
ment paralyzed, quickly recovered, and 
united in one grand military eftbrt to put 
down the unholy attempt to sever the Union 
and perpetuate an institution founded and 
fostered in human oppression and wrong. 



One of the minor features, yet one which 
was momentous in its consequences, of this 
great effort, was the meeting of a few ear- 
nest men in a law office in Cortland village, 
to consider what could be done here to- 
wards aiding the government in its wrestle 
with the rebels. At this meeting there was 
much diversity of opinion. One full com- 
pany, that of Captain Clark, had already 
left the county in the 23d Regiment N. Y. 
v., many had gone in the old 12th Regi- 
ment and other organizations, and it was 
feared b\- some that another company could 
not be organized in the county, and if it 
could that it would not be wise to thus drain 
the community of its young and able-bodied 
men. Others held different views. In at- 
tendance at the meeting was Nelson W. 
Green, a man of sanguine, nervous temper- 
ament, who had been partially educated at 
West Point, whence he was discharged on 
account of a wound. It was, Mr. Green 
who advanced and supported the sugges- 
tion that an entire regiment could be easily 
raised in Cortland count}'. After proper 
consideration it was decided to make the 
attempt, and Colonel Green was accordingly 
authorized by the State to proceed with the 
work. A circular was prepared setting 
forth the object in view, and giving instruc- 
tions to recruits as to what course to pur- 
sue, and signed by about thirty of the lead- 
ing citizens of Cortland village ; these were 
distributed throughout the county. Meet- 
ings were held in every town, and enlist- 
ments went forward so rapidly that an order 
was soon obtained for the formation of a 
military camp at Cortland. The grounds 
of the County Agricultural Society were 
leased for this purpose, and on the 26th of 
September, 1S61, the enlisted men were 
as.sembled in camp. Recruiting continued 
in every school district, and the organiza- 
tion of the regiment under the inspiring 
number, Seventy-Si.x, seemed to be near at 



96 HiSTORV OF CORTLAXD COCSTY. 

band, wbco, oc Z'eceniber. art »mi t5ak>gae 

event C'Ccnrred ■% :teii~e ex'rite- 

ment. and threatened to end the carmoay ^^^ Grt^- — "Hje {XEoaer ^itxiii mx ka¥« 

and peace of the reganent Amoag th ^"^ 

as Andrew. . 7" , ^' . 

- . A Oreen — I>o woa recse B> ooer hit 

- :y, woo na . :: ' ' ' 

joiied the regiment in October with abG_ Mc>»en:— I <to.sadiocdasw 

ie«i-enty men. To these were ac: i ^ '^CtA. Gieai (tfemoondng: and ckawiBg a 

or t- : r'nt from \ates c :_ ,r ssaJl Sauh &: Wesson petnl) — W3I Toa re- 

H. - - -O was mae^r- s. IiCEienanc rire lO tost ijaart^rs ? 

in Company A. In the Latter part of No- -Cape McXetr — I w51 boc sk. 

ins rmnn r-m and to Allegfianir cocnt^- to 'J^s^rter^ 

pFOcnre more nien. We will grre the de- "'- -^ - ::— as-sir. 

soc ar: ^loot me ityna dare. 
Smrth : — ^_ 

- Og t&e ttimu of Carcain McXai. Colonel ^ . - t-;_ _,,,_l- \r<-v— - i.,,,^^^--,-^^ 

■ -::- -"-"-rT" — : ^■"'" "- !-t3;j nsed tEs; leave - - , y, - 

TO ?irr tiD scrnfe is. ._ .„.^ ., 

i : ^ _ _ ; _ _ : T-.c_ Wjir '1:1 -_ 

- .- J - -. — c paj'Sr as _— -_ 

-ed. Heis Car'taEa McNett 

aica:!--— 1- . :i„ _ 

'^'^^^^^^^^ ■ " Ms pacrajtsc cxntzse. endeared Mmsrif to n..:.: 
xahsLWzz ,: -VetxDT _,: .-.„-. __-- - ^ _ _ ^^^^^^ 

McXecr made a fcrnial resstartce. btcr nnhcn:- . T trhe^ t^ 

in die fectc^sn cfsar cblLowed eMs a^^. ^Bctte- 

_ - _ -a— LijT was mBbnEe-i ; c 

ordered Cac'Csni McSes m. cfiose sefesc m dse faines W.jod bo i~ .-- 

laid BO sscectam die fects- aad m demean it*"^ 

pamEsaoQ som dse ccnunandanc of die ^asc -.-t=catvr 

~ xbsz day merdie oEcecs ot die resanjaii:. wsert 

'^ *^°*P- . ^ dte ir~ 

- provai of tae coarse '^g''" by Coiciiei Or:: 

bete -_---- . . - -^ --: -- ..-_,.3,^; --^_,.:-^ Teener- - 

some drtnimlrv. and on his retnm. wtsea riifing -qs^^ss.^ 

diaE'^Iie capcan was oa^ds the door s ftfffciffg csHfaer Genaal W.doc aCTn aiec die oc: - 

' 3Z &- ■ 

dsooaa near el wtiere ke had rsoned ej get Cofcuid Greai was arrested^ on a err- - : 

: ^^ :5- As CapQiQ ^ _ ' - . 

2ear die doer. --.^ 



Military History. — The 76TI1 Regiment. 



97 



Oyer and Terminer to be held in January fol- 
lowing, to answer an indictment to be found 
against him for assault with intent to kill." ' 

Orders were received on the i6th of De- 
cember to proceed to Albany and on the 
1 8th the regiment left home and friends for 
the dangers and hardships of the battle- 
field. They arrived at Albany on the even- 
ing of the same day and were placed in 
barracks, where many suffered severely from 
the cold. 

A court of inquiry had been ordered in 
Colonel Green's case and, after an investi- 
gation of three days, he was placed in com- 
mand of the regiment by the governor, on 
the 28th. 

While the 76th had been recruiting in 
Cortland county, similar work had been in 
progress in Otsego county, resulting, early 
in January, in the departure for Albany 
from Cherry Valley of six companies (con- 
solidated into five) of the 39th regiment of 
National Guard, under command of Col. 
John D. Shaul, who had tendered the sen,'- 
ices of his regiment to the government. 
These five companies were captained by A. 
L. Swan, J. E. Cook, J. W. Young, E. N. 
Hanson and N. Bowdish. The. Cortland 
branch of the 76th numbered about 800 
men ; the governor wisely concluding that 
it would not be politic to send Col. Green 
and Capt. McNett to the front in the same 
regiment, transferred the latter and his com- 
pany to the 93 d New York, then stationed j 
at Albany. At the same time, Capt. J. V. 
White, who had joined the 76th with about 
forty-five men, was transferred by his re- ! 
quest to the 3d New York Artillery. The 
remaining companies of the 76th were con- 
soUdated into seven — A, B, C, D, E, F, 
and G. Three companies were then trans- 
ferred from the Otsego regiment to the 

1 Colonel Green was subsequently tried, the jury failed 
to agree and a nolU prosequi was entered npon the in- ] 
dictmenL | 



76th, Captain Swan's company becoming 
Co. H ; Captain Cook's Co. I, and Captain 
Young's Co. K. Each of these companies, 
so far as possible, retained its own officers. 
The field and staff officers were appointed 
as follows : — 

Colonel — N. W. Green, of Cortland. 

Lieutenant-Colonel — John D. Shaul, of 
Springfield. 

Major — Charles E. Livingston, of New 
York city. 

Surgeon — J. C. Nelson, of Truxton. 

Assistant-Surgeon — Geo. W. Metcalfe, 
of Otsego county. 

Chaplain — H. Stone Richardson, of New 
York Mills. 

Adjutant — Heman F. Robinson, of Cort- 
land. 

Quartermaster — A. P. Smith, of Cort- 
land. 

Quartermaster-Sergeant — Albert J. Jar- 
vis, of Cortland. 

Commissary-Sergeant — William Storrs, 
of Allegany. 

The line officers of the regiment were 
as follows : — 

Company A — Captain, Andrew J. Gro- 
ver ; First Lieutenant, Charles H. George ; 
Second Lieutenant, H. W. Pierce. 

Company B — Captain, Oscar C. F"ox ; 
First Lieutenant, C. D. Crandall; Second 
Lieutenant, W. Stuart Walcott. 

Company C — Captain, Gilman J. Crit- 
tenden ; First Lieutenant, E. R. Weaver; 
Second Lieutenant, M. P. Marsh. 

Company D — Captain, Charles L. Wat- 
rous; First Lieutenant, E. D. Van Slyck ; 
Second Lieutenant, • 

Company E — Captain, Wm. H. Powell; 
First Lieutenant, John H. Ballard; Second 
Lieutenant, S. M. Powell. 

Company F — Captain, John F. Barnard; 
First Lieutenant, E. A. Mead ; Second 
Lieutenant, Wm. W. Green. 

Company G — Captain, Wm. Lansing; 



98 



History of Cortland County. 



First Lieutenant, Aaron Saj^cr; Second 
Lieutenant, James L. Goddard. 

Company H — Captain, Amos L. Swan; 
First Lieutenant, M. B. Cleveland; Second 
Lieutenant, Robert Story. 

Company I — Captain, John E. Cook; 
First Lieutenant, H. A. Hiodyett; Second 
Lieutenant, Riciiard Williams. 

Company K — Captain, John W. Young; 
First Lieutenant, C. A. Watkins; Second 
Lieutenant, C. M. Gaylord. 

On the 1 6th day of January the 76th 
received orders to march to New York on 
the following day. On the 17th they 
marched to the capitol, where a beautiful 
stand of colors was presented to the regi- 
ment by S. R. Campbell, esq., in behalf of 
his mother, Mrs. Samuel Campbell, of New 
York Mills. Mr. Samuel Campbell had 
been a sort of a godfather to the regiment, 
as he had presented the colonel and chap- 
lain each with a fine black steed, fully 
equipped, and in man\- other ways had 
shown his devotion and liberality. The 
beautiful banner was accepted by Colonel 
Green in an appropriate speech. 

After these ceremonies the regiment em- 
barked for New. York where they arrived 
the following day at noon. They went into 
quarters at the City Hall Park Barracks, 
where they remained until January 21st, 
when the regiment was transferred to Riker's 
Island, about ten miles up East river. Leav- 
ing New York, the regiment reached Phila- 
delphia on the 30th, and on the afternoon of 
the 31st was in Baltimore. At midnight 
the following night they reached Washing- 
ton, going into camp at Meridian Hill. 
Here occurred the first death in the regi- 
ment, that of William B. Potter, a private 
in Company A. He died on the 19th of 
February, 1862. His body was sent home 
to his friends in the town of Taylor. 

On the 24th day of Februarj' the 76th, 
which was not yet assigned to a brigade, 



was moved from Meridian 11 ill to occup)' 
Forts De Russey, Massachusetts, Totten and 
Slemmer. About this time it was decided 
by the authorities that the regiment was 
not in fit condition to take the field, on ac- 
count of internal dissensions which had 
arisen. Most of the officers had united in 
preferring charges against Col. Green, which 
charges were then in course of investigation 
in Washington. This placed Lieut.-Colonel 
Shaul in command of the regiment. Colo- 
nel Green was final!}- sent home and dis- 
missed the service. This unfortunate con- 
troversy for a time almost destroyed the 
prospective usefulness of the regiment and 
it was generally agreed that nothing would 
thoroughly harmonize the existing dififcr- 
ences but an active campaign. 

On the 2 1st of Ma\' the regiment was 
ordered to Fredericksburg, producing a 
gratifying change in the feelings of men and 
officers, and on the following morning, after 
marching five miles to Washington, took 
a steamer down the Potomac to Aquia 
creek, where they disembarked about mid- 
night and bivouacked. In the afternoon 
of the ne.xt day the march was continued 
towards Fredericksburg, eighteen miles dis- 
tant. At 10 o'clock in the night of the 
following da\', weary and saturated with the 
falling rain, the 76th came in sight of Fred- 
ericksburg. It had been assigned to Brig- 
adier-General Abner Doubleday's Brigade, 
and remained in camp near F"redericksburg, 
with little to vary the monotony and routine 
of camp life, until August 9th. Foraging 
expeditions, in which the 76th was notori- 
ously successful, were often organized, ^ and 

1 It was customary to settle with the owners of live 
stock carried off on these expeditions with what were 
termed " slow notes," which the reluctant denizen of the 
Confederacy was compelled to accept for want of anything 
more satisfactory. KoUowing is a verbatim copy of one 
of these notes, given by the 76th : — 

"The undersigned freely acknowledges to have re- 
ceived, on the 1st day of July, 1S62, from Wal- 
lace, of King George county, \'a., for the use and service 



Milharv lIisTORV. — The 76111 Regiment. 



99 



served to relieve tlie monotony of both diet 
and camp life. 

After remaining on the north bank of 
the Rappahannock about a week, the regi- 
ment was sent across the river to guard the 
city, depot, bridge, etc. Major Livingston 
of the 76th was made Militar}- Governor, a 
position which he filled with the most thor- 
ough efficiency. 

On the 2d of Jul)-, Colonel William P. 
Wainwright having been assigned to the 
command of the regiment, he assumed the 
position and at once instituted regular and 
persistent drill, which had thus far been 
much neglected. This constant drill, though 
soon looked upon with some disfavor by the 
rank and file, was afterward estimated at its 
true value ; for it was but a short time before 
the regiment was engaged in one of the 
severest battles of the war. 

That the reader may more clearly under- 
stand the part which the 76th took in this 
battle it may be well to state the different 
organizations composing King's Division, 
the First Division of the First Corps. The 
First Brigade of this division was under com- 
mand of General Hatch, and comprised the 
2d regiment of U. S. Sharpshooters and four 
regiments of New York troops. The Sec- 
ond Brigade was under command of Gen- 
eral Doubleday, and comprised the 76th and 
the 9Sth New York Regiments and the 56th 
Pennsylvania, to which was afterwards added 
the 7th Indiana. The Third Brigade was 
untler General Gibbon and comprised one 
Indiana and three Wisconsin regiments. 

On the 9th of August orders were re- 
ceived for this division to leave Fredericks- 

of the U. S. of America, one pony, eight mules, six fat 
cattle, ten good sheep, one wagon load of potatoes, one 
wagon load of vegetables, which I have valued at one 
thousand dollars. This voucher will be payable at the 
conclusion of the war, upon sufficient testimony being 
presented that the said Wallace has been a loyal citizen 
of the U. S. from the date hereof. 

"Cn.iRi.Es H. Watkins, a. Q. M., U. S. A. 
"By order of Brig.-Gen. Abner Doubi.edav." 



burg and join the First Corps at Culpepper. 
At ten o'clock of the loth the 76th reached 
Chancellorsville, where information was re- 
ceived that General Banks was then en- 
gaged with Stonewall Jackson, and the 
troops must be hurried up to reinforce him. 
The inarch was kept up through that and 
the following days, and the next morning 
intelligence was received that a bloody bat- 
tle had been fought at Cedar Mountain on 
the 9th, and Jackson had withdrawn his 
forces. The brigade of General Doubleday 
camped between Culpepper Court House 
and Cedar Mountain, and on the i6th 
marching orders were received ; from that 
date until the 21st the brigade was in mo- 
tion most of the time, but to little purpose. 
In the mean time the army had withdrawn 
to the north bank of the Rappahannock, 
while Jackson, heavih' reinforced from Rich- 
mond, confronted us on the opposite bank. 
On the 21st artillery firing was begun by 
both armies, and the 76th was marched 
about a mile to take a position in rear of a 
battery, passing in plain view of a rebel 
battery, by which it was shelled. This was 
the first time the regiment was under fire. 
The next morning vigorous cannonading 
was reopened and kept up for three days, 
during which several men in the 76th were 
wounded, but none killed. On the 24th 
the regiment was marched to Warrenton, 
and on the 26th to Sulphur Springs, where 
an artillery engagement was in progress. 
Remaining here through one night they 
joined with the remainder of General Pope's 
army, which had waited in vain since the 
22d for reinforcements, and turned in re- 
treat towards Washington. 

The 28th of August, 1862, will long be 
remembered by survivors and friends of the 
76th as the day on which the regiment was 
first brought into actual battle. The event 
is thus described by the historian before 
quoted : — 



LOfC 



lOO 



History of Cortland County. 



"As the brigade again took up its line of 
march, evidences were multiplied that things 
were coming to a crisis. Constant cannonading 
was heard in different directions ; squads of cav- 
alry rode furiously through the cross-roads and 
fields, while the smoke of battle could be seen 
rising in ominous clouds in the distance. After 
passing ("lainesville a mile or two, as the brigade, 
and more particularly that portion of it formed 
by the 76th, was moving over a level tract of 
half a mile in extent, with a wood in their front 
and a hill at their left, they were nearly paralyzed 
for a moment by a terrible discharge of artillery 
from the hill, and so near that the flash from the 
guns dazzled their eyes. . . . Some dropjjcd 
down ; others rushed forward upon those in ad- 
vance, while others still were inclined to turn 
back. Never was the example of a cool and 
courageous man more opportunely set than by 
Colonel Wainwright at this critical juncture. 
Riding at the head of his regiment, he instantly 
turned his horse, and coolly riding back toward 
the rear of the column, between it and the rebel 
battery, as well by his easy and unconcerned 
manner as by his words, allayed the excitement 
and brought every man to his place. 

" 'O, my boys, don't run. don't run. Think a 
moment how it would sound to say, "the 76th 
ran." ' 

" No pen can describe the magic effect of those 
words, and that collected self-possession. Quiet- 
ly turning his horse he allowed him to almost 
walk toward the head of the column ; and, al- 
though the shells came thicker and faster, and 
with a more dangerous and destructive aim, the 
men kept steadily on until the wood was reached. 
But a few moments elapsed after entering the 
wood before sharp and continuous musketry 
firing was heard very near and up the hill hid- 
den by the woods. A strange officer came rid- 
ing down through the wood shouting : — 

" ' Come on ! Come on, quick ! ' 

"The 76th was immediately in motion, over 
fences, through bushes, around the trees, over 
logs, the bullets and shells tearing through the 
woods like a hail storm. Several of the men 
were killed and wounded before leaving the wood. 
After going about twenty rods the regiment 
emerged into an open field. Here was battle in 
real earnest. Just in front and a litde to the left 



were the gallant boys of the 'Iron Brigade' 
(three Wisconsin and one Michigan regiments), 
fighting and falling in a manner terrible to be- 
hold. Just at this juncture, as the rebels were 
])reparing in great numbers, in the woods be- 
yond, for a charge u])on our lines, the 76th and 
the s6th Pennsylvania were ordered into line to 
fill a gap between the 6th and 7th Wisconsin 
Regiments. By this timely movement the noble 
'Iron Brigade' was saved from total annihilation. 

" On coming near the enemy Colonel Wain- 
wright thought it prudent to deploy a few files 
as skirmishers. He called up Captain Crover, 
Company A, and told him what he wanted. 
How well and nobly it was jjerformed was evi- 
denced by several wounds received on that oc- 
casion. 

" During a lull in the action a body of men 
was seen moving on the extreme left flank. As 
they came foi ward they shouted : 

" ' Don't shoot your own men.' 

" .-Vt that distance it seemed doubtful whether 
they were friends or enemies, and it w'as not 
without hesitation that the Colonel gave the or- 
der, 'By the left oblique. Aim! Fire!' No 
rebel of that column who escaped death, will 
forget that volley. It seemed like one gun. . . . 
When the smoke cleared away a little, the few 
left of that mass of human beings, who had so 
rapidly left the woods a few moments before, had 
disappeared, but the ground was literally covered 
with their dead and wounded. The 76th went 
into this fight with 224 men, of which, in the 
hour's struggle, ten were killed, seventy- two 
wounded, and eighteen missing. Five officers, 
four of whom w ere captured, were wounded, and 
many of the wounded were unable ever to take 
the field. 

"Among the many examples of rare heroism 
performed in this engagement it will be just to 
mention the following : William H. Miller was 
early wounded in the foot, but refused to be car- 
ried from the field, and remained on the ground 
loading and firing. John L. Wood continued 
firing after his thumb was shot off, until he re- 
ceived a mortal wound. Daniel McGregor re- 
ceived a wound in his thigh from which he after- 
wards died, yet he rested on his other knee and 
continued firing until too weak from loss of blood. 
Sergeant Lawrence Banker, dying on the field, 



Military History. — The 76TH Regiment. 



lOI 



sent his brother from his side with tlie words : 
'Leave me and rush to the front!' Albert OHn, 
wounded in the arm, continued firing until dis- 
abled by another shot in the shoulder. James 
J. Card, although covered with blood from a 
wound m the head, continued firing until he was 
shot in the arm. Captain Fox received a ball 
in his lungs, and Captain Sager, while bra\ely 
leading his men, was terribly wounded, a bullet 
passing entirely through his body. All the offi- 
cers displayed great bravery and coolness, call- 
ing out in Colonel Wainwright's report the ex- 
pression : 'I cannot too much praise the men 
who supplied want of previous military prepara- 
tion by their own nerve and resolution.' " 

Similar conduct characterized this noble 
organization all through its terrible and 
destructive campaign, and the above ex- 
amples of special acts of bravery are not 
intended to reflect in any way upon other 
members of the regiment, many of whom 
afterwards displayed equal heroism ; but 
which cannot manifestly all be noted in 
detail. 

On the 29th of August the 76th sus- 
tained an honorable part in the second bat- 
tle of Bull Run, losing in the three days of 
fighting, skirmishing and marching, nine 
officers and eighty-eight men killed and 
wounded, and one officer and forty- eight 
men missing. The general retreat was con- 
tinued until the night of September 1st, 
when the 76th reached Upton Hill, ending 
the short but severe campaign. Following 
is a summary of the report of Colonel 
Wainwright : — 

" Beginning with the retreat from Cellar 
Mountain and, in the case of the 76th, with the 
march from Fredericksburg, it is seldom that an 
army is required to undergo more than our men 
performed. With scarcely a day's intermission, 
the Third Corps to which this regiment belonged 
was either making forced marclies, often in the 
night, and through the hottest days of August, 
frequently without proper water, much of the 
time without food, or engaged in battles as se- 
vere and destructive as had taken ])lace during 



this war. The regiment had already been under 
fire at five different battles. It had left New 
York with nearly one thousand men. The ex- 
])osures of camp and those diseases incident to 
acclimation, had so reduced it that when it left 
Fredericksburg it contained about four hundred 
and fifty officers and men, and now, after the 
struggles of this campaign, though several had 
rejoined it from Fredericksburg and elsewhere, 
it only numbered about two hundred and twenty- 
five. Of the thirty line officers, only six re- 
mained — a fearful reduction in both officers 
and men." 

Colonel Wainwright's report was accom- 
panied by a request that the regiment be 
recruited, supplied with officers and a little 
rest be given to put it in condition to take 
the field. The only answer to this request 
was an order to march, half- equipped, to 
South Mountain, Antietam and elsewhere. 
On the 6th of September the division 
was ordered to march through Washington, 
across the Potomac and into Maryland. On 
the 14th they passed through Frederick 
City, Md., and the next day played a con- 
spicuous and honorable part in the terrible 
battle of South Mountain. Up the side of 
that steep and rugged eminence, in the 
calm quiet of a beautiful Sabbath afternoon, 
the troops toiled toward the scene of ap- 
proaching carnage. As the brigade neared 
the summit, firing in front became more 
distinct and they soon entered the last line 
of forest skirting the crown of the moun- 
tain. Here a halt was made and bayonets 
fixed. The brigade occupied the left of 
the division, and the 76th the extreme left 
of the brigade ; so that the left flank of the 
regiment was uncovered. On the right 
of the 76th was the 56th Pennsylvania. 
Through the woods came the rebel bullets, 
tearing the trees and shrieking overhead, 
whije just ahead came the cheers and yells 
of the opposing troops. Hatch's Brigade 
had preceded Doubleday's Brigade and was 
now hcavih- engaged. While thus bravely 



102 



History of Cortland County. 



holding the ground, Doubleday's Brigade 
rushed with a shout to their reUef. Hatch's 
Brigade retired, while tlie 76th and other 
regiments poured the deadly hail upon the 
enemy. Charge after charge was made by 
the rebels to break our lines, but each was 
repulsed, and thus for half an hour this 
brigade stood its ground against vastly 
superior numbers.^ 

Through the remainder of this destruc- 
tiv-e battle the 76th bore itself with the 
most heroic braver)-, suffering several direct 
attacks from the enemy, about twenty men 
of the little band, including Colonel Wain- 
wright, falling killed or wounded from the 
effects of one single volley. It was, per- 
haps, the severest fighting the regiment 
took part in during the war. 

The next morning the fragment of a 
brigade was given opportunity to light fires, 
after the decisive victor}', but their coffee 
and hard tack was scarcely disposed of before 
they were to march towards Boonesborough. 
The wounded were sent back to Fredericks- 
burg, while the troops went forivard after a 
retreating enemy. The 76th took part in 
the battle of Antietam, in which several 
were wounded, but its action was chiefly in 
support of artiller)'. 

The 2Sth of October found the 76th 
again across the Potomac and ten miles into 
the State of Virginia, where they remained 
two days. On the ist of November the 
brigade was sent to Snicker's Gap to pre- 

1 Charles E. Stamp, of Company A, who was promoted 
to color-bearer for gallantrj- in 5a\ing the colors at Gaines- 
\-ille, was carrjing the colors in this occasion. As the 
regiment was ordered to ad^'ance, not obeying quite as 
promptly as this hero desired, he rushed forward about a 
rod in advance of the regiment, while the bullets were 
falling thickly around him, and planting the flag staff in 
the ground, shouted: "There! come up to that." But 
he made too good a mark, and before the regiment had 
time to obey the order, a fatal ball pierced his forehead 
and Charley Stamp, one of the truest and best men in 
the regiment, was mustered out of the army militant and 
mustered into the army triumphant. — Smith's Ilistetry 
o/tlu "jbth Regiment. 



vent an attack from that direction, in sup- 
port of a cav^alrj' force under Gen. Pleasan- 
ton. The brigade was at this time under 
command of Lieut. -Colonel Hoffman, of 
the 56th Pennsylvania. During the suc- 
ceeding three days the 76th was under fire 
most of the time. On the 6th of Novem- 
ber, after hard marching, they reached 
Warrenton and camped four days within 
two miles ,of the town. Here Col. Wain- 
wright rejoined the regiment. Ten days 
later the regiment went into camp at Brooks's 
Station, on the railroad from Aquia Creek 
to Fredericksburg, where it halted just six 
months before, after its first day's march in 
Virginia. On the I2th of December the 
regiment crossed the Rappahannock near 
Fredericksburg and assumed guard of the 
lower pontoon bridge at that point. In 
the battle which opened the next day 
Doubleday's division formed the, extreme 
left of the army and the brigade in which was 
the 76th was on the right of that division. 
The battle raged from nine in the morning 
until eight in the evening, and our men 
suffered terribly. The principal feature of 
the battle, as far as Doubleday's Di\ision 
was concerned, was its brilliant charge over 
a broad plain, facing a destructive fire of 
shot and shell, while from the right swept 
down the death-dealing missiles from rebel 
batteries. In this charge the 76th partici- 
pated with its accustomed gallantry-. The 
regiment went into the battle with 1 1 2 pri- 
vates ; of this handful, eleven were killed 
and wounded. 

While stationed near Fredericksburg the 
division was compelled to lose its brave 
commander. General Doubleday was trans- 
ferred to another division of the same corps, 
and was succeeded by General Wadsworth. 
General Doubleday was the man who fired 
the first gun in Fort Sumter; he was a 
soldier from principle, a man of great 
bravery and the oflicers and men of the 



Military History. — The 76TH Regiment. 



103 



76th parted with him with the most sincere 
regret. 

January 20th, 1863, Gen. Burnside issued 
an order announcing to the .Vrmy of the 
Potomac that they were soon to move, as 
he had decided upon a winter campaign. 
E^verything was put in readiness and the 
grand army ad\-anced. Tliree days of 
marching through swollen streams, caused 
by heavy rains, while the mud was of that 
depth that rendered progress nearly im- 
possible, and the 76th found themselves 
again in their old winter quarters, Burnside 
having abandoned the proposed campaign. 

On the 28th of April the regiment broke 
camp and marched to the Rappahannock, 
which they reached four miles below Fred- 
ericksburg, where they aided in laying a 
pontoon bridge, and the following night 
made preparations for the expected battle 
of the ne.xt day. Captain Swan, of Co. H, 
was wounded by a piece of shell during 
that night. The following day was occupied 
by vigorous artillery firing and the next 
morning, in a dense fog, the 76th was or- 
dered on picket duty part way across the 
open plain in front. The position was 
reached, but when the fog lifted, the regi- 
ment found itself within a few rods of the 
rebel arm}-. A fearful volley was fired by 
the latter, but the 76th fell flat on their 
faces and the bullets passed over their heads. 
All that day the regiment lay there close to 
the enemy, not daring to lift a hand. At 
length under the cover of darkness a hast\' 
retreat was made from the undesirable situ- 
ation. Several were wounded during the 
day. 

On the 2d of May the whole F"irst Corps 
crossed to the north side of the Rappahan- 
nock and were hurried on towards United 
States Ford, twenty miles up the river, 
where they bivouacked for the night. At 
daylight next morning the stream was 
crossed and at si.x o'clock the 76th reached 



the battle-field, where the fight soon opened 
with great fury. During the first day's 
fighting the regiment supported a battery 
of thirty-six guns, which repeatedly re- 
pulsed charges by Stonewall Jackson's forces, 
and on the 3d retreated with the army 
across the river, arriving in the afternoon at 
Falmouth, tired and discouraged with re- 
peated failures to accomplish anything de- 
cisive. 

On the 13th the first addition of men 
was made to the 76th, about fifty being as- 
signed to it from the 24th New York, and 
two hundred more, with five officers, were 
added on the 24th from the 30th New York. 
The succeeding month was spent in camp 
in Falmouth. 

It having become apparent towards the 
last of May that General Lee's army was 
contemplating some general movement, 
General Hooker submitted to President Lin- 
coln a suggestion that all the troops whose 
operations could have an\- influence on Lee's 
army should be placed under one command. 
This was not done ; but certain other orders 
relating to prospective operations were 
transmitted instead ; and for two weeks the 
army of the Potomac was in that state of 
unrest which usually preceded some mo- 
mentous movement. 

After a campaign of marching, some of 
which was the most severe the regiment was 
ever compelled to undergo, the 76th left the 
soil of Virginia on the 25th of June, and, 
crossing the Potomac at Edwards's Ferry, 
marched past Sugar-Loaf Mountain on the 
26th and went into camp at Jefferson, Mary- 
land. The next day their camp was not far 
from the battle-field of South Mountain ; the 
following day they marched to Frederick 
City, and on the 29th, w hile acting as wagon- 
guard, they marched a distance of thirty 
miles to Emmettsburg, where they went into 
camp. Here the regiment was mustered for 
I pay by Major Grover, then in command ; but, 



104 



History of Cortland County. 



it being late in the day, a portion of the regi- 
ment went on picket duty, and the certifi- 
cates of muster could not be signed b}- the 
Major that night ; indeed, they were never 
signed by him, for before another day had 
passed, Major Grover and nearly one third 
of the brave men who answered to that 
muster, were called into that grand army 
from the roll-call of which none will be 
absent. 

The first gun in the bloody battle of Get- 
t\sburg was fired by the 76th ; and all 
through that period of carnage, too terrible 
almost for narration, the noble regiment was 
in the thickest of the fight. In General 
Cutler's report of this battle he says: "Ma- 
jor Grover, commanding the 76th N. Y. 
Volunteers, a brave and efficient officer, was 
killed early in the action, and the command 
devolved upon Captain John E. Cook, and 
most ably and faithfully did he perform his 
duty." 

The summing up of that field of death, 
as it relates to the 76th, is thus given by the 
historian of the regiment, as follows : — 

" The regiment went into the fight with three 
hundred and forty-eight men and twenty-seven 
officers, and in half an hour it lost two officers 
killed and sixteen wounded; twenty-seven men 
killed and one hundred and twenty-four wounded; 
making a total of killed and wounded, in the half 
hour, of eighteen officers and one hundred and 
fifty-one men, or over half the officers and nearly 
half the men expended in that brief period." 

The first of August found the 76th under 
orders to march to Beverly Ford on the 
Rappahannock, near the place where it was 
first under fire in 1862, with Captain B}-ram 
in command. 

On the 12th of September about two 
hundred and fifty conscripts were added to 
the thinned ranks of the regiment, and be- 
fore daylight of the 1 6th they were on their 
way to Culpepper, where they were paid 
off Here the time until October 12th was 
spent in drilling recruits, which had swelled 



the ranks of the regiment to about one 
thousand. From this time until near the 
last of the year the 76th was undergoing 
hard service, in long marches during inclem- 
ent weather, on picket duty, in support of 
batteries, and in skirmishes, principally in 
the vicinity of the Rappahannock, w'here 
Meade's army was then operating. 

On the 1 8th of December an event oc- 
curred in the regiment which it would be a 
pleasure to overlook ; this was the execu- 
tion of Winslow N. Allen, a private in Com- 
pany H, for desertion. Others who had re- 
ceived the death sentence for desertion had 
been pardoned, and almost to the hour of 
execution, the unfortunate man entertained 
the hope that the death penalty would be 
revoked. As the hour for the execution 
drew near Captain Swan visited the unfort- 
unate soldier and assured him that he must 
no longer indulge in hope, as it was all in 
vain, and he should prepare for his awful 
doom. As the ominous sound of the drum 
was heard, which was the signal to march to 
the place of execution, he said: "Captain, 
you have been kind to me, which I can only 
return by my prayers for your welfare." 
Handing the captain his pocket book he 
said: "Take this; it is all I have, and when 
I am gone, please lay this (a fervent prayer 
for one in his situation printed on a card) 
on my breast." 

As the solemn procession moved to the 
place of execution, Allen marched with a 
steady tread, but the sight of the open coffin 
and the yawning grave quite unmanned 
him. As the officer closed the reading of 
the charges, specifications, findings and or- 
der for his execution, the captain whispered: 
"Winslow, I can go no further with you; 
the rest of your dark journey is alone. Have 
you any last words for your wife and child ?" 
"No; only tell them I love them all." 
These were his last words. The captain 
stepped back ; the officer gave the signal ; 



Military History. — The 76TH Regiment. 



105 



the report as of a single gun rang out and 
Winslow N. Allen fell lifeless upon his coffin. 

On the 2d of February the 76th was pre- 
sented with a new stand of colors by the 
ladies of Cherry Valley. The old flag was 
now torn with the shots of at least eleven 
battles, in the front ranks of which it had 
been carried, and it was sent to Albany. 
Fourteen bullets, one shell and three frag- 
ments of shell had passed through the hon- 
orable banner. 

On the 4th of May, 1864, the Second 
Brigade broke camp at Culpepper and 
moved on the Rapidan river. This brigade 
was composed of the 76th, under command 
of Lieut.-Col. Cook ; the 14th Brooklyn, 
Col. Fowler; the 147th N. Y., Col. Miller; 
the 95th N. v.. Col. Pye, and the s6th Pa., 
Col. Hoffman. The brigade was under com- 
mand of General J. C. Rice. It crossed the 
Rapidan at Germania Ford and encamped 
near the Wilderness Tavern. On the skir- 
mish line, the first day of the battle of the 
Wilderness, the following officers of the 76th 
were captured: Capt. J. D. CK'de, First 
Lieut. Wm. Cahill, and Second Lieut. James 
Casler, of Company B. First Lieut. Wm. 
Buchanan, and Second Lieut. Wm. H. 
Myers, of Company F. Capt. E. J. Swan, 
First Lieut. Homer D. Call, and Second 
Lieut. Job K. Norwood, of Company K. 
Major Young was also captured the same 
day, and spent a year in rebel prisons. 

The part taken in the battles of the Wilder- 
ness by the Second Brigade (including the 
76th) is indicated by the fact that when it 
was reformed by Gen Rice, at 4 o'clock of 
the last day's fighting, it comprised detach- 
ments of eight regiments, the whole embrac- 
ing but four hundred and eight men — less 
than half of one regiment. 

On the 9th of May, and the two or three 
days following, the regiment was engaged in 
the battle of Spottsylvania. Here the brave 
General Rice was mortally wounded, and 



after his leg had been amputated he told the 
surgeon, when asked which way he would 
be turned to rest the most comfortably, to 
"turn my face to the enemy." General 
Rice was the third general who had been 
killed in less than a year while leading the 
76th and its companion regiments. 

On the 23d came the battle of North 
Anna, in which the 76th was honorably en- 
gaged. In his report of this action Col. 
Hoffman said : " In this action the officers 
and men behaved splendidly. I think to 
them is due the credit of saving the artil- 
lery from being cut off, and in all probabil- 
ity saving the army from a terrible disaster." 
The 76th was then under command of Capt. 
S. M. Byram. 

On the 13th of June the regiment crossed 
the Chickahoniiny, and on the i6th the 
James river was crossed and the march 
towards Petersburg begun. On the 17th 
the brigade was moved up to the front, 
where breastw-orks were thrown up before 
the strongly posted enemy, who were at- 
tacked on the morning of the iSth. In the 
fighting that followed, Capt. Byram, in com- 
mand of the regiment, fell severely wounded 
and never returned to the field. The brig- 
ade suffered severely, its casualties being 
eighty-four officers and fifteen hundred and 
fourteen men killed and wounded. Col. 
Hoffman's report said: "During the cam- 
paign the officers and men of the brigade 
have evinced great bravery, patriotism and 
fortitude. From May 3d to July 31st, a 
period of nearly ninety days, not more than 
five days passed that they were not under 
fire of the enemy." 

In the operations in front of Petersburg; 
the destruction of the Weldon railroad ; the 
sharp engagements at Hatcher's Run in the 
latter part of October ; on the Hicksford 
raid, etc., the 76th bore honorable part. 

Under date of December 7th, 1864, we 
, find the following statement in the history 



io6 



History of Cortland County. 



of the regiment from which we have so lib- 
erally drawn in preparing this sketch : — 

"The original term of enlistment of all the 
members of the 76th Regiment expired before this 
date, and had there been no re-enlistments, this 
history had terminated at this point. But so 
many had re-enlisted the preceding winter and 
spring, that two companies yet remained. These 
were under command of W. Earle Evans, now 
lieutenant, originally a private in Company F. 
The patriotism of these men will continue this 
narrative to the end of the war, and the triumph 
of the Union arms." ' 

In the expedition resulting in the destruc- 
tion of the Southside railroad, in February, 
1865, the 76th was engaged and lost from 
the handful of men who formerly belonged 
to the regiment, one killed and two wounded. 
The only officers of the old regiment en- 
eased were Lieuts. Martin Edgcomb and 
Geo. B. Hill. And so through that won- 
derful race after Lee's army, which evacu- 
ated Richmond under the pressure of Grant's 
tireless army, until, baffled, disheartened 
and conquered, the rebel general offered 
capitulations at Appomattox on the 9th of 
April, the little remnant of the magnificent 
organization that left Cortland to aid the 
government in its terrible struggle with 
treason, pressed on to the front, as it had 
always done, adding to its long list of he- 
roic deeds. 

After the grand review in Washington, 
" most of the volunteer forces," says the 
historian of the regiment, "were mustered 
out, the veteran regiments being retained 
until the last. As the organizations reached 

1 The last report of the olJ S<rz'enty-SixtA was made on 
the 15th of January, wh3e under the command of Cap- 
tain E. B. Cochrane. 



their homes they met with such receptions 
as returning heroes deserve — processions, 
banquets, speeches and all the outward 
tokens of welcome. Alas! no such recep- 
tion awaited the 76th. Its time having ex- 
pired in 1S64. but few of the men remained 
in the ser\'ice, and they had been absorbed 
in another organization. It had lost its 
identity, and its few remaining members 
came home singly and alone. But each 
member will ever point with just pride to 
those four words which sum up its glorious 
history : — 

" ' Expended in the service.' " 
The following is a chronological list of 
the battles participated in by the Sevent}"- 
SLxth Regiment: Rappahannock Station, 
Va., August 21st, 1862; Warrenton, Sul- 
phur Springs, Va., August 26th ; Gaines- 
ville, Va., August 28th ; Second Bull Run, 
Va., August 29th, 30th ; South Mountain, 
Md., September 14th ; Antietam, Md., Sep- 
tember 17th ; Snicker's Gap, Va., Xov^em- 
ber i-3d ; Fredericksburg, Va., December 
1 2th, 13th; Chancellors\'ilIe, Va., May i- 
5th, 1S63; Gett>'sburg, Pa., July i-4th ; 
Mine Run, Va., November 27th ; Wilder- 
ness, Va., May 5th, 6th, 1864; Laurel Hill, 
Va., May 8th ; SpottsyK'ania, Va., May 
I2tfi; North Aima, Va., May 24th; Tolo- 
potomy Creek, Va., June 1st; Coal Harbor, 
Va.,June3-5th; Petersburg, Va., June i8th 
Weldon Railroad, Va., August iS-2ist 
Poplar Grove Church, Va., September 30th 
First Hatcher's Run, Va., October 28th 
Hicksford Raid, Va., December 6-1 2th 
Second Hatcher's Run, Va., February- 6th, 
1865; Five Forks, Va., April ist; Lee's 
Surrender at Appomattox, Va., April 9th. 



Military History. — The is/tii Regiment. 



107 



CHAPTER XL 

military history. — the 157TII REGIMENT. 

Recruiting the 157th Regiment — Sources of the Different Companies — SatlTand Line Officers — Camp Mitchell 
— Ordered to the Front — In Camp at Arlington Heights — The Regiment Assigned — The First Death — At 
Centerville — Christmas in Front of Fredericksburg — In Burnside's "Mud Campaign" — Battle of Chancellors- 
ville — Severe Marching — Gettysburg — The Roll Call After the Battle — Recruiting and Reorganization — Engage- 
ment at Hilton Head — An Incident — Major Place as Provost Marshal — Mustered Out. 



THIS regiment was raised chiefly in 
Cortland and Madison counties. Com- 
pany C came from the towns of Cincinnatus, 
Taylor, Cuyler and Willet. Company D 
from Marathon, Freetown, Preble and Scott. 
Company E from Cortland, Virgil and Har- 
ford. Company H from Homer and Trux- 
ton ; and Company K from McGrawville, 
Marathon, Solon and Truxton. The re- 
mainder of the regiment was made up of 
Madison county men, except about thirty, 
who came from Chenango county. The 
regiment was ordered to rendezvous at 
Hamilton, Madison county, and while here 
on the 19th of September, 1862, was mus- 
tered into the United States service for a 
term of three years unless sooner discharged. 
The following were the regimental and line 
officers : — 

Colonel — P. P. Brown, Jr. 

Lieutenant - Colonel — George Arrow- 
smith. 

Major — J. C. Carmichael. 

Quartermaster — P. H. McGraw. 

Surgeon — H. C. Hendrick. 

Assistant- Surgeons — J. M. Crawe, F. 
D. Beebe. 

Adjutant — O. E. Messinger. 

Company A — Captain, J. H. Smith; 
First Lieutenant, George R. Seaton ; Sec- 
ond Lieutenant, J. L. Palmer. 

Company B — Captain, T. J. Randall; 
First Lieutenant, J. C. Ware ; Second Lieu- 
tenant, C. H. Van Slyke. 

Company C — Captain, Frank Place ; 



First Lieutenant, J. A. Coffin ; Second Lieu- 
tenant, Job D. Potter. 

Company D — Captain, W. O. Dunbar; 
First Lieutenant, S. Z. Miner ; Second Lieu- 
tenant, Luther L. Stillman. 

Company E — Captain, B. B. Andrews; 
First Lieutenant, J. K. Backus ; Second 
Lieutenant, B. F". Jones. 

Company F — Captain, J. R. Stone; First 
Lieutenant, W. A. Stone ; Second Lieuten- 
ant, Samuel Wickwire. 

Company G — Captain, Abram Tuttle ; 
First Lieutenant, W. D. Bailey ; Second 
Lieutenant, H. Frank. 

Company H — Captain, William Beck ; 
First Lieutenant, Buck; Second Lieu- 
tenant, George Adams. 

Company I — Captain, William Bellin- 
ger ; First Lieutenant, T. W. Priest ; Sec- 
ond Lieutenant, William Snider. 

Company K — Captain, N. M. Daniels; 
First Lieutenant, William Barnum ; Second 
Lieutenant, L. V. Kinney. 

The following constituted the non-com- 
missioned staff: — 

S^geant-Major — 15. S. Fitch. 

Quartermaster-Sergeant — C. O. New- 
ton. 

Commissary-Sergeant — A. W. Kings- 
bury. 

Hospital Steward Paige. 

Drum-Major — Alexander Bates. 

On the 25th of December the regiment 
left Camp Mitchell for the front. They ar- 
rived at Albany on the morning of tiie fol- 



io8 



History of Cortland County. 



lowing day, where a stand of colors was 
presented them, and soon afterward the 
regiment was en route for New York cit\ , 
where they arrived in the evening, and 
passed the night in City Hall Barracks. In 
a few days they were ordered to Washing- 
ton, and went into camp temporarily on 
Arlington Heights. On Tuesday, the 30th 
of September, the first march of the regi- 
ment was ordered to Camp Chase. On the 
I ith of October marching orders were re- 
ceived, and when reveille was sounded, long 
before daybreak on the following morning, 
the tents were quickly struck, and the reg- 
iment was soon ready for the advance. Af- 
ter a weary march they arrived at Fairfax 
Court House, where the regiment was as- 
signed to the First Brigade, Third Division 
of the Eleventh Corps, under General Franz 
Sigel. The division was under command 
of General Carl Schurz. 

While at Fairfax Henry Richardson, of 
Company G, being employed on a detail to 
prepare a place for hospital tents, was struck 
by a stray bullet and instantly killed. Had 
Richardson moved his head but slightly, 
the fatal missile would have struck Major 
Carmichael, who was standing very near 
him. The death of Richardson cast a gloom 
over the entire regiment, and the scene 
when his lifeless body was taken away was 
one of the deepest sadness. 

The regiment remained here about three 
weeks, when they were ordered to Center- 
ville. After a few weeks here marching 
orders were received, and on the I5tl» the 
regiment joined Burnside's army ; here the 
organization was ordered to prepare for in- 
spection, in prospect of their taking part in 
the battle of Fredericksburg, which was then 
in progress. Christmas was passed in front 
of Fredericksburg. On the 19th of Janu- 
ary the regiment was ordered to prepare 
for march at an hour's notice, with three 
days' rations. On the morning of the 20th 



camp was struck, and the columns started 
on the advance. One of the characteristic 
Virginia rain storms soon afterward began, 
and within two hours the movement of ar- 
tillery and the pontoon trucks was impossi- 
ble. On the morning of the 2 1 st the enemy, 
with full kuDwledge of the movement, had 
posted near the river at Kelly's Ford, "Burn- 
side stuck in the mud," a legend in which 
there was, unfortunately, too much of truth. 

The regiment was ordered into winter 
quarters in a fine oak forest, known as 
Oakland Farm, where the erection of quar- 
ters was begun. These were scarcely fin- 
ished when orders were received, on the 5th 
of February, before daylight, from Colonel 
Brown in person, to be ready to move at 
dawn. 

The ne.xt day's march was through mud 
and rain, and on the afternoon of the 6th 
the column halted and went into camp 
about two miles from Burke's Station. The 
157th participated in the battle of Chancel- 
lorsville on the 2d of May, where the loss 
in killed and wounded was quite heavy. 
The regiment was forced to leave their 
killed and wounded on the field in the 
hands of the enemy. Colonel Brown, in 
speaking of the part taken by the regiment 
in this engagement, says: "The 157th did 
its duty well. My officers proved them- 
selves brave and efficient men, and the be- 
havior of the regiment was such as to give 
full confidence to the future." The colonel 
placed the number of killed, wounded and 
missing in this engagement at one hundred 
and three ; the list, however, was imperfect, 
as the number greatly exceeded Colonel 
Brown's estimate. 

On the morning of May 5th the regiment 
returned to their camp, where they remained 
until the 12th of June, when marching 
orders were recei\ed, and they advanced a 
distance of nine miles, camping near the 
old grounds at Hentwood Church. The 



Military History. — The 157TH Regiment. 



109 



march of the next day was one of great 
severity. A tramp of twenty-five miles in 
tlie month of June, on a dusty thorough- 
fare, under the scorching rays of a southern 
sun, is not a pleasure jaunt by any means, 
and members of the 157th who read these 
lines will remember that welcome bivouac 
in the green woods at the close of this day's 
fatiguing march. 

After many days of severe marching, of 
which the reader has already gained an idea 
in the history of the 76th regiment, the 
157th reached the bloody field of Gettys- 
burg, in which it performed honorable serv- 
ice and lost many of its brave men and 
officers. At the close of the great struggle 
it was a sad sight to look upon the thinned 
ranks of the 157th; of the five hundred 
men who two days before marched up to 
meet the enemy, less than three hundred 
now remained. A relic of those bloody 
hours remains in the roll call taken on an 
envelope with a pencil, by Major Car- 
michael. It reads as follows : — 

" First roll-call after first day'.s battle at Get- 
tysburg, evening of July i, 1863. Co. A, six 
privates, one corporal, one sergeant ; Co. B, five 
privates, one corporal ; Co. C, six privates, one 
corporal, one sergeant ; Co. D, six privates, one 
corporal, one sergeant; Co. E, two privates; Co. 
F, five privates, two corporals, one sergeant ; 
Co. G, seven privates, two corporals ; Co. I, two 
corporals. Total, thirty-nine privates, eight cor- 
porals, four sergeants. Total fifty -one." 

Many prisoners were taken from the 
regiment and were hur'ried off to those so- 
called prisons, life in which was far more to 
be dreaded than death on the battle-field. 

Colonel Brown being ordered north, the 
command of the regiment devolved upon 
Major Carmichael. On the 25th of July 
the march was taken up for Warrenton 
Junction, a distance of thirteen miles, where 
they remained until the 1st of August, 
when they marched to Greenwich and went 
into camp. On ^Monday, the 3d of August, 



the troops marched to near Catlett Station, 
and on the 6th at midnight orders came to 
the division to proceed to the depot, pack- 
ing everything for a passage to Alexandria. 
Taking the cars they arrived at that city on 
the morning of the 8th. At noon they 
boarded a steamer, which transported them 
down the Potomac to Hampton Roads, 
and thence to Newport News, where 
they arrived the following day. On the 
morning of the lOth the regiment boarded 
a steamer for passage to Charleston, S. C, 
and on the afternoon of the 12th they 
crossed the bar at Stony Inlet and disem- 
barked on Folly Island. Here they re- 
mained until the i6th, when they were 
marched up the beach to the Rope Ferry 
where they crossed to Morris Island and 
proceeded to the front on three days' picket 
duty. The regiment remained in camp at 
Folly Island until February 7th, when 
marching orders were received. In a con- 
test with the enemy soon after the 157th 
lost one man from Co. I and one wounded. 

Near the close of April, 1864, '^ recruit- 
ing party returned to the regiment. Colonel 
Carmichael bringing with him a stand of 
colors presented to the regiment by the 
citizens of Cortland county. Soon after 
the regiment proceeded to Jacksonville, 
Florida, where the brigade was dissolved. 
An order dividing the regiment into two 
commands was received on the 20th of 
April. The larger, of six companies, to- 
wit. A, B, C, D, E, and F, under Colonel 
Brown, was to be stationed at Fernandina, 
while the remaining companies, G, H, I, 
and K, under Lieiit.-Colonel Carmichael, 
where to proceed to Picolata, about forty- 
five miles above Jacksonville, on the St. 
John's. 

On the 2 1 St of April the regiment broke 
camp and moved to boats, the band and 
regimental colors of blue going with Col. 
Brown, while the Cortland banner remained 



I!0 



History of Cortland County. 



with Lieut.-Col. Carmichael. On the 15th 
of June the 157th was at Hilton Head, 
with Col. Brown again in command. Here 
a new brigade was formed, consisting of the 
157th. 144th. 41st New York Vols., and the 
104th Pennsylvania, under command of 
Col. Davis, of the latter regiment The 
157th was in the engagement which took 
place near Charleston the 5th of July, and 
lost one man taken prisoner. On the 2Sth 
of November companies A, B, C, G, and 
H. under command of the lieutenant-colonel, 
left Fort Pulaski for Hilton Head. The 
regiment was in the engagement at Honey 
Hill, where thirtj- men were wounded. Cap- 
tains McWilliams and Lieutenants Grant 
and Forbes among the number. The battle 
of Honey Hill was a sharp contest, and the 
157th added new laurels to those already 
honorably won. In the engagement the 
157th and the 56th were fighting side by 
side, when the former fell back for ammuni- 
tion. The enemy, observing this move- 
ment, increased their forces at that point 
and drove back the 56th. At this juncture 
Col. Carmichael ordered up the 157th, com- 
manded them to charge and they dashed 
in upon the enemy, checked their onslaught 
and, dri\nngthem back, re-established the 
line. Loss, fortj" men. 

On the 5 th of December a reconnaissance 
in force was made on the Coosahatchie 
Road, where Col. Carmichael came near 
losing his life. The incident is related as 
follows by a private of the regiment : 
"Reaching a clearing on the right of the 
road, the line was wheeled to the right, to 
face an earthwork or redoubt on a knoll be- 
yond, having an embrasure for one gun. 
Two or three rebel ca\-alr)Tnen were dis- 
covered near the work, who disappeared, 
lea\-ing the scene apparently rebelless. CoL 
Carmichael, e\adently disliking the appear- 
ance of the place, halted his line when with- 
in easy musket range, and, with two ca\-al- 



rjmen, proceed to reconnoitre the position. 
The colonel had passed one-third of the 
distance round when a volley was poured 
from a force of -the enemy secreted in the 
redoubt; the cavalr}-men wheeled and with- 
drew, but the horse of the colonel was struck 
by a ball and threw its rider. The colonel 
arose from the tall grass, when another vol- 
ley was fired at him. By that time the 
I57th's skirmishers were excited, and, with- 
out orders, commenced a rapid fire. The 
colonel ordered the men to cease firing, and 
crawling through the grass and bushes, 
succeded in getting to the rear without a 
bullet wound, yet severely injured by the 
fall from his horse." 

On the 9th of December the regiment 
participated in an engagement, losing fifteen 
wounded, one mortally. February- 27th, 
1S64, five companies of the 157th, D, E, 
I, H, and K, embarked for Georgetown. S. 
C. About a week afterward the remainder 
of the regiment followed. The quarters of 
the 157th at this place were in stores on 
Main street The town was guarded by a 
provost-guard under Major Frank Place, as 
provost - marshal. Lieut-Col. Carmichael 
commanded the regiment and CoL Brown 
the post The Georgeto«"n post was made 
a center for recruiting negro soldiers, and in 
consequence of orders fi-om headquarters, 
promulgated to that effect the countr\- in 
that Nncinitj- was neariy depopulated of 
blacks, who hurried within the L^nion lines. 
Among these uncultured f>eople Major 
Place was a magnate of superlative great- 
ness. He gave a patient ear to their many 
grie\-ances and even solemnized marriages 
and granted divorces for them. 

The garrison of Georgetown consisted of 
the 157th and four companies of the 107th 
Ohio. On the first of April they were re- 
inforced by the 25 th Ohio, four, companies 
of the 56th New York, six companies of the 
107th Ohio, 54th (colored) Massachusetts, 



Military IIistukv. — The 157x11 Regiment. 



1 1 1 



32d U. S. C. T., two companies of the 4th 
Massachusetts Ca\-alr\-, and a section of ar- 
tillery for the purpose of forming an expe- 
dition into the interior of the State. April 
5 th the column moved off. Gen. E. E. Pot- 
ter, commanded the expedition ; Col. P. P. 
Brown, the Second Brigade ; and Lieut-Col. 
Carmichael, the 157th Regiment. The night 
of the 5th was passed in the vicinity of Po- 
tato Ferry, on Black River. At six o'clock 
on the following morning the march was 
resumed, and after a severe tramp they 
encamped near Kingstree. The following 
night they went into camp at Montgomery's 
plantation, and the night of the 8th was 
passed at Brewerton. April 9th the march 
was again taken up, and, when within two 
miles of Dingle's Mills, they were informed 
that a battery of three guns commanded the 
approach to Sumpterville, and that the bat- 
tery was located on the opposite side of a 
swamp one mile wide, and covering the 
road leading through it. Preparations were 
immediately made to capture the battery, 
and after the several positions had been 
taken up by the various commands, the 
157th was ordered to the front, and Com- 
pany I thrown forward as skirmishers, under 
command of Col. Carmichael. 

When nearly through the swamp the men 
were fired upon by the enemy's skirmish- 
ers, and one man wounded. Company I 
immediately returned the fire, when the col- 
onel ordered the firing to cease, and halted 
his men. At this juncture the firing of the 
enemy also ceased, and they hailed to learn 
who the advancing party were. The an- 
swer, "The 157th New York Volunteers" 
had hardly ceased to reverberate through 



the tangled wildwood, ere the enemy again 
opened a sweeping fire. PLmerging from the 
swamp, the colonel halted his command 
behind a fence in front of the rebel position, 
and awaited the arrival of his regiment, 
which had become scattered. While wait- 
ing for his men to collect, an aid of Gen. 
Potter came through the swamp to ascer- 
tain the position, and the colonel's reply 
was, "Wait ten minutes, captain, and you 
can return to the general by way of the 
road." During this time the enemy directed 
a brisk fire with grape and canister, and 
scarcely had one-half of the regiment formed 
in line, when Col. Carmichael gave the or- 
der to charge. With a yell the men leaped 
the fence, and with a double-quick charged 
the battery, from which the enemy fled, 
leaving their guns and colors, together with 
their dead and wounded on the field. It 
was a dashing exploit, reflecting great credit 
upon the men of the 157th and their gallant 
commander. Colonel Carmichael's loss was 
twenty-two killed and wounded, and that 
of the enemy much greater. 

Succeding the engagement at Dingle's 
Mills, the 157th participated in a spirited 
contest at Lampter and Rafting Creeks. 
On the lOth of July, 1865, the rolls were 
finished and the regiment mustered out 
of service, the work being completed Au- 
gust 1st. 

The following is a list of battles partici- 
pated in by this regiment ; Chancellorsville, 
Gettysburg, Hagerstown, Fort Wagner, 
siege of Charlestown, first and second John's 
Island, Camp Milton, Honey Mill, Partridge 
Hill, Deveaux Neck, Statesburg, Dingle's 
Mills, Lampter Creek, Rafting Creek. 



itz 



ElDaToay OF CoaxT..^. 



CEAPTEB. XEL 

MILrT\HY SISTfjaY.— THE i*rm HBTHtKYT 



_ "icrrtT" '_ 'nrr:iir;c^ - 



T^irrrnc F^r — 
— Tie Eac 



-it A^pmaiDx — 'Dt&e- Or 



T KK tSftn. Regimiesn: was argsnized tn 
Onondags. ani Cardswi cnnntfeg. and 

1 tire zzd of 

~_. ^ _ - - E, F 3ad G 

wse Wata. Cardamf catattr. tiieir <.iiTF«:t:rT 
beniT 3S 5:ilow~: Company- E — Lantsin. 
Race— - "^ - "-'-^ liesOEaam:. Heiierr 

brake PiecEu ConrDarprF — Cantain. Toim 



Givens Camnany G — Cay lain. Ajhem HI 
Barae-: First Lienisianc EEram CIsrk; 
Secc - '- — ■ — " " ;: MZnie-. 

A. ^ : was in die trHd 

Le^ than a. year, it gefemed (^adive and 

ng- iecfmared 
_ui -- „ i. ,1- . --.^^__^_ii5. Erevicus 
tn its d^arture ir '^^as encamped Sir a tew 
<fev5 rn. Svracnse; sad. k& fiur Gcr PitfiiC. 



here s rebel ^y w<& captnredasCiEe^ckE^ 

line at tiie rijtfr. Hs peswed tn be- a. pcs- 

' ~ ;3r- 

ii:^ _ ;ies 

and defeases ium. Gts- Point tn t&e ec- 
treme 1^: Otfes af — - -ase 

were of oaurse rCTise_ i-i- _v. . ^- iiii^-- 
' *ardit tried, tound guilts" and shot 

Ott r<»^ rdttL rfw- cfiviaan was nHTwed ap 
ScuinTr Tcer 

:._ was esT ^^ _ . _ : . '"-: a 

movemeit was mTurt^ against rfte Sautfiscie 
Satlroad. in wiiicii an engagement accnrred. 
die ri^tn. aenr— r - — — - - -.rr: tnreeaf 
iis men were 3me >~TmT7 

was artETwards again accnpied and noTfring 
iismroed - - .- . -fj^ 

Eegtmenr. _-._. __ ^ _ ^ iJier. 

wtien a dencnscraiicn was made agsins: 
± n Railrnad. wiiicit was an impar- 



meit W35 iTTmrrpffTgnF4^ nr rffr fff !u\n tile esiiecStion consSEd of Warrei s (tiie 5^) 
S^ant line rt brsa.- ' ■ 

near WatraiStan>-ii .n _i.- --^^ i- ^-- i— - — -.,, = -^ ^,:___ _ -. ^. --- — 

road- mad was descmyed. die rasHs heng hfrttPff 

On. the irir i3t Ocmbei- the rS^th: w^ ^i- in iiies iuade by- the ties, and beit si as tn 



man 



„ iixoL The (fivison was com- and a "-■'*•»• anmrnit at e^i^ sapniies can— 
^ - and die tnred. In the gsgerfrtfcm the iS^th bore 

- - — ~ -. innsnicnoHS part. 

The regiment resnmsed and w^at nnn 
was in camp nesr Paniar Gkave t~h 1 1 i r h .-snrp near Parke bCECon. whee cunnnEt- 
■aimi Lhae t6th. of OcniQ^ WMe rn mmp jhie \»iiim' qnamrrr wee sooii. hrriTt tram 



Military History. — The 185TH Regiment. 



113 



the pine forest wherein the camp was lo- 
cated. A commodious log church was built 
and roofed with tent cloth furnished by the 
benevolent Christian Commission. Here 
the regiment remained until the 5th of 
February-, 1865. 

On the 4th of February orders were re- 
ceived to be in readiness to march at a 
moment's notice, and the ne.xt morning, a 
Sabbath, before daylight, the division was 
ordered to march towards Hatcher's Run. 
In the afternoon of that day occurred what 
is called the second battle of Hatcher's Run, 
in which the 185th did noble service and 
suffered considerably. During the early 
part of the engagement the 185th was held 
in reserve ; but about the middle of the 
afternoon the brigade was ordered forward 
to relieve the Second Division of the Fifth 
Corps. This division occupied a position 
in front of a piece of woods. Beyond it 
was an open field upon the opposite side of 
which were some buildings and a sudden 
declivitj', which was occupied by the enemy, 
ser\-ing as an intrenchment. Gen. Ayres's 
Division had here suffered terribly. 

As the first brigade marched for nearly 
half a mile along the road through the 
woods, it was met by the wounded, fresh 
from the bloody carnage, some with wounds 
hastily bandaged, and others yet untouched 
by the surgeon, or in the jaws of death. 
This experience was a trying one to the 
men of the regiment — more so, perhaps, 
than the shock of battle itself; but the 
brave men. many of them with blanched 
cheek and tight-closed lips, pressed for- 
ward. The regiment had scarcely formed 
a line when a terrific fire was opened by 
the enemy. Colonel Sickel was one of the 
first woundad and turned the command 
over to Colonel Jenney. He, realizing the 
hazard of attempting to hold his exposed 
position against the enemy in his covered 
attitude, ordered the brigade forward. The 



order was obeyed in excellent form, through 
a galling fire. The field was won, though 
at considerable sacrifice. Among the 
wounded was Captain John Listman, 
whose leg was afterwards amputated at 
the hip. Adjutant Mudge was also wound- 
ed here, and never returned to the field. 

The advanced position was held until 
darkness when the brigade retired to the 
main line. After the engagement Colonel 
Jenney sent Major Bush to establish a line 
of pickets on the right flank. While per- 
forming this dutj% and when scarcely out 
of speaking distance of his regiment, the 
major and a squad of men were captured. 
Major Bush was sent to Libby Prison, and 
the regiment lost his valuable services. 
The brigade was warmly commended by 
General Griffin for its gallant service ; and 
the praise was fairly earned. 

The regiment again went into camp, and 
the second day after the battle Colonel Jen- 
ney left the organization, on account of the 
following circumstances : When he was 
commissioned as colonel of the 185th he 
was major of the Third New York Artillery 
and acting as provost-judge of North Caro- 
lina, stationed at Newbern ; after receiving 
notice of his promotion, he had been taken 
prisoner by the enemy and paroled ; with 
this status he was mustered as colonel and 
took the 185th to the front, expecting to 
obtain an immediate exchange. But while 
he regarded himself as bound by his parole, 
the War Department held the opinion that 
the officer who captured him had no au- 
thority to parole him, and that Colonel 
Jenney was therefore to be regarded as an 
" escaped," and not a "paroled" prisoner. 
In this situation he remained during his 
period of service with the regiment After 
endeavoring in vain to induce the secretary 
of war to relieve him from the responsibility 
of his unfortunate position by an order de- 
claring that he was not properly paroled 



114 



History of Cortland CoUiNTV. 



and sending him on duty, he was forced to 
seek relief by resignation. This resignation, 
sent in about the middle of January, had 
been accepted and an order honorably dis- 
charging him had been received by General 
Griffin just previous to the Hatcher's Run 
engagement ; but at Colonel Jenney's re- 
quest it was retained by the general until 
after the advance was made, when it was 
turned over to him. Lieut.-Col. Gustavus 
Sniper was at once promoted and bra\-ely 
commanded the regiment during the re- 
mainder of its term of service. 

On the 25th of March the division was 
ordered out before daylight to oppose an 
attack of the rebels on Fort Steedman, then 
occupied b\- the 14th New York Artillery, 
and forming a portion of the lines encircling 
Petersburg. The enemj- made a deter- 
mined assault, with the intention of .sever- 
ing the lines at that point ; but the attempt 
failed totally and the rebels were driven 
back with heavy losses in killed, wounded 
and about 2,000 prisoners. About three 
o'clock in the afternoon an attack was made 
on the extreme left, involving the 185th, 
in which the Union arms were victorious. 

The regiment returned to camp at 
Hatcher's Run and remained until the 
29th, at which date Giant had determined 
upon an advance of the left wing of his 
army. Orders to march were received on 
the 28th, the movement to begin at three 
o'clock the ne.xt morning. The Fifth and 
Second Corps moved out southward until 
they crossed the run, then turned north- 
ward towards the enemy's right. The Sec- 
ond Corps crossed the run at the Vaughn 
Road, while Warren cro.ssed four miles be- 
low, where the stream by its junction with 
GravelK' run became Rowant\- creek, and 
then moved up towards the Boydtown 
Plank Road. At two o'clock \Varren's 
Corps, including the iS5th, reached Quaker 
Farm, where they met the enemy, and an 



engagement followed. The Union forces 
were retreating in disorder, especially the 
Second Division, when General Chamber- 
lain, commanding the First Division, rode 
up to Colonel Sniper, exclaiming: " l""or 
God's sake, colonel, can you save the day 
with your regiment?" The colonel replied: 
"General, I will try." The 185th was im- 
mediateh' formed in line uf battle, standing 
alone, as the 198th PennsyK'ania had shared 
in the retxeat, and was ordered to charge 
the eneni)-. Forward the)- went over a 
rise of ground, beyond which they were 
met by the advancing lines of the rebels 
in hot pursuit of the retreating division. 
Against the oncoming forces the gallant 
regiment threw itself, hurled back the en- 
emy and turned the tide of the day; but it 
was at fearful cost. The killed and wounded 
in the regiment numbered one hundred and 
eight}-. In some of the companies all of 
the officers were either killed or wounded. 
This heroic charge was the work of but 
less than half an hour, but it has been char- 
acterized as one of the most desperate, as 
well as important in its results of any in 
the war. 

The fate of the colors of the 185th during 
this charge was most thrilling. B. B. Wil- 
ton was color-bearer at that time ; he soon 
fell wounded. A private then seized the 
flag, and was immediately killed. Another 
private of Company D then grasped the 
banner and instantly fell wounded. Pri\'ate 
Herman Rice, of Coinpan)^ B, next seized 
the colors, but his arm was pierced by a 
bullet, and they again fell. At this juncture 
Colonel Sniper, who was dismounted and 
in the thickest of the fight, seized the fallen 
flag, waved it on high and shouted, "Men 
of the 185th — forward!" A wild cheer 
went up, the regiment rushed forward and 
the field was won. For his personal brav- 
ery Colonel Sniper was warmly compli- 
mented b)- the general officers, while the 



MiiJTARV History, — The 185x11 Reciment. 



1 1 



brave regiment was also showered witli con- 
gratulations. 

During the 30th and 31st important 
events transpired, resulting in severe fight- 
ing for the possession of the White Oak 
Road, during which the enemy was repulsed, 
losing hea\'ily in prisoners, and Sheridan's 
forward movement to Fi\e l-'orks, after 
much hard fighting. The battle of Five 
Forks, one of the most prominent of the 
engagements that were instrumental in ter- 
minating the rebellion, was fought on Sat- 
turday, April 1st, beginning in the after- 
noon and continuing until da)-light the next 
morning. In this engagement the Fifth 
Corps was on the right and in the hottest 
of the contest. Several officers and many 
privates of the 185th were killed or wound- 
ed, and the regiment added to its already 
exalted reputation for bravery and heroism. 
The victor)' won in this battle was a most 
decisive one, and told clearly that the re- 
bellion, as far as it was represented by Lee's 
army, was substantially crushed. 

As darkness approached, on the 1st, the 
batteries along the entire line in front of 
Petersburg opened a bombardment that 
filled the heavens with its thunder, and 
lighted up the night with its glare. The 
rebel works were vigorously assaulted on 
Sunday morning, the 2d, and the outer 
lines carried, while the Sixth Corps, with 
two divisions of Ord's, dro\'e ever\'thing 
before them up the Boydtown road at dawn; 
then wheeled to the left and swept down in 
rear of the rebel works, capturing guns and 
thousands of prisoners. Other equally im- 
portant successes were achieved at other 
points along the lines that were rapidly 
drawing in towards Petersburg and Rich- 
mond, and admonishing General Lee that 
his doom was at hand. So evident had 
this fact become to him that he telegraphed 
Jefferson Davis in Richmond, at 10 o'clock 
a. m. of Sunday : — 



" My lines are broken in three places. Rich- 
mond must be evacuated this evening." 

Richmond was evacuated that night. Be- 
fore noon of the next day the fall of the capi- 
tal of the Confederac)', that had cost so man\- 
lives, was flashed to all parts of the world. 

The concluding operations of the cam- 
paign, ending at Appomattox on the 9th of 
April, need not be detailed here. Griffin 
and Ord, with the Fifth, Twenty-fourth and 
one division of the Twenty- fifth Corps, 
by extraordinary marching, reached Appo- 
mattox about daylight on the morning of 
the 8th. Since the evacuation of Richmond 
and Petersburg the 185th had performed 
some of the severest marching of the war, 
interspersed with skirmishing and fighting, 
often without food and with very little rest. 

A correspondence had begun between 
Generate Grant and Lee on the 7th, and 
the capitulation was completed at Appo- 
mattox on the 9th. The position of the 
two confronting armies on the morning of 
surrender is thus graphically described in 
Greeley's history of the rebellion : — 

■• Sheridan was with his cavalry near the Court- 
House, when the Army of \'irginia made its last 
charge. By his order his trooi)ers, who were in 
line of battle, dismounted, giving ground gradu- 
ally, while showing a steady front, so as to allow 
our weary infantry time to form and take posi- 
tion. This eft'ected, the horsemen moved swift- 
ly to the right and mounted, revealing lines of 
solid infantry in battle array, before whose wall 
of gleaming bayonets the astonished enemy re- 
coiled in blank despair, as Sheridan and his 
troopers, passing briskly round the rebel left, 
prepared to charge the confused, reeling mass. 
A white flag was now waved by the enemy, be- 
fore General Custer, who held our cavalry ad- 
vance, with the information that they had con- 
cluded to surrender. Riding over to Appomat- 
tox Court-House, General Sheridan was met by 
General Gordon, who re([uested a suspension of 
hostilides, with the assurance that negotiations 
were then pending between Generals Grant and 
Lee for a capitulation." 



ii6 



HiSroRV OI'- Cl)[<TI.A\D COUNTV. 



Lieutenant Hiram Clark, of Company G, 

in the 185th, was tlie last man killed in the 
Army of Virginia.' He was in command 
of the skirmish line at Appomattox, and 
while the flag of truce was being shown, 
was struck by a rebel shell, which nearly 
cut him in twain. He was buried under a 
tree near the Court- House. 

After the surrender the 185th was de- 
tailed, with some other regiments, to take 
charge of the rebel prisoners, and look after 
the captured arms and munitions ; this duty 
occupied several days. The arms and am- 
munition were sent to Burkesvillc. 

The 185th remained three days in camp, 
and were then ordered to Wilson's Station, 
on the Southside railroad, where they re- 
mained until May ist, marching thence to 
Manchester, across the James river from 
Richmond. On the 5th of May orders 
were received to march to Alexandria ; 
starting on the morning of the 6th, they 
crossed the Pamunkey river on pontoons, 
marched through Bowling Green, crossing 
the Rappahannock at Fredericksburg, and 
arrived at Arlington Heights on the 13th, 
after marching all night. After partaking 
in the grand review of the army by the 
president, in Washington, on the 23d of 
May, the regiment returned to camp, and 
was mustered out of service on the 30tli. 
On the following day, at 3 o'clock p. m., 
they left Arlington for home, arriving in 
Syracuse on the 3d da}' of June, where they 
received a generous welcome. The regi- 
ment was paid off at Camp White on the 
lOth of June, by Major Littlefield. 

OTHER ORCJAXIZATIOXS. 

Besides the large bodies of x-olunteers, 

1 It has been often stated and printed that Lieutenant 
Clark was the last man killed in the war of the rebellion. 
This cannot, of course, lie true, as fighting in the south- 
west was continued for sonic time after Lee's surrentler. 
The killing of the last man in the war occurred in Texas. 



whose movements have been described, 
man}- of the _\'oung men of this county en- 
listed in other organizations, either in bod- 
ies or singly. A company was raised early 
in the year 1861, which joined the 23d 
Regiment, anil was mustered in at I'llmira 
on the 1 6th of May. Its officers were 
Martin C. Clark, captain ; Alvah D. Wa- 
ters, lieutenant; B. B. Andrews, ensign; 
Stephen V. Larabee, first sergeant ; Cor- 
nelius Lansing, Leonard Hathaway and 
Alvin F. Bailey, sergeants. The regiment 
served two \'ears, and was commanded at 
the time of its mtister b}' Colonel H C. 
H oft man. 

A company was raised, principally in 
Homer, which joined the "Old Twelfth" 
Regiment, from Onondaga county, which 
was mtistered at Elmira on the 23d of April, 
1 86 1, for three months. A large majority 
of its members re-enlisted at the expiration 
of that term of service. The officers of this 
company w ere George W. Stone, captain ; 
Lucius C. Storrs, lieutenant ; George Sny- 
der, ensign. 

SL"M.\I.\RV. 

In the war of the rebellion, Cortland 
county, according to the census of 1865, 
lost by death in the field, two hundred and 
thirty-three volunteers, belonging to the 
following regiments: loth New York In- 
fantry, 7 ; I2th, 7; 15th, i; 23d, 3; 32d, 
1 ; 44th, 3; 50th, 6; 51st, i; 57th, i 
64th, 1; 76th, 51; 8ist, i; 105th, I 
109th, 4; iiith, i; 114th, 5; 117th, I 
I2lst, i; I22d, 1; 129th, 1; 137th, 2 
138th, I ; 146th, I ; 147th, I ; 149th, I 
157th, 55; i6ist, i; i68th, i ; 185th, 18 
loth New York Cavalry, 8; 12th, i ; 19th 
2. 1st Battery, 2. 2d New York Regular 
Artillery, 2; 3d, I ; 5th, 3 ; 9th, 10; l6th, 
4; other States, 8; United States Regu- 
lars, 2; unknown, 11. Total, 233. 



Official Action in the War of the Rebellion. 



117 



CHAPTER XIII. 

OFI-rCI \L ACTIOX IX THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 

The First Public .'Vet — .\ii Impcirtaiu Resolution — Action of the Board of .Supervisors Relative to Payment of 
Bounties — The Committee of 1864— Money Borrowed for the County — The Bounty Committee — Further Sums 
Raised — A County Bounty Offered — The C.1II fur 500,000 Men — Bounties Increased — Issue of Bonds — Loans 
by the County to the Towns — .Statistics. 



THK first public act on the part of tlie 
officials of Cortland count}-, in aid of 
the Union armies for the putting down of 
the rebellion, was done on the 12th day of 
November, 1 862, by the Board of Super- 
visors. It consisted of a resolution offered 
by Mr. S. A. Childs, of Scott, as follows: — 

" Reso/veii, That this Board request Hon. 
Henry S. Randall to proceed to .-Vlbany to make 
the necessary proofs to the governor and adju- 
tant-general, in respect to the number of volun- 
teers who shall be credited to this county, and 
to confer with those officers in respect to the 
draft to be made from this county." 

This resolution was the precurser of the 
long series of public measures, embracing 
the most prompt and vigorous action in aid 
of the go\ernment, embracing a liberal ap- 
propriation of money and the enlistment of 
hundreds of brave men, which followed 
during the period of the war. 

Mr. Randall made the visit as requested. 
The next measure was the passage of the 
following resolution on the 21st of Novem- 
ber, 1862, which is self-explanatory: — 

" Rcso/vc-if, 'I'hat the Board of Suijer\isors of 
Cortland county do approve of and recommend 
the passage of an act by the Legislature, direct- 
ing that in each of the towns of said county in 
which money has been raised, in pursuance of a 
vote in town meeting, or by the action of prop- 
erly authorized persons, to pay bounties to or for 
raising volunteers who have enlisted from said 
towns into the service of the United States since 
July 2d, 1862, a tax shall be levied to repay the 
monies so raised and actually expended for said 
objects." 

The committee of the Board of Super- 
visors on military aftairs for 1 864 comprised 



Messrs. M. Van Hoesen, George W. Phil- 
lips and Solomon Goddard ; they found 
plenty of work. Petitions began to come 
in from a majority of the towns of the 
county, asking the board to offer an addi- 
tional bounty of $300 to all volunteers un- 
der the recent call of the president for 300,- 
000 men. Upon these petitions a majority 
report was made to the effect, in brief, that 
owing to the comparatively small number of 
the petitioners, and that such action was 
contrary to a recent act of the Legislature, 
the board would decline to act. This re- 
port was adopted, and the committee were 
directed to go to Syracuse for conference 
with a like committee of that county. The 
several towns were instructed by the board 
to hold special town meetings on the 15 th 
of December, for the purpose of getting the 
voice of the tax payers upon the proposition 
to raise money to pay a bounty of three 
hundred dolors to all volunteers. The 
town meetings were held and the board au- 
thorized to pay the bounty. The county 
treasurer was accordingly empowered to 
borrow a sum not to exceed $103,800, for 
which county bonds should be issued, to 
pay the proposed bounty to all volunteers 
enlisting after January ist. A committee 
consisting of Messrs. S. K. Welch, George 
W. Phillips and M. \'an Hoesen was ap- 
pointed to supervise the payment of boun- 
ties and kindred matters. 

A special meeting of the board was called 
for February loth, 1864, at which action 
was taken to raise $70,000, or as much as 
should be necessary, to pay bounties for 



ii8 



History of Cortland County. 



volunteers under the calls of October i/tli, 
1863, and I-'ebruary 1st, 1864. This action 
was not intcntlcil to conflict with previous 
measures. At the same time recruitint;' 
agents were instructed to push their work- 
as fast as possible. 

The ne.xt special meeting was held on the 
6th of July, and a committee was appointed 
consisting of five members — Messrs. Geo. 
W. Phillips, D. McGraw, M. Van Hoesen, 
P. Mallory and Silas Blanchard — to take 
into consideration the propriety of offering 
a county bounty for volunteers under the 
recent call for 500,000 men. Town meet- 
ings were again recommended, and the 
offering of $150 for one year men, $250 
for t\\'o year men, or greater sums, if deemed 
expedient. In this the towns concurred, 
and the treasurer was authorized to borrow 
the necessary amount for the proposed 
bounties ; each town was made liable for 
its proper proportion of the amount raised. 
Messrs. George W. Phillips, M. Van Hoe- 
sen, D. McGraw, S. E. Welch and Hiram 
Crandall were appointed a committee to 
supervise the payment of bounties under 
this measure. 

At the annual meeting of this \-ear (1864) 
the county treasurer was empowered to 
issue bonds payable in Maft:h, 1873, for a 
sum sufficient to pay all outstanding indebt- 
edness on account of bounties. 

The report of the committee upon filling 
the quota under the call for 500,000 men 
stated, in effect, that in order to obtain vol- 
unteers, they were compelled from time to 
time to increase the amount of bounty 
offered until it reached the sum of $1,000; 
competition in other counties was also in- 
strumental in necessitating this increase. 
To pa\' the bounties under this call, the 
treasurer issued bonds as follows : — 

$31,700, payalile March 1st, 1865, with interest. 

40,300, " " 1866, with annual interest. 

40,000, " " 1867, " " 

40,000, " " 1868, 



32,500, payalile March 1st, 1869, with annual interest. 

20,700, " " 1870, " 

57.300, " " 1871, 

59,770. •• 1872, 

44.000, " " '873, with semi-annual int. 

7.000, " " 1875. 

Tdtal, $373,270. 

A special meeting of the Supervisors was 
called for December 30th, 1864, at which 
a committee of five was appointed to take 
into consideration the payment of bounties 
for volunteers under the final call for 300,- 
000 men, made December 19th, 1864. The 
commitfee was composed of Messrs. Phillips, 
Goddard, O. V. Forbes, M. Van Hoesen and 
D. O. Surdam. Special town meetings were 
recommended, with the offer of $400 for 
one year men, $500 for two year men, and 
$600 for three year men. The sum of $15 
brokerage was also proposed for each en- 
listment procured. The treasurer was au- 
thorized to make another loan of the neces- 
sary amount for this purpose. 

At the annual meeting of 1865 a report 
of the committee acting on the last call was 
made. The resolutions passed by the board 
upon that call were adopted in all of the 
towns, except Marathon, Solon and Trux- 
ton. The committee also reported that 
they deemed it inexpedient or impossible 
to pa\' for filling the quotas in the several 
towns of the county by the sale of bonds by 
the treasurer ; they, therefore, resolved to 
loan to the Supervisors of the respective 
towns the county bonds in sufficient sums 
to pay for the same. Most of the towns 
accepted this proposal. 

At the annual meeting in November, 
1865, proceedings were had relative to 
reimbursements by the State for bounty 
moneys. 

The following table exhibits the amount 
paid in filling the quotas of the several towns 
of the county, under the various calls for 
volunteers in the War of the Rebellion, and 
tha total amount paid for each, and the 
amount paid on the principal in 1 864 : — 



The Cortland County Press. 



119 



TOWNS. 



Cincinnatus 
Cortlandville. 

Cuyler 

Freetown. . .. 

Harford 

Homer 

Lapeer 

Marathon . . 

Preble 

Scott 

Solon 

Taylor 

Truxton 

Virgil 

Willet 

Total.... 






$ 6,600 
27,600 
9,000 

3,900 

6,900 
15.000 
2,100 
7,200 
6,600 

9,300 

2,700 
6,000 
13,800 
12,600 

3,900 



E o 
< 






$23,050 
80,050 
19.050 
14,050 
•4,575 
53,675! 
11,825 

31,775 

22,175 

6,150 



$ 5,235 
=6, «4S 
3,720 
2,215 
5.435 
15,890 



23,675 
13,900 
47,175 
22,550 



7.905 
2,604 



5,61; 



165 
■,815 



$133,200 $383,675 $ 78,090 $594,965 $55,850 00 



$ 34,885 
' 34.105 
31.770 
20.165 
26,910 
84,565 
13,925 
38,975 
36,680 
18,090 
2,700 
36,290 
27,700 

59,940 
28,265 



< 



i 3,2 [8 88 
11,684 04 
3.077 75 
1,948 70 
2.33' 38 
7,346 97 
i.S'i 74 
4,231 23 
3,091 32 
1,678 29 
293 12 
3,221 59 
3,007 18 
6,380 76 
2,828 05 



The whole amount of bonds issued in 
the county for bounties was $610,070, fall- 
ing due as follows : — 

On or before March i, 1865 .... $ 57,600 

On or before March i, 1866 126,300 

On or before March i, 1867 86,200 

On or before March 1, 1868 77. 7°° 

On or before March i, 1869 62,100 

On or before March j, 1870 67,200 

On or before March i, 1871 64,200 

On or before March i, 1872 59.77° 

On or before March i, 1875 9,000 

Total $610,070 

The enlistments and bounties paid in 
each town will be found in the town his- 
tories in later pages. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



THE CORTL.WD COUNTY PRESS. 



The First Newspaper — The Pioneer JouinaHst — De'icriptioii of the "Cortland Courier"' — Changes in Pro- 
prietorship and N.imes — Dr. Jesse Searl's Career as a Publisher — .Vnother Change — .-V Sheet of 1830 — A Glimpse 
at its Contents — Rufus A. Reed and His Connection with Cortland Journalism — The Predeces.sors of the "Cortland 
County Republican" — The Oldest Paper in Cortland Village — .\ncestors of the "Standard" — The "Western 
Courier" — Establishment of the " Democr.-it " — Seth H.aight's .Administration — H. G. Crouch Enters the .\rena 
— The "Cortland American" — C. P. Cole and the "Gazette" — The "Republican Banner" — The "Cortland 
Journal " — First Issue of the " Cortland Standard " — The " Cortland County Democrat " and its Predecessors — 
The " Cortland News " — The " M.arathon Independent" and its Predecessors — The " McCJrawville Sentinel" — 
The " Otselic \'alley Register" — The Newspaper Death Roll. 



ALTHOUGH the territoiy of Cortland 
county was more backward in point of 
settlement than many other portions of this 
State, it is an indication of the general in- 
telligence of the pioneers that a newspaper 
was demanded and supported here earlier 
than in many localities where settlement 
was much farther advanced. 

James Percival was the pioneer journalist 
of Cortland county. He issued the first 
nuinber of the Cortland Courier in Homer 
village in the year 18 10; the exact date we 
have been unable to obtain, nor have we 
succeeded in finding a copy of the paper 
while it bore the name above given. The 



Courier made its appearance one \-ear be- 
fore there was a newspaper at Onondaga 
Hollow ; two years before there was one at 
Buffalo, and nineteen years before there was 
one at Syracuse. Previous to its issue the 
few inhabitants of Cortland county must 
have depended for their local news (and it 
was very little they got at the best) on news- 
papers printed in Onondaga county, of 
wdiich Cortland county was a part until 
1808. There were the Gazette, started at 
Manlius in 1 806, b\- Abraham Romeyn ; 
the Herald of the Times, at the same place 
in 1808, beyond which the early settlers of 
this county who felt the need of newspapers 



120 



History of Cortland County. 



were compelled to resort to those of New 
York or otiicr large cities. 

Like all of the early newspapers, the 
Cortland Courier \\'?\.?, an insiLjnificant affiiir, 
when compared with the handsome sheets 
of the present day. It was not more than 
one-third as large as the present Cortland 
Standard ; was printed on dingy, yellowish 
paper, in large type and without column 
rules ; but judging from later editorial work 
by Mr. I'ercival, its editor, the Courier was 
a paper the utterances of which commanded 
respect. Mr. Percival continued to publish 
it until some time in the year 1812, when it 
passed into the hands of H. R. Bender and 
R. Washburne, who changed its name to the 
Farmer s Journal ; this firm paid more par- 
ticular attention to the agricultural interests 
of the county, but e\-idently without attain- 
ing such a measure of success as to justify 
their continuance in the profession ; so they 
sold to Dr. Jesse Scarl, in the year 181 3. 

Again the name was changed, as well as 
the general character of the paper. Dr. Searl 
calling it the Cortland Repository. Of this 
paper a few numbers are extant, the more 
prominent features of which have already 
been referred to. It was still printed on paper 
of rough te.xture and dingy hue and com- 
prised four pages of four \\ide columns to 
the page. Ample room is given in its col- 
umns to foreign news, but for many consec- 
utive numbers not a line of what might, by 
the most liberal construction, be termed lo- 
cal news is found in its columns. Yet, as 
newspapers averaged at that period, the Re- 
pository appears to have been a very cred- 
itable publication. The proprietor, as was 
then customary, kept books for sale, and 
advertised juvenile spelling books, Colum- 
bian readers, Starkweather's arithmetic, 
History of Charles the XII, Spafiford's Gaz- 
etteer of the State of New York, A Life 
of Bonaparte, Testaments, etc. He also 
published and offered for sale two sermons on 



the Origin of Oral Evil, delivered at Pom- 
pey in 1814, by the Rev. Jabez Chadwick. 
Dr. Searl continued the publication of tiie 
Repository until the }-ear 1825, during which 
period (or a portion of it) he made himself 
a worthy antagonist in political discussions, 
and personal wordy conflicts with rival edit- 
ors in Cortland village which would scarcely 
be admitted to the cokimns of even the most 
radical and \indictive newspaper of to-day. 

Milton A. Kinney was the purchaser of 
the paper from Dr. Searl, and he, following 
in the wake of his illustrious predecessors, 
rechristened his sheet as the Cortland Ob- 
server. Under his management the journal 
was greatly impro\'cd. Copies of it pub- 
lished along in 1830 show it to have been 
somewhat enlarged, printed on vastly better 
paper, column rules used, smaller type and 
a general better style. - Local news, how- 
ever, except an occasional stray item, seems 
to have been beyond the ideas of the editor 
as to the needs of his readers. 

In the issue of August 13th, 1830, we find 
the announcement of the breaking out of a 
virulent disease in the towns of Spaffbrd, 
Scott, Preble and Truxton, which, in the 
opinion of Drs. Porter of Marcellus, Mil- 
ler, of Truxton, and Owen, Bradford and 
Wakely, of Homer, was small-po.x ; several 
persons had already died of it. In the same 
number the editor goes to the Ithaca Chron- 
iele for a report of an Anti-Masonic meet- 
ing held a week earlier in P"reetown in this 
county. At that meeting Samuel S. Whit- 
man and Charles W. Lynde were chosen 
delegates to the senatorial convention, to 
be held in Cortland village on the second 
Wednesday in September. 

Among the prominent advertisers of that 
period were James McNeil, general store ; 
the Homer furnace, "constantly in blast," 
by J. Sanders, jr., & Co. ; A. Burr, harness 
shop ; tailoring, by Wm. and John L. Brown ; 
S. B. Hitchcock, boots and shoes, and H. 



The Cortland County Press. 



121 



S. Babcock, tailoring. William Sherman's 
" Homer Exchange" is also liberallj- adver- 
tised. 

The Observer favored the nomination of 
Henry Clay, and was Anti-Masonic in its 
State politics. Mr. Kinney continued the 
publication of the paper until 1833, when it 
passed into the hands of Simon S. Bradford, 
who conducted it for three years. Strange 
to say he did not change its name. The 
next owner was a Mr. Holmes, but he does 
not appear to have kept it long, as he took 
it about the year 1836, and sold it to Rufus 
A. Reed in 1837; but Mr. Holmes had the 
paper long enough to change its name to 
the Homer Eagle. In the year 1828 Mr. 
Reed, with a man named Osborn, had 
started the Cortland Cfuvnic/e in the village 
of Cortland; this paper was conducted solely 
by Mr. Reed in 1832, and in 1837, as above 
stated, he purchased the Homer Eagle and 
consolidated the two under the name of the 
Republican and Eagle. Mr. Reed was a 
man of unusual intelligence and a good 
writer ; he made his paper a Whig and later 
a Republican organ of influence and good 
character. Mr. Reed was elected county 
clerk in 1849, and held the office until 1855. 
He continued the publication of his paper 
until 1852, when E. F. & C. B. Gould be- 
came its owners and again changed its name 
to the Cortland County Wliig. Two years 
later, in the latter part of 1854, it passed into 
the hands of Joseph R. Dixon, who gave it 
the name of the Cortland County Republi- 
can, for which change there was ample rea- 
son in the altered name of the Whig party. 
Mr. Di.xon was for a short time in compan\' 
with one of the Gould brothers, and after- 
ward, during the year 1855 with W. H. 
Case, but he soon assumed the entire con- 
trol of the concern. He was a man of ex- 
cellent abilities, thoroughl}- educated and 
had acted as professor of mathematics in 
the academ\- at Homer for a number of 



years. He always bore a high reputation as 
a man of unimpeachable integrity and noble 
Christian character. In assuming the edi- 
torial chair he wrote as follows ; — 

" At the suggestion of a few jiersonal and 
political friends the undersigned has made ar- 
rangements to become the editor and joint pro- 
prietor of this paper. He has assumed this 
responsibility, it is true, without the benefit of 
long experience ; but he believes that his com- 
mon sense, his general knowledge of the world, 
his integrity of purpose, and his attachment to 
the fundamental princi]jles of the Whig party, 
will enable him to discharge the duties of the 
station he proposes to occupy in a such a manner 
as to satisfy the reasonable expectations of those 
who read the JVlii:^. . . . We shall labor to 
promote the interests of education, morality, 
temperance and freedom ; to diffuse useful in- 
formation among our readers, and to secure the 
return of Wm. H. Seward to the Senate of our 
nation. With these intentions we enter upon 
our work, looking to our friends for a cordial and 
hearty support." 

No one who is familiar with the Whig 
and the Republican during the long period 
while they were edited and owned by Mr. 
Dixon, will deny that he ever knowingly- 
departed from these clearly expressed in- 
tentions, or failed in any way to do the best 
that in him lay to promote the welfare of 
his political party as well as of the com- 
munity at large. He continued the publi- 
cation of the paper until 1876, ^ when it was 
purchased by Wm. O. Bunn, the preseiTt 
publisher. In order to give the name of 
the paper more of a local signifiance, he 
changed its title, in 1877, to the Homer Re- 
publican. Upon Mr. Bunn's accession he 
at once improved the paper and the print- 
ing establishment connected with it, mak- 
ing it one of the best country weeklies and 
job printing concerns in the State. He is 

1 Mr. Dixon was killed on the track of the Syracu.se 
and Binghamton Railroad, while engaged in surveying. 
His widow, who was a sister of K. V. and C. B. Clould, 
stil.l resides in Homer village. 



122 



History of Cortland County. 



thoroughly versed in politics and soon gave 
the Republican a reputation in this direction 
very flattering to him, and at the same time 
making it bright and newsy. Its patronage 
was, of course, largely increased. In Janu- 
ar)-, 1882, he associated George Fisher in 
the editorial management of the paper, in 
which connection he is still retained. Mr. 
Hunn is now internal revenue collector for 
the district, with headquarters in Syracuse; 
but he still exercises an oversight of his 
f)ffice. The Republican is a credit to Ho- 
mer and a welcome visitor in man\' house- 
holds. 

There are at the present time three news- 
papers published in Cortland village, the 
oldest of which, going backward through 
its lineal ancestors, is the Cortland Standard. 
On the 30th day of June, 181 5, was issued 
the first number of the Cortland Republican, 
by James Percival. He was a fluent and 
rather forcible writer and had, presumably, 
gained a little valuable editorial experience 
during his career in Homer, to which allu- 
sion has already been made. The Repub- 
lican, true to its name, was strictlj- Repub- 
lican in politics. It was a small paper, with 
four columns of "small pica" on a page 
and printed on paper of the usual yellow- 
white color, the best that could be obtained 
at that time. There were few editorials in 
its columns and the customary dearth of 
local news. In the issue of September 30th, 
1815, just three months after its birth, the 
editor printed the following announcement : 
"The public are informed that from this 
day, I shall relinquish m\- concern in the 
office of the Cortland Republican, published 
by Osborne & Campbell, \\hose talents are 
ample and whose political tenets are or- 
thodox." 

In August, 1 8 16, it was announced that 
Mr. Campbell had retired from the Repub- 
lican establisliment, Mr. Obadiah Boies 
taking his place; but it was onlj- for a few- 



months ; in December of that year Mr. 
Campbell was back in the establishment, 
and in the following year the firm became 
B. S. & D. Campbell. These gentlemen 
published the paper until May, 1821, giving 
it a life of almost six years — a period of 
existence much longer than the average of 
newspapers at that time. The ri\alry be- 
tween the villages of Homer and Cortland, 
to which allusion has already been made, 
reached its height during this period, and 
out of that and their opposite political 
creeds, with the usual business opposition, 
grew a prolonged and bitter newspaper war- 
fare between the Republican and the Re- 
pository, printed in Homer b\- Ur. Jesse 
Searl. This frequentl}' descended into per- 
.sonalities of the most vindictive character 
which, while the}- established the fact that 
the Campbell Brothers were vigorous writers, 
could not have failed to lower the dignity 
of their journal. 

In the month of April the firm of B. S. 
& D. Campbell was dissolved, the latter 
continuing the business. At about this 
time serious dissension arose in the ranks 
of the Republican part)' and the campaign 
of 1820 was especially exciting. This or 
other causes, or both, led to the establish- 
ment in Homer village in 1821, of the 
Western Courier, b}- two young men named 
Roberts and Hull. After a very short time 
this establishment was removed to Cort- 
land, and then began a wordy battle more 
bitter and persistent than the former one to 
which we ha\e referred, between the new- 
candidate for political fa\'or and the Repub- 
lican. But it appears that the new-comers, 
with the Courier, were on the rising tide of 
politics, and on the i6th of May the per- 
plexed editors of the Republican announced 
that as there were then three newspapers 
in the county, where the patronage was 
scarely sufficient for one, they had resolved, 
after six years of labor, to reduce the size 



The Cortland County Press. 



123 



of their paper ; and that for the present a 
small sheet only would be issued, at half 
the former price. 

As near as we have been able to ascertain, 
this movement was made merely to fulfill 
advertising contracts and the Republican, 
as a newspaper, ceased to exist at that time, 
until revived by Rufus A. Reed, in 1832, 
to be consolidated with the Homer Eagle, 
as before detailed. The Campbell brothers 
subsequently went to Sandusk)% Ohio, 
where they engaged in the newspaper bus- 
iness. Mr. Reed conducted the Republican 
for about five years, before its consolida- 
tion. During a portion of this period his 
office was in the second storj' of what was 
long known as Elder's store, when Webb & 
Edgcomb having, in 1836, erected the three 
story brick structure on the corner of Main 
and Port Watson streets, since transformed 
into the Keator Block, the office was re- 
moved to the corner rooms in the third 
story. In writing of Mr. Reed's editorial 
career, Mr. H. G. Crouch (again alluded to 
a little further on) said : "The shifting polit- 
ical elements in opposition to Gen. Jackson 
had doubtless left to the two papers, the 
{Republican and the Hoinei- Eaglt) an un- 
certain tenure, and upon the crystallization 
of those elements into the \\ hig part)-, un- 
der the leadership of Hcnr}' Cla\% Mr. Reed, 
then a young man and an excellent printer, 
'read his title clear' to the organization of 
a strong majority party in the county, with 
such advantages as accrue to that special 
relationship, consisting in a large measure 
in rendering x'aluable assistance to aspiring 
politicians, with the least possible return of 
either favors or thanks ; more often than 
otherwise the blackest ingratitude. Mr. 
Reed prospered moderately, but whether in 
prosperity or adversit)-, his was the same 
cheerful temperament, which made the bad 
seem to him to be ver\- much the same as 
good fortune." 



The Western Courier was continued as 
such until 1824, when its name was changed 
to the Cortland Journal. It was published bj' 
D. Smith in 1824, but for how long a period 
we have been unable to learn. Chas. W. 
Gill then took it and transferred it some 
time before 1S27 to J. J. Cantine, in whose 
hands it was during the latter year and 
probabl>- until the year 1832, when the name 
of the paper was again changed to The Cort- 
land Advocate. Henr\- S. Randall, soon 
after his entrance into political life, became 
its editor ; he was possessed of literary abil- 
ity of a high order, but was not a practical 
printer and soon wearied of the annoyance 
and detail connected with the regular pub- 
lication of a newspaper; he accordingly 
sold the establishment to David Fairchild, 
who, as early as 1838, removed it to Ovid, 
N. v., where he started the Ovid Bee. This 
again left Cortland without a second news- 
paper. During at least a part of its exist- 
ence (1833) the Advocate was published by 
C. \\. Mason. 

At this period the leaders of the Democ- 
racy throughout the count)' embraced a 
large majorit)- of the prominent legal gen- 
tlemen and other personages conspicuous 
in the political arena, although there was 
a small Whig majorit)- in the voting popu- 
lation. The State administrations and the 
Senatorial and Congressional districts, were 
almost uniformly Democratic ; hence there 
were numerous men of that political com- 
plexion who aspired to prominence. 
Among them were such as Joseph Reynolds, 
S. G. Hathawav', Henr)' Stephens, Roswell 
Randall, Wm. Bartlit, Edward C. Reed, 
Townsend Ross, George Ross, J. De Pu)- 

I Freer, Anthony Freer, John Gillet, Alanson 
Coats, and others of the older men ; and 
Horatio Ballard, Henr)- S. Randall, Fred- 
erick Hyde, Henry Brewer, Wm. H. Shank- 
land, James S. Leach, Wm. L)-ndes, An- 

, drew Dickson, VV^m. B. Allen, Oliver Glover, 



124 



History of Cortland County. 



of the younger generation. It was the 
prominence and ncti\'it)' of such men, 
coupled with the exciting pohtical campaign 
of 1840, that led to the establishment of a 
Democratic "organ " in Cortland village. 
A stock subscription of about $800 was 
raised and an arrangement made for the 
publication of the Coi'tlaud Democrat with 
Seth Haight and Henrj- W. De Puy, the 
latter a young man from Fayetteville, On- 
ondaga county, and a recent graduate from 
college. Haight was a practical printer, 
having learned his trade in the Advocate 
office, under Mr. Randall's proprietorship ; 
he was a genial, convivial sort of man of 
fiir abilities. The Democrat was started in 
the spring of 1 840, the office being located 
over a hat store then kept by Canfield 
Marsh, on or near the site of the Union Hail 
Block. 

Meantime the Republican and Eagle had 
become the Cortland County Wliig, which 
guided the party of that name through the 
excitiiig campaigns of that and the following 
years. Prominent in that party then were 
such men as William Andrews, David 
Mathews, Harry McGraw, Dr. John Miller, 
Cephas Comstock, John J. Adams, Tercius 
Eels, Alanson Carley, Isaac A. Gates, Gid- 
eon Babcock, Joel B. Hibbard, Danforth 
Merrick, Jedediah Barber, James C. Pome- 
roy, Daniel Hawks, and many others who 
were uncommon and influential men, in dif- 
ferent parts of the county. The political 
campaign of 1840 will not soon be forgotten 
by any who witnessed or took part in it ; 
but the Whigs carried oft' the spoils. In 
the spring of 1841, Mr. De Pu\- retired from 
the Democrat, Mr. Haight continuing its 
publication alone. In April the office was 
removed into what is now the Keator Block. 
The Democrat was a creditable looking 
journal for that period ; had six columns to 
the page and was made up of a little news, 
considerable politics and more selections of 



a literary character. Mr. Haight was little 
of a writer, and employed Henry S. Randall 
to assist in his editorial work. In the spring 
of 1840 Henry G. Crouch entered the office 
to, as he puts it, take the leadership of the 
sweeping and roller brigade, and it was a 
portion of his duty to trudge a mile and re- 
turn out to Mr. Randall's farm on the Virgil 
road, for that careful writer to revise his 
proof sheets. For a few years at this time 
Harmon S. Conger was the editor of the 
Whig, though Mr. Reed kept his interest 
in the establishment. Mr. Conger was then 
a young and ambitious law\-er, and he soon 
attained a position of distinction in the 
'county as a political leader. In 1846 and 
1 848 he was elected to Congress in this dis- 
trict, the first term over Wm. H. Shankland. 
The campaign of 1844 was similar to its 
predecessor in everything except the bitter 
asperities of rival newspapers and individu- 
als. Not long subsequent to the close of 
this campaign Mr. Reed removed the WJiig 
to Homer, where he continued to publish it 
until he was elected county clerk in 1849, 
as before stated. The division of the Dem- 
ocratic party in 1848 was disastrous to Mr. 
Haight and the Democrat ; ^ the paper sup- 
ported Cass, and the publisher's lack of ed- 
itorial training was a serious embarrassment; 
the Democrat lost much of its influence and 
prosperity and Haight finally sold it to 

1 In the supplement of the Corllaiid Standard, to which 
allu.sion has been made, we find tlic following reminis- 
cence from James H. Sinclair, who was working in the 
/),n/ihia/ office at the time of the occurrence : " In the 
summer of 1845 we advertised for an apprentice — ' one 
from the country preferred.' One afternoon a little white- 
haired chap, with uncommonly large, intelligent-looking 
eyes, came to the door and said he had called in response 
to the advertisement, and wished to learn the trade. We 
doubted whether he would fill the bill, as he was not 
more than twelve years of age, and slight in his make-up; 
but he was anxious — he had walked up from Marathon, 
and wanted to try it. lie did; and little did I think, 
while initiating that mile of a lad, perched upon a box to 
bring his head above the frame, in the mysteries of the 
printer's case, that later he would develop into a ' Petro- 
leum \'. N'asby;' but he did." 



The Cortland County Press. 



125 



James S. Leach, a representative Cortland 
county Free Soiler of that period and a 
lawyer of considerable pniniinL-ncc, now a 
resident of Syracuse. He kept the paper 
about a year ; but the Free Soil movement 
was already doomed, and Mr. Leach sold 
the establishment to two young men named 
Quimby and Hyatt, from Ithaca. Their am- 
bition in the newspaper line was apparently 
soon satiated, for, in 185 i, Mr. Crouch, now 
an accomplished printer and able writer, 
bought the concern, which he conducted 
with ability and success until August, 1855, 
when he sold to lulwin V. Gould. Under 
Mr. Crouch's direction the Democrat be- 
came one of the leading country weeklies 
of that political creed in the State. He is 
now the editor and publisher of the Kings- 
ton Arg/ts, which is also an excellent jour- 
nal. At about the time when Mr. Crouch 
sold the Dcnwcrat the Know-Nothing ex- 
citement was at its height, and Mr. Gould 
soon changed the name of the paper to the 
Cortland American, and devoted it to the 
interests of the new party. Mr. Gould pub- 
lished the paper for about two years; but 
it was finally throttled by the death of the 
Know-Nothing organization, and the Dem- 
ocrats were for a brief time without an or- 
gan in the county. 

Soon after the American ceased to exist 
a young man named J. D. Robinson estab- 
lished the Cortland Gazette, purchasing the 
material of the defunct paper ; this was in 
1857 ; he continued its publication until the 
spring of 1858, when he sold out to John R. 
Bedcn. A few months later it passed into 
the hands of C. P. Cole. The Gazette was, 
of course. Democratic in politics ; was a 
four-page paper, seven columns to the page 
and $1 a year; its circulation within the 
first few years of its existence was about 
500. The office was in the third story of the 
Dickson (now Keator) Block, which building 
seems always to have possessed an attrac- 



tion for printing establishments. Mr. Cole 
was a practical printer, a writer of consid- 
erable abilit)' and had gainetl a little edito- 
rial experience on the Syracuse Courier. 
He improved his paper, added to his job 
printing material, increased the circulation 
of the Gazette to about 1,000 copies and for 
a time had a good paying business. 

We must now note the founding of a new 
paper which was eventually consolidated 
with the Gazette. In the year 1858 Messrs. 
E. D. Van Slyke, now publisher of the 
Hamilton Democratic Republican, and P. H. 
Bateson started the Rcpithlican Banner in 
Cortland village. Their expressed object 
was to give the people a journal which 
should be free from the dictation of the 
politicians of the county and the columns 
of which should always be open to the 
respectable discussion of any topic of in- 
terest, even though the publishers did not 
agree with the sentiments of the writers. 
Mr. Van Sl)'ke was, at the time the Banner 
was started, a law student in the office of 
R. Holland Duell. Mr. Bateson was a 
graduate of Cortland Academy in Homer, 
and also came to Mr. Duell's office to com- 
mence the stud\^ of the law. The two 
young men became intimately acquainted 
and their newspaper enterprise was the 
sequel. The capital of the firm was, by 
dint of considerable exertion, raised to ex- 
actly five dollars, and the office was estab- 
lished in some unfinished rooms in Mr Van 
Shke's dwelling on the corner of Green- 
bush and what was then called Venettc 
street. The two prospective publishers 
walked to McGrawville and bought of 
Abram Pr}-nc the material of the Central 
Reformer, which had just departed its news- 
paper existence, paying for it mainly with 
properly secured notes ; the price paid was 
$500. The first number of the paper ap- 
peared on the 1st of September, 1858, and 
was successfully brought to the notice of 



126 



History of Cortland County. 



the Cortland public (or the publishers, at 
least, were) by the issue of an extra an- 
nouncing the laying of the Atlantic Cable, 
the news of which had to be brought from 
Syracuse on the cars, something like half 
an hour before the Gazette issued its extra. 

On account of ill health Mr. Bateson 
remained with his partner but about six 
months ; he subsequently became a Uni- 
versalist preacher. After about five months 
the Banner office was removed to the sec- 
ond stor\- of Barnard's Block, where the 
Dexter House now stands. The Banner 
was a success, as such ventures are com- 
monly considered, and shortly after its re- 
moval, S. G. Hitchcock, an excellent prac- 
tical printer, now living in Syracuse, bought 
a half interest with Mr. Van Slyke, and in 
the course of a year a power press was 
added. Mr. Hitchcock, desiring to make a 
western tour, sold his interest to his part- 
ner in i860 or 1 86 1. This interest was 
transferred within a few weeks to A. M. 
Ford, now publisher of the Dryden Herald. 

When the 76th Regiment was organized 
in Cortland, in the autumn of 1861, Mr. 
Van Slyke's patriotism prompted him to 
join it; he accordingly made an arrange- 
ment with Mr. Cole, by which tlie latter 
was to buy the Banner establishment, con- 
solidate it with the Gazette, and change the 
politics to Republican and the name of the 
paper to the Gazette and Banner. Mr. 
Cole conducted the paper with varying suc- 
cess until his death in April, 1869. After 
passing through the hands of his uncle, J. 
V. P. Gardner, of Utica, the establishment 
was purchased by Wm. H. Livermore, who 
changed the name of the paper to the 
Cortland Weekly Jonrnal, issuing the first 
number under the new title on the 20th of 
May, 1 869. The paper was then an eight- 
column sheet, but was enlarged to nine 
columns on the I 8th of August, 1870. On 
the 7th of July, 1870, Mr. Livermore began 



tlu: i)ublication of the Homer Herald, sim- 
ilar in size and appearance to the Journal ; 
it was printed in the Cortland office, but 
devoted to the interests of the town of 
Homer and largely circulated in that part 
of the county. Mr. Livermore made a good 
newspaper and built up a successful busi- 
ness, which he carried on until January I ith, 
1872, when he sold the establishment to 
Edward and Emma Molloy, of South Bend, 
Ind. ; they stopped the publication of the 
Herald, continuing the Journal until May 
1 8th following, when it was sold to Wesley 
Hooker, consolidated with the Cortland 
Standard, purchased by him of F. G. Kin- 
ney, and named the Cortland Standard and 
Journal. Mr. Livermore is now in Wash- 
ington in the employ of the government. 

The first number of the Cortland Stand- 
ard was issued by F. G. Kinney on the 
29th of June, 1867. Mr. Kinney is a prac- 
tical printer of long experience and an able 
writer. In his salutatory he assumed it as 
a matter of general expression that there 
should be published in the shire town a 
paper which should more exactly meet 
the views and reflect the sentiments of 
the people of the count)' ; he expressed 
his determination to make a family paper 
the character of which should be unexcep- 
tionable, at the same time that it was out- 
1 spoken and manly on all the political and 
moral cjuestions of the da}-. On account 
of delay in getting his power press, the first 
few numbers of the paper were taken to 
Homer and printed ; the first number was 
sent out free, and two weeks then inter- 
vened before the regular publication began. 
Mr. Kinney made an excellent paper and 
continued its publication until the 1st of 
May, 1 872, when he sold to Weslej- Hooker, 
as above stated, he having at the same time 
purchased the establishment of the Cortland 
Journal and the defunct Homer Herald. 
The whole was consolidated in one concern. 



The Cortland County Press. 



127 



making one of the most complete country 
printing establishments in Central New 
York. Mr. Hooker stated in his introduc- 
tory editorial that in his opinion Cortland 
village needed just two papers and no more 
— one for each political party; said he: 
" More than two are an unnecessary tax on 
the community, and an imposition and bur- 
den it is very likely to resent and refuse to 
carr)-." Mr. Hooker had profited by an 
experience of twenty years as a printer, 
business manager and editor, and he quick- 
ly made his influence felt for the good of 
the paper. He said that while it would be 
Republican in politics, it should be inde- 
pendent and fearless in its course, not hesi- 
tating to criticise and admonish when it 
seemed neces.sary ; and above all, it would 
not be the organ of any faction. This 
course he consistentl}' followed until, on the 
1st of April, 1876, when he sold his estab- 
lishment to the Hon. William H. Clark, of 
Wayne county, who is the present proprie- 
tor and editor. Mr. Clark assumed his im- 
portant position while )'ct a young man. 
He was a graduate of Union College, and 
had studied law and was admitted to the 
bar six years before he came to Cortkmd, 
which period he had spent in the practice 
of his profession in Wayne county. His 
introductory editorial was a brief, pertinent 
and graceful statement of what he should 
labor to accomplish — the perpetuation of 
the high position and excellent reputation 
then enjoyed by the Standard and Journal, 
and the advancement of the interests of the 
Republican party. Since his proprietor- 
ship began Mr. Clark has greatly improved 
his paper and his establishment generally ; 
among the changes made are the curtailing 
of the name of the paper to the Cortland 
Standard and its enlargement to nine col- 
umns to the page, making it one of the 
largest and most attractive country weeklies 
in the State. Up to the time of Mr. Hook- 



er's withdrawal the office was located in the 

third story of the block un the corner of 
Main and Orchard streets. But the quar- 
ters there, although better than had ever 
before been enjoyed by a Cortland news- 
paper, were too crowded for the fully 
equipped establishment, and Mr. Clark re- 
moved to A. Mahan's building on Court 
street, on the i.st of January, 1879, occupy- 
ing the first floor and a portion of the base- 
ment. This gave much more commodious 
accommodations ; but the immediate ad- 
dition of new presses and a large quantity 
of other new material soon filled the new 
quarters to such an extent that more room 
became almost an imperative necessity. 
This state of affairs led Mr. Clark to embark 
with others in the erection of the splendid 
new brick "Standard Block" on the corner 
of Main and Tompkins streets, into which 
the office was removed on the 1st of May, 
1883, where the amplest accommodations 
had been especially prepared for it. At 
the time of his removal to the new build- 
ing Mr. Clark published a valuable supple- 
ment to the Standard, from which much 
of the data for this chapter is derived. In 
it we find the following description of the 
establishment, the importance and com- 
pleteness of which entitles it to a place in 
these pages : — 

" The practical experience gained in managing 
a printing office had taught us what its needs 
were, and it was the intention to meet them in 
the most thorough and satisfactory manner. It 
is with pleasure that we are able to say that two 
months of work in the new office have not called 
attention to a single material point in which the 
arrangement could be improved. 

" The new quarters of the Standard are located 
on the first floor and basement of the southwest 
store in the Standard Building. In front is 
, Tompkins street, and at the side a wide alley be- 
longing to the building, which can ne\er be ob- 
structed, and the space beyond, which is still 
; oiien. The frontage on Tompkins street is twen- 



128 



History of Cortland County. 



ty-seven and a half feet, and the depth is about 
sixty-three feet. The business office is on Tomp- 
kins street, and is a room tlijrteen feet deep by 
nineteen feet long. It has a glass front reaching 
from the floor to the ceiling, and is handsomely 
finished on the other three sides in western chest- 
nut, with a pauL-lcd ceiling, painted in parti- 
colors. The floor is of cherry and maple ; the 
furniture of ash, with the tops of the desks and 
counter of polished cherry. A [lortion of the 
furniture, though ordered, is not yet coniiileted, 
but we e.xpect will be in place very soon. From 
the walls, the faces of Emerson, Bryant, Lowell, 
Longfellow, Whittier and Holmes, look down, 
in the handsome Atlaiitk portraits, approjiriately 
framed, and a fine steel engraving of Garfield 
bears them worthy company. In addition to the 
door communicating with the composing room, 
tlie office is connected with this room by a sliding 
window at the end of the main desk, and is in 
communication with the press room on the floor 
below by means of a speaking tube and call bell. 
It is also connected with the Cortland and Ho- 
mer Telephone Exchange. As a business office, 
we believe it is uneciualed for beauty and con- 
venience in any other printing establishment in 
the country, outside of the cities. 

" Opening out of this ofiice, and lighted by a 
long and large window, is the private editorial 
room, occupying the remainder of the Tompkins 
street front, and finished like the business office, 
in western chestnut. Both of these rooms are 
heated and ventilated by steam, the direct and 
indirect systems of radiation being combined, 
and the entrance of fresh, warm air, and the es- 
cape of bad air are so arranged that the atmos- 
phere of the rooms may be changed entirely every 
fifteen minutes. This work, as well as the steam 
heating in the composing and press rooms, and 
in other parts of the building, was done by 
Messrs. Bates & Johnson, who have establish- 
ments in New York, .Albany and Syracuse, and 
enjoy the reputation of being among the most 
thorough, intelligent and trustworthy of steam 
engineers. In the rear of the business and edi- 
torial rooms is the comjKJsing and job room, 
where all the newspaper and job work is set uj), 
and all the Hghter job work printed on the Gor- 
don presses. The room is about fifty feet long, 
well ventilated, and filled with light from five 



large west windows, reaching from the ceiling 
nearly to the floor, and double glass doors with 
glass transom. Under the care of the efficient 
foreman, Mr. H. (i. Joy, the room is a model of 
neatnesss and good order, as well as a most 
cheerful and healthful place for labor. Under- 
neath the business, editorial, composing and job 
rooms, and running back the full sixty-three 
feet from Tompkins street, is the pre.ss room, 
where the cylindar newspajjer and job presses 
are located, together with the 'Otto Silent Gas 
Engine,' which furnishes power to run the entire 
machinery of the office. The presses are set 
upon heavy frames of cedar, fastened down by 
bolts running to the base of stone walls, which 
are sunk into the earth trom two to two and a 
half feet, giving foundations which are as solid as 
rock. 

" This room, like the comijosing room, is 
floored with Georgia pine, and is ceiled both 
above and on the sides. It is high, excellently 
lighted by eight large windows, and l)y double 
glass doors, with glass transom, and is also well 
ventilated. 

" In the rear portion of the room are located 
large stock closets, with sliding shelves for book- 
paper, etc., and beside them stands a large case 
of twenty-eight drawers, twenty-three by thirty 
inches each, in which are kept the cardboard, 
and flat papers used in the job department. 
Facing these is the paper-cutter, and the table 
on which rests the card-cutter. The ruled pa- 
pers, note heads, bill heads, etc., etc., and cut 
cards are kept in the composing and job room 
above, ready at hand for printing on the Gordon 

j presses. 

I " All of the shafting and pulleys for the various 
presses is suspended from the ceiling of the base- 
ment, belts running through the ceiling and the 
floor above, and connecting with the presses in 

' the composing room. All of the presses are 
connected with cone pulleys, giving any rate of 

! speed desired. 

" The store room, opening out of the Staiidani 
press room, is a large cellar, extending under 
about half of the post-office, in which is located 
the low-pressure boiler which furnishes steam for 
heating. A considerable portion of this cellar 
is floored, and the room is so light and dry that 
it furnishes a most convenient store room for 



The Coktlaxd County Press. 



129 



news and other papers in bundles, and for the 
various articles about a printing office which it 
is desirable to have on hand, and not desirable 
to have in the way. 

"The space afforded b) tins room, cumLiined 
w ith the other rooms above described, is about 
three times that of the old office in the third 
story of the Moore block, which the Standard 
occupied on the first of May, 1876, while the 
facilities of the office for turning out work have 
increased in nearly the same proportion." 

The direct predecessor of the Cortland 
County Democrat was the Cortland Demo- 
crat, which was started in the year 1864, 
b)- II. G. Crouch, of whom particular men- 
tion has already been made, and M. P. Cal- 
lendcr ; this sheet may, perhaps, be called 
a revival of the Democrat which Mr. Crouch 
had prexiously published, and which had 
passed into the hands of C. P. Cole, to be- 
come transformed into a Republican jour- 
nal. The Democrat was purchased in 1866 
by C. A. Kohler, a native Swede, who was 
possessed of a t^ood deal of natiu-al ability 
and a sterling Democrat. It was while Mr. 
Kohler was conducting the paper that Ben- 
ton B. Jones took the first steps in the edi- 
torial profession, which has since that time 
almost entire!)' engrossed his attention. He 
was then a young law)-er in the village of 
Cortland, who was gradual!)- acquiring an 
excellent practice, when Mr. Kohler called 
on him to assist in the promulgation of 
Democratic doctrine through the columns 
of the Democrat. So well did Mr. Jones 
fulfill the mission that a large share of the 
editorial work thereafter fell upon his shoul- 
ders. L. S. Crandall bought Mr. Kohler's 
interest in 1866, or '67, Mr. Jones still con- 
tinuing to do a share of the editorial labor 
until 1868, when he bought out Mr. Cran- 
dall. In assuming the responsibility of 
conducting the organ of the Democratic 
party in the county, Mr. Jones wrote as 
follows : — 

" In accepting the duties consequent upon 



such assumption, we feel constrained to ask the 
co-operation and assistance of all Democrats in 
our efforts to make the Democrat &f\xs,i class family 
newspaper. Our political affinities being so well 
known throughout the county, it is, perhajjs, un- 
necessary for us to assert that we have always 
sujjported to the best of our ability, in pros|)erity 
and adversitv alike, those grand old Democratic 
principles whicli lie at the very foundation of our 
government, and that, as the editor of this paper, 
we shall continue to support those principles. 
We promise to do our level best to sow the seeds 
of discord and dissatisfaction in the ranks of the 
dominant party, while at the same time we do 
everything in our jjower to strengthen the Dem- 
ocratic ])arty." 

These outspoken promises Mr. Jones has 
fulfilled, as far as he has been able, for the 
past sixteen years.' He enlarged his paper 
from the first, at the same time advancing 
the subscription price to $2, and he so con- 
ducted the Democrat that it was given a 
cordial support. The political situation in 
the comity during the most of the period 
of Mr. Jones's pro})rietorship of the paper 
has been such that he could expect very 
little support of a public character, and he 
has received about what he expected ; but 
he has kept on in the path marked out in 
his introductory editorial and has won the 
respect even of those who do not agree with 
the political sentiments of his journal. He 
has from time to time added to his office 
outfit, in the way of new and improved ma- 
chinery, types, etc., until it is second to none 
in its capacity to turn out excellent work 
of all kinds. Mr. Jones moved the office 
(which had been previously located in the 
Squires Block, and over the present store of 
Wm. Riley, on Main street,) to the Keator 
Block, and in 1871 to the old Eagle Block, 
which has given way to the new Squires 
Building. In 1877 he fitted up commo- 

1 From May 1st, 1874, until .\ugiisl, 1875, xhe Bviiiofrat 
was in tlie hands of Roberts & Lamont and David Tall- 
madge; but it came ijack into Mr. Jones's ownership al 
the latter date. 

9 



I30 



HlSTDRV OF CoRTI.ANU COUNTV. 



dioiis quarters in the building since occu- 
pied by him on West Court street. 

The third ne\vs])a])er published at the 
present time in Cortland village, the Cort- 
land Nc^vs, was first issued on the 25th of 
June, 1880, by C. H. HucU and E. M. Lans- 
ing. The former was a native of Tru.xton, 
but resided for some time in New York city, 
where he had been in different waj's con- 
nected with newspapers. Mr. Lansing 
remained in the establishment but a short 
time. Mr. Buell. labored under many em- 
barrassments, as is often the case in similar 
undertakings, but his energy and perse- 
verance made his paper a success. In 
the celebrated Normal School controversy 
he supported with ability the views of the 
Local Board and Dr. Hoose, which finallj' 
prevailed. 

In January, 1882, the Nctvs establish- 
ment was taken by F. G. Kinney, who has 
conducted it since that date. The causes 
leading to the establishment of this paper 
are given as the opposition offered by the 
other Republican paper (the Standard) to 
the policy of the Republican leaders, and its 
opposition to the action of the Local Board 
of the Normal School in its adherence to the 
employment of Professor J. H. Hoose as 
principal, against the efforts of the superin- 
tendent of public instruction, who desired 
Prof Hoose's removal. With these contro- 
vesies this work need not be concerned. The 
Nczvs, as stated, took strong ground in favor 
of the retention of Dr. Hoose as principal 
of the school, and a long controversy ensued 
between the two Republican journals ; at 
the same time the dissensions in the ranks 
of the Republican part}' in the county, with 
the aggressi\'c action of the prohibition fac- 
tion, opened the way to a Democratic suc- 
cess in the fall of 1882, when that party 
elected its county judge and surrogate, dis- 
trict attorney and county clerk — a very 
unusual occurrence in Cortland count)'. 



The office of the Nczvs has always been 
located over No. 13 Main street. 

The MaratlioH Independent was estab- 
lished in Marathon in 1870, by Wallace 
Kelley, acting for B. B. Jones, of the Cort- 
land Dcnwerat. A paper called the Mara- 
thon Mirror had previously, in 1862, been 
started in that village by G. A. Dodge, who 
transferred it in the following year to P. D. 
& C. A. Van Vredenburg; they abandoned 
it after a few years. In 1868 C. D. Smith 
revived it as the Marathon Neivs ; he con- 
ducted it about a year when it was sus- 
pended. The material of this establishment 
was bought by Mr. Kelley, and on the 19th 
of July, 1870, he issued the first number 
of the Independent. The paper was con- 
ducted one year by Kelley, who, during 
that period, was acting as the agent of Mr. 
Jones ; at the end of that time he purchased 
the establishment and conducted it success- 
fully until 1876. He was a man of great 
industr)' and a good printer, qualifications 
which enabled him in a comparativelj- con- 
tracted field to build up a successful and 
profitable business, where many others 
would have filled. 

In the fall of 1875 Mr. Kelley was at- 
tacked by consumption which so impaired 
his strength that in June, 1876, he was 
forced to betake himself to the Adirondack's. 
He placed his business in the care of Ed. 
L. Adams, who had just completed his ap- 
prenticeship in the office. Returning in 
the fall, Mr. Kelley gave up hope of recov- 
ery and offered his ofifice for sale. It was 
purchased on the first of December of that 
year by Charles A. Brooks, an employee 
of Mr. Kelle\', and A. H. Da}-, a business 
man of Marathon. This firm employed 
Mr. Adams as editor of their paper and 
conducted it successfully until May ist, 
1878. At this date Mr. Adams had only 
just reached man's estate, and he purchased 
the interest of Mr. Day, the firm becoming 



The Cortland County Press. 



Ill 



Brooks & Adams. This continued until 
January 1st, 1880, at which time Mr. Adams 
bought his partner's interest and has since 
owned the estabUshment alone. 

When Mr. Kelley issued the first number 
of the Independent the office was equipped 
with a hand press and an old-fashioned job 
press. Under Mr. Adams's efficient man- 
agement it has become a first-class estab- 
lishment ; has a Campbell cylinder press, 
two power job presses, a power paper cut- 
ter, steam-engine, with an excellent outfit 
of other material. More than two hundred 
new subscribers have been added to the list 
in the year 1883. The first issue was a six- 
column folio; it was enlarged in 1871 to 
seven columns, and again enlarged in 1881 
to eight columns; in June, 1883, it was 
changed into a five-column quarto and 
otherwise improved. Mr. Adams has won 
an extended reputation as a humorist, based 
upon the establishment of a column devoted 
to that class of writing in 1879, and has in 
many ways shown himself to be an enter- 
prising journalist. 

Early in June, 1878, the McGi-azvville 
Scntiiiel issued its first number, a youth of 
eighteen years, named Wm. A. Huntington, 
being the proprietor. The office was located 
on the first floor above the ground floor of 
what is now known as the Empire House, 
but at that time was commonl\- called the 
Empire Block. The paper was then a five 
column folio and its subscription list was not 
very large. The motto adopted and since 
retained was, "For the public good." The 
industry and diligence of the young pro- 
prietor soon increased the circulation of his 
paper and it was changed to a si.x-column 
folio. The first copy was printed on a small 
army press ; but this was soon changed for 
a Washington hand press and in December, 
1882, a Guernsey cylinder press was sub- 
stituted and is still in use. In the following 
year the office was removed to the Frieson 



Block, and at the expiration of its second 
year to the Graves Building, where it now 
is. Mr. Huntington conducted the paper 
for five years, when he disposed of the 
property to the Sentinel Publishing Com- 
pany, consisting of E. P. and J. R. Fancher. 
For the last three years the paper has been 
a seven column folio. Its circulation is 
increasing, its list now exceeding 300. 
Terms, $1.00. 

The Otselic Valley Register. — This paper 
was established at Pitcher, Chenango coun- 
ty, on the 8th of April, 1874, by J. E. Ly- 
ons, who, after publishing it about four 
months, suddenly disappeared and has never 
since been heard from. The paper was 
then taken in hand by a stock company and 
was conducted by Eneas Fenton for a period 
of about four months, and then disposed of 
to John Henry Graves; he continued its 
publication for about two years and then 
removed the establishment to Cincinnatus, 
where he shortly afterward sold it to D. V. 
Joyner. He enlarged the sheet to a seven 
column folio, and on the 3d day of Novem- 
ber, 1879, sold out to Will O. Greene, who 
immediately began making improvements 
both in the paper and the methods of car- 
rying on the business. The paper soon as- 
sumed a position with the other local jour- 
nals of the county and vicinit)'. Mr. Greene 
still conducts the establishment with satis- 
faction to his readers and profit to himself 
The Register is still a se\en column paper 
and is independent in politics. 

The history of the newspapers now liv- 
ing in Cortland county being concluded, it 
remains for us to devote a few words to 
those ventures in journalism that have gone 
before. Among these was the True Anier- 
iean and Religious Examiner, which was 
started in Cortland village in 1845, by C. B. 
Gould. The following year it passed into 
the hands of S. R. Ward, a negro of much 
natural talent, who changed its name to the 



13^ 



History of Corti.an'd County. 



True Atncrican. Ward published it about 
two years, wlicn it was suspended. 

The Liberty Herald wn'-, put forth in 1845, 
or about that date, by James W. Eels and 
Nathaniel Goodwin. The former was a 
])rinter in R. A. Reed's office and the latter 
a member of the floating population who 
li\-ed at Little York, near the residence of 
Orrin Cravath, a prominent abolitionist and 
master of one of the stations on the "Un- 
derground Railroad," to which mystic thor- 
oughfare many of the slaves who escaped 
to Canada were indebted for their freedom. 
The Liberty Hei-ald a.x\d other anti-slavery 
publications were sent to Mr. Cravath, who 
placed them in the hands of Goodwin ; he 
traveled about the county selling and giving 
them away. There were then several hun- 
dred abolitionists in the county; among 
them a kw hundred dollars were raised, a 
second-hand outfit purchased and the Her- 
ald went forth on its mission. The office 
was in the " ILlder" store building and John 
Thomas, one of the staunchest and most un- 
compromising abolitionists, was the editorial 
writer. His effusions have been character- 
ized, by one who read them, as "red hot." 
But the cause was not then a popular one, 
and it requires money to print newspapers. 
Eels soon retired from the concern and his 
place was taken for a time b)- a Dr. Sted- 
man, from Tioga county. But this journal, 
like the other abolition organ before alluded 
to, passed into the hands of Samuel R. 
Ward, the black orator and preacher. It was 
finally suspended and the material taken to 
De Ruyter. Such were the earnest and un- 
selfish efforts of the men of Cortland county 
who strove in the cause of human freedom 
— a cause wliich in later years triumphed 
and brought honor to all who labored in it. 
The Moruiiig Star was published in Mc- 
Grawvilie in 1850 and was probably the 



successor (whether immediate or not, we are 
not inf)rincd) of the ALeGrau'-i'ille Ji.vpress, 
which was started by A. H. Benedict, who 
afteward became a well-known teacher of 
penmanshi[) in tiiis section. But the Star 
ceased to shine after a comparatively brief 
existence, being followed by the Central 
Reformer, which was published in 1858, in 
connection with the Central College at Mc- 
Grawville. 

The South Cortland Lniniiiary had a 
brief existence about the year 1839, and was 
published by M. Reynolds. It was removed 
to Eayette\'ille, Onondaga county, by Hon. 
Wesley Bailey, and its name changed to the 
Fayettei 'ille L 11 miliary. 

A very small candidate for public favor 
was started in Cortland on the 9th of Octo- 
ber, 1820, by T. J. Sutherland and D. Hills. 
The subscription price was onl)' 50 cents, 
but that was probably enough, as there were 
only two columns on each of the four pages 
of the paper. It was called the Village 
Museum. The salutatory was as ponderous 
as the paper was insignificant ; it began: "In 
viewing the present advancements which 
have been made in the progress of science 
and literature in this place, we have ven- 
tured to introduce this little miscellaneous 
stranger," etc. Readers were assured that 
political discord would be excluded from its 
columns; "neither will we disgrace our 
pages with slanderous productions of mis- 
creants." Then followed an apology for 
the \iiuth of the publishers. The Museum 
failed to entertain after a few months. 

The Neiv York Confederacy was a suc- 
cessor of the Llryden Nczus and was 
published in both Dryden and Cortland in 
1857, and a few succeeding years by G. Z. 
House.' 

'(Jllier short-lived journals are referred to in the his- 
tory of llii; towns. 



The Bench and Bar of Cortland County. 



133 



CHAPTER XV. 

THE liKXCH AXI) BAR OF CORTLAND COUNTY. 

• Tlie Old English Couvts — Eslahlishiiieiu of Couits in America — Creation of the Court of Appeals — The 
Supreme Court — Its Judges and their Duties — The Court of Common Pleas and the County Court — fustice's 
Courts and Courts of Special Sessions — Judicial Offices — The Bar of Cortland County — Its Early Eniinonl 
Mcnilicr-. — Roll of Attorneys' Oaths — The Present Bar — Biographical Notes. 



ALTHOUGH as a distinct count)- our 
records are recent, the early history 
of otir bench and bar takes us back to jtidi- 
cial sj'stems \'er\' different from tliose with 
which we are now familiar, and very similar 
to those of England. For the British gov- 
ernors, after the peace of Westminster, in- 
troduced such of the courts of the mother 
country from time to time as seemed 
adapted to the new colonies ; and although 
our constitution of 1777 abolished such as 
were hostile to the democratic sentiments 
of the new era, it preserved with consider- 
able entirety the legal fictions and the judi- 
cial systems of its inheritance. It was thus 
that our new country found in existence 
stich courts as the Common Pleas, Chan- 
cery, Court of Probate, Court for the Trial 
of Impeachments and the Correction of 
Errors, and others long since abolished, or 
merged in those of the present day. The 
old Court of Assizes, and Court of Oyer 
and Terminer had already passed away, 
and the federal constitution had taken from 
the State the Court of Admiralty; but most 
of those mentioned above still attested our 
early relations with the complex systems 
of England. 

*The following brief history of the courts 
of our State, at the time when Cortland 
county was formed, is made necessary by 
the relations which some of the leading 
members of our bar have sustained to those 
tribunals. 

During the exciting times succeeding the 
administration- of the tyrannical Governor 
Andros, and just after the execution of 



Leisler and the arrival of Governor Slough- 
tcr, and while the new charter of liberties 
was agitating our colony, the Court for the 
Correction of Errors and Appeals v\'as es- 
tablished. It consisted of the governor and 
council, its powers resembling our present 
court of final resort.. The revolution neces- 
sitated a change, which gave rise to the 
Court for the Trial of Impeachments and 
the Correction of Errors, which was still in 
e-xistencc when our county was organized. 
The constitution of 1846, which made so 
many changes in our jtidicial systems, en- 
tirely remodeled this court. It divided it, 
in fact, creating the Court of Appeals in 
place of the Court for the Correction of 
Errors, and leaving the Court for the Trial 
of Impeachments still composed of the Sen- 
ate and its president, together with the 
judges of the new court. The convention 
of 1867-68 reorganized the Court of Ap- 
peals, and in 1869 the people ratified the 
change, which resulted in the present court 
of final resort. 

On account of the great mass of accumu- 
lated business, a Commission of Appeals 
was created in 1870, continuing until 1875, 
possessing powers very similar to those of 
its sister court, and designed to relieve the 
latter. With it, one of our early bar, Judge 
Gray, was connected as a prominent mem- 
ber. 

The, Supreme Court, as it now exists, is 
a combination of ver}' diverse elements. 
The Court of Chancery, the Court of Ex- 
chequer, the Court of Oyer and Terminer, 
the Probate Court, the Circuit Court and 



134 



History of Cortland County. 



the Supreme Court proper, have all com- 
bined to make up this important branch of 
our system. But during our early county 
history several of these courts existed inde- 
pendently of each other, some of our early 
lawyers being amongst their leading mem- 
bers. The Court of Chancery, which had 
been organized when the Court of Assizes 
was abolished in 1683, was the beginning 
of the equity branch of our present Su- 
preme Court. It was reorganized shortly 
after the Revolution and, with some slight 
modifications by our constitution of 1821, 
and by subsequent enactments, it continued 
until 1846, when it merged into the new 
Supreme Court. Its descendant is our 
Special Term, the presiding judge repre- 
senting the vice-chancellor, the duties of 
chancellor being filled by the General Term 
bench. The Court of Exchequer, having 
been erected in 1685, was made a branch 
of the old Supreme Court just after the 
Revolution, and so continued until finally 
abolished in 1830. In our earliest colonial 
history there had been a Court of Oyer and 
Terminer, but it was discontinued durine 
the time of King William, its name, how- 
ever, surviving to designate the criminal 
part of the Circuit. This brings us to the 
old Supreme and Circuit Courts with which 
the Court of Chancer)' united under the 
constitution of 1846 to complete the prin- 
cipal branch of our present system. At the 
time the history of Cortland county began 
the Supreme Court of this State consisted 
of five justices. It had been the practice 
to hold four terms a year, two in Albany 
and two in New York. But towards the 
close of the last century the Circuit system 
was established, somewhat on the plan of 
that of I'Lngland. It was enacted tliat the 
judges should, during their vacations, hold 
courts in the various counties of the State, 
and return the proceedings to the Supreme 
Court when it convened again, when they 



should be recorded and judgment rendered. 
Just before the separation of Cortland coun- 
ty from Onondaga this system was simpli- 
fied by the division of the State into four 
districts. To each of these districts was 
assigned a judge, whose duty it was to hold 
Circuits in each of the counties therein, at 
least once in each year. It had already 
been enacted that the Courts of Oyer and 
Terminer (the criminal part of the present 
Supreme Court) should be held at the same 
time and place as the Circuit, and should 
consist of the Circuit judge, assisted by two 
or more of the judges of the Court of Com- 
mon Pleas of the coimty. This Circuit sys- 
tem was very similar to the present, except 
that our Special Terms are substituted in 
place of the Court of Chancery. After the 
constitution of 1821 the State was divided, 
as at present, into eight judicial districts, 
each being pro\'ided with a Circuit judge, 
in whom were vested certain equity powers, 
subject to appeal to the Chancery ; while 
the Supreme Court proper held much the 
same position as our present General Term. 
In 1846 the new constitution abolished the 
Court of Chancery, giving the powers there- 
tofore held b}- it to the Supreme Court, 
which it reorganized substantially as it ex- 
ists to-day. Such is the history of the 
higher courts of this county and State. 

The s\-stem of local judicature has also 
changed to correspond with that of the 
State at large. The Court of Common 
Pleas, organized contemporaneously with 
the colonial Court for the Correction of 
Errors and Appeals, has given way to the 
County Court ; while the offices of county 
judge and surrogate have been combined 
where the county population does not ex- 
ceed forty thousand. During the eight- 
eenth centur}- the Court of Common Pleas 
consisted of a first judge assisted by two or 
more associates, all of whom were ap- 
pointed by the governor. Its powers were 



The Bench and Bar of Cortland County. 



135 



very similar to those of the present County 
Court, the associate judges corresponding 
to the justices of sessions on our present 
criminal bencli. The constitution of 1846 
aboHshed the Court of Common Pleas, and 
created the County Court and Court of 
Sessions as they exist to-day. A list of 
the first judges of the Court of Common 
Pleas and of the County Court appears in 
another place in this work, together with 
those of the surrogates and district attor- 
neys of this county. 

The Surrogate's Court has changed less 
than an}^ of the others during the period 
covered by the history of this count}-. In 
the earliest times, even before the Dutch 
supremacy gave way to the Knglish, there 
had been a short-lived Orphan Court. Then 
the P2nglish go\ernment introduced the 
Prerogative Court, which, in turn, gave way 
to the Court of Probates after the Revolu- 
tion. Surrogates were then appointed in 
each county, having much the same powers 
as at present, from whose judgments appeals 
to the Court of Probates lay. This was the 
system in operation during the first fifteen 
years of our county histor)-. In 1823 the 
Court of Chancer)- took the place of the 
Court of Probates, as to appeals, but the 
office of surrogate remained as before. This 
continued until the constitution of 1846, 
when, in this count)-, amongst others, the 
powers and duties of the surrogate were 
vested in the county judge, as at present. 

Our Justice's Courts and Courts of Spe- 
cial Sessions have remained substantially 
unchanged since the colonial period, and 
require no extended history. 

As of interest in connection with our 
judicial system, the office of district attorney 
may be mentioned as one which has under- 
gone considerable modification. Before our 
county was organized, the State had been 
divided into seven districts for each of which 
was an assistant attorney-general, whose 



duties were very similar to those of our 
public prosecutors to-day. Indeed, the 
name now given to that officer arises from 
the fact that he was formerly the district 
attorney- general. The present office, as 
distinct from the attorney- generalship, was 
created just before our county organization, 
the number of districts being finally in- 
creased to thirteen. At first Cortland county 
was in the ninth district with Cayuga, 
Chenango, Madison and Onondaga, until 
1817, when, for a year, it was in the thir- 
teenth, with Broome, Seneca and Tompkins 
counties. Since 1818 each county has had 
its own district attorney, the name still be- 
ing preserved in its original form. The list 
herein of those who have held this office 
dates from that year. 

The offices of county judge, district at- 
torney and first judge of the Court of Com- 
mon Pleas have, with t)ne or two excep- 
tions, been filled by attorneys at law. Not 
so with that of surrogate, however, for in 
the early history of the county, and until 
the great changes of 1846, it was the rule 
that laymen should fill that office, as well as 
those of county clerk, sheriff and others of 
lesser rank ; it should also be mentioned 
that for some time after the constitution of 
1846, so great was the amount of law busi- 
ness in this vicinit)^ that general terms of 
the Supreme Court were held at Cortland; 
an honor which has not been ours, however, 
since the last war. Such has been the his- 
tory of the courts, of Cortland count)-; a 
development of a practical, complete system 
from the unnecessary, antiquated methods 
inherited from Great Britain. 

Our county organization was scarcely 
complete until the year 18 10, when, against 
much opposition, the county seat was lo- 
cated at Cortland. Homer and Port Wat- 
son, the latter being then the chief com- 
mercial point in this section, had both as- 
pired to that honor, as elsewhere detailed in 



1^6 



History of Cortland County. 



these pages. But the energy of Jonathan 

lliihb.irtl ;iiul a few others decided the 
matter, and what was thereafter known as 
(."inirt-IIuuse Hill was selected as the site 
for the count}- buildings. The conrt-house 
was completed three years thereafter, and, 
with the jail adjoining, was used for a quar- 
ter of a century, a period of great legal in- 
terest, as will he seen as we |)roceed. In 
1838 the Su[)ervisors, unwisely enough, 
selected the present site, and erected the 
edifices now in use. It ma)- be interesting 
to know that when lliey took the warranty 
deed of the present court-house lot from 
John J. Speed, in 1837, Speed deeded to 
them twice as much land as lie hail title to, 
and described it in such a way that by 
no possibilit)- can the boundaries be ascer- 
tained, even were the title perfect. 

The history of the bar of Cortland coun- 
t)' presents the names of men whose repu- 
tation has not been confined to this section, 
nor to this State alone; names, however, 
mingled with the naturally large number of 
those whose only records are their scrawl- 
ing signatures in the count\- archives. 
There is, in the clerk's office, a ver\- inter- 
esting document which acts as an admirable 
guide in research relati\e to the early bar 
of the county. It consists of a must)- roll 
of yellow, ragged paper, much the worse 
for dust and vermin, the sheets being 
fastened together by wafers, like some an- 
cient chronicle. It has a veritabl)- antiiiue 
appearance, despite the fact that it is only 
three-quarters of a century old. It is in- 
teresting because it contains the official 
oaths of all of the attorneys of our Court 
of Common Pleas from the spring of 1808, 
down through the next forty }'ears. Some 
thirt)--five feet of this roll contain in the 
neighborhood of a hundred and fifty names, 
all but about a dozen long ago forgotten. 
Among the first eighteen signatures is that 
of Townsend Ross, a man of considerable 



prominence in his time, both in Jegal affairs 
and in the other walks of ci\il life lie 
was one of the assistant judges of Common 
Pleas for a time, as w-ell as surrogate for 
some )-ears, besides which his name appears 
in many other capacities in the early records. 
The name of the afterwards prominent Vic- 
tory Birdseye also appears among the early 
ones, lie, although a resident of PomiJC)', 
was for some time intimately connected 
with our courts as a prominent practitioner, 
and his eminent success in later life is well 
known b)- man\- now living in the county, 
his record as a member of the Constitu- 
tional Convention in 1821, of two Con- 
gresses, of .several sessions of the Assembly 
and of the Senate, being of the highest 
character. 

In old fashioned English scrij)!, opposite 
the date, "October 18, 1809," '^ t'^c name 
of Glen Cuyler, the same who had already 
been surrogate of Cayuga several years, and 
was to be several years to come. His de- 
scendants are still well known in this vicin- 
ity, among his grandchildren being the late 
Mrs. R. H. Duell. 

jMthough he was not an acti\-e practi- 
tioner, we finil the name of Roswell Ran- 
dall in the list, signed in a style the exact 
model of the penmanship of his son, sworn 
to in 1 8 14, before Mead Merrill, a rnaii 
likewise widely known in his day. Mr. 
Randall was a very active man, and one of 
the most public spirited citizens of that 
time. There is still preserved in the clerk's 
office, in a tattered condition, an old roll of 
official oaths, covering a period of ten )-ears 
(1808-1818), very similar in appearance to 
the one heretofore described. Supplement- 
ing this is an ancient - appearing record 
book, with cover most!)- gone, containing 
oaths of judges of the Common Pleas, jus- 
tices, surrogates, officers of the militia, and 
numerous others, covering our first half 
century. And as an evidence of his popu- 



The Bench and Bar of Cortland County. 



137 



larity and public spirit, the name of Gen- 
eral Randall (as he was always called in 
later life) appears more frequently than any 
other in the long list. 

Subscribed to the same oath as that of 
Roswell Randall is the well known signa- 
ture of Henry Stephens, for many years 
one of the most prominent lawyers of Cort- 
land county. Mr. Stephens had studied 
law with Eleazer Burnham, of Aurora, a 
man of wide reputation, both as an attorney 
and a publicist, and also with Glen Cuyler, 
of the same place, and consequently could 
boast of the best of legal training. He was 
a man of commanding presence, a strong 
man physically, as he was mentally and 
morall}'. Besides being for many years the 
first judge of Common Pleas in the county, 
and the great rival at the bar of Judge Nel- 
son, he was a man of great public spirit, as 
was attested by his brilliant record in the 
Assembly, as president of the S. B. and N. 
Y. R. R. Company, as prime mover in 
founding the Agricultural Society, and in 
other important enterprises. Judge Ste- 
phens lived to a good old age, it being but a 
few years ago that he was seen on our 
streets. He was honored by the entire 
community, not only as among the best in 
his profession, but also because of his ex- 
emplary private life. 

At this early period, the leading counsel- 
or of the county, and one whose opinions 
were also sought from distant parts of the 
State, was Oliver Wiswell. Although not 
widely known as a trial lawyer, he was a 
man of great energy and prominence in 
public matters, an able assistant judge of 
Common Pleas, and one whose legal opin- 
ions were highly esteemed. For some years 
he was a partner of Judge Stephens, and 
their names figure largely in the calendars 
of that time. They constituted the earliest, 
and, for a long time, the leading law firm 
in Cortland. 



The old (then new) court-house on the 
hill witnessed one of the most celebrated 
trials in the history of the county, in 1817. 
There had been a severe political struggle 
between the Republicans and the Federals 
the fall previous, during which Dr. John 
Miller, of Truxton, then the leading physi- 
cian of the county, had been the candidate 
of the former party for Member of Assem- 
bly. Among the leaders of the Federals 
was Mead Merrill, one of the most prom- 
inent men in the county, one who had held 
the office of surrogate and of county clerk 
for many years, and whose opinion, even in 
political strifes, was of no little weight. In 
the excitement of the campaign he had 
charged Miller with stealing, a political ac- 
cusation which, like many since, was 
prompted far more by malice than by truth. 
The result was a slander suit, the defendant 
pleading the truth in justification. The 
cause came on for trial at the Cortland 
Circuit amidst the greatest excitement. 
P'or the plaintiff appeared lili^ha Williams, 
then and thereafter the leader in the As- 
sembly chamber, and the celebrated Thom- 
as J. Oakley, soon after attorney-general 
and prominent Member of Congress ; while 
the defendant, besides having the best local 
counsel, had secured the services of John 
W. Hurlbert, of Auburn, who at that time 
stood peerless as a trial lawyer in this part 
of the State. The hearing lasted several 
days, and has never since been equaled in 
Cortland in interest, nor in the display of 
legal and forensic talent. The result for 
the plaintiff was received by the Republi- 
cans as a great victory, and slander was not 
so popular for the ne.xt half century or 
more. 

On the roll of attorneys' oaths, before 
mentioned, with the date January i, 18 16 
(written, by the common January error, 
for 1817), appears the name of Samuel Nel- 
son. B\- curious mistake, no jurat appears, 



138 



History of Cortlaxd County. 



so that the greatest light of onr bar wa~ 
oev€x admitted vith proper formalities. 
Mr. Nelson opened his office in what is now 
called the Sam? - ^ r -:, which had been 
erected but a } = . r. and began prac- 

tice. He was, more than any of oar bar 
since his tirr : lover of the 

law. L"-^ ^. _- -_i. Kent. Storj- 

and G- coniemporaries and 

- he was thorough- 



pretation- Add to this a stability' of char- 
acter that was the .3 
knew h'~ --•'■- '^- 

-. the rival of Henr^- 

- - , j 

Avr r oadis there stiU re: 

of Samuci Nrfson dated July 13th. idio, as 



appear 



aasociateo wrm 
eje ^ ■ - .- 



;.- to very little In 1820 



il ConventicHi, 
lames Kent. Victorv Birds- 



Xd- 



as 



r Kent, cniei jusace spencer. 



-.-ears later. 



still rerr 



da: 



clerks oSice 



courts a year in diis count}-, a ; : . - 

ing his agnatnrcL In 1831 Judge Neison 
-A-as ad\-anced to the Supreme Court bench 
as associate, succeeding Hon. WHIiam L. 
Marcy. who had jnst been dec^d to the 
United States Senate. After -serving for 
six years in that capacit>-, he w^ made 
chief jostice, in place of Judge Savage, his 
former legal instmctor, wlio had resigned. 
Se\-en years later he recei*-ed the highest 
legal appointment widiin the gift of die 
government, that of justice <^ the Snpreme 
Conrt of the United States. This position 
be held until advanced age and ill health 
compelled him to resign in 1872. He was 
also a member of the Constitntional Con- 
vent' ?46, when so many changes 
~:rr - onr judicial s\-stem, in which 
his extewsrve experience and dear 
were of the greatest service. 
. -^elson died not long after his resig- 
- 3, leaving the record of an exeanfiary 
life, — his Ids mourned by the bar of the 



rtivdy August 31st, 1824, and 



_^ -— "ing the 5-ears 1816 to 1820 
diat die great outer)' against dueling went 
The pulpit had warred against it 
and so scandalons had it become 
^ ^lative enactments were renewed, 
omcers of the law were warned to vigilaiice, 
one was compdied under penalty' 
_. - it: Thottsands of diese old anti- 
ng oaths exist tfaroogfaoat die State in 
the official ardiives, mosdy &ded and moth- 
eaten, curious relics of a comparativdy re- 
cent barbarism. Every attorney was oUiged 
to 3gn one before be coold be admitted, or 
" -e he could hold any office. The kA- 
-g copy illustrates die rigfateoos preju- 
dice and strict legislation, as wdl as tlie an- 
cient orthography, of diat day : — 

- 1 do soienmly swear that I have not been 

engaged m a dewd by spnding or acsepdng a 

~ '- a Dwd or br fiting a Dvd or in 

ner in violatioo of die act entided 



The Bkncii and Bar of Cortlaxu County. 



139 



an act to surpress Dweling since the first day of 
July in the year of our lord one thousand F-ight 
hundred and sixteen. Nor will I be so Con- 
seamed directly or indirectly in any Uwel Dur- 
ing the continuance of the said act and whit an 
Inhabitant of this state." 

Such was the anti-diieling oath of 1817, 
this particular one having been signed by 
Townsend Ross and others of his contem- 
poraries. 

Among those first admitted to practice at 
our Court of Common Pleas was Daniel 
Gott, then of Pompey, whose application 
was sworn to before "S. Nelson, comr." in 
1819. Although not a member of our bar, 
Mr. Gott was an extensive practitioner in 
our courts, and was one of the leaders in 
Syracuse, where most of his life was passed. 

Although it was the rule that the "first 
judge" of Common Pleas should be an at- 
torney, it seems to have been broken in the 
case of John Keep, who held office for thir- 
teen years, beginning in 18 10, and continu- 
ing until the appointment of Wm. Mallory. 
He had been justice of the peace years be- 
fore the organization of our county, and for 
that reason was considered best fitted for 
the new position. He was a man whom 
every one respected for his upright charac- 
ter and his unaffected concern for the public 
good. 

The first attorney's oath in the handwrit- 
ing of Samuel Hotchkiss, so long thereafter 
the clerk of the county, is subscribed, with 
an awkward attempt at a flourish, "H. 
Gray,'' and dated the last day of December, 
1823. Next to Judge Nelson, Judge Gray 
has attained the highest eminence as a jurist 
of any member of the Cortland bar, having 
spent a large portion of his life upon the 
bench, and having been engaged in many 
of the most important cases of the last half 
century. He was born in 1802 in Washing- 
ton county, and was graduated at Union 
College with the class of 1 821. He had 
already studied law with Chief Justice Sav- 



age (with whom Nelson had studied before 
him), but soon after his graduation he came 
to Cortland and completed his preparatory- 
work with Nelson & Dayton. Immediately 
following his admission to the bar Mr. 
Gray spent a few months in Dryden, Tomp- 
kins county, after which he returned to be- 
come a partner of Judge Ross in Homer. 
Subsequently his associations with our bar 
were severed in a great degree by his re- 
moval to Elmira, where he has since resided. 
In 1836 he was Member of Congress during 
one session, and five years later was district 
attorney of Chemung county. In 1846 he 
was made circuit judge of the Sixth Judicial 
District, which position he held until the 
Supreme Court was reorganized, when he 
continued on the bench for many years as 
one of its justices. When the Commission 
of Appeals, heretofore mentioned, was or- 
ganized in 1 870 he was one of its members, 
and so continued until the completion of its 
labors five years later. Judge Gray is a 
man of great judicial power, and is still one 
of the oldest and most honored of his pro- 
fession in the State. 

Prominent in our earlier annals was Major 
Adin Webb, who, though not a lawyer bred, 
was surrogate of the county for many years, 
and whose name has often appeared in this 
work. He was born in Connecticut in 1780, 
and as a young man came to Cazenovia, and 
later to Homer. In early life a teacher, 
later a merchant, he passed most of his ma- 
turer years in public service. He was sur- 
rogate from 1816 to 1823, and from 1840 to 
1844, besides holding many other positions 
of responsibility. He is always spoken of 
as a man of the highest morality, whose ex- 
emplary life made him esteemed by all who 
knew him, as well in the strife of politics 
as in the more peaceful walks of life. 

Mention should be made of Judge Ira 
Harris, late of Albany, now deceased, who, 
when a boy, was a law student in the office 



140 



History of Cortland County. 



of Judge Donnelly. When he was six years 
of age (in 1808) his family muNcd to Preble, 
where his boyhood was passed. At the age 
of twent)'-two he was graduated from Un- 
ion, three years after Judge Gray. After 
luuing studied in Cortland a short time, he 
went to Albany, and, like his distinguished 
companions. Judges Nelson and Gray, en- 
tered the office of Chief Justice Savage. 
From that time his residence continued to 
be at Albany until his death, a few years 
since. He was twice elected Member of 
Assembh', was a member of the Constitu- 
tional Convention of 1846, and was once 
State Senator. His course as justice of the 
Supreme Court from 1847 until 1859 was 
marked by many of the ablest opinions to 
be found in our reports. At the beginning 
of the war he succeeded Mr. Seward in the 
United States Senate, where he proved him- 
self the careful statesman as well as the pro- 
found jurist. His later years were devoted 
to the Albany Law School, of which he was 
for a long time dean, and the excellent rep- 
utation of which is largely due to his eftbrts. 
Among the early lawyers and judges not 
heretofore mentioned, h^dward C. Reed, 
Nathan Dayton and Joseph Reynolds were 
so prominent as to deserve mention. Mr. 
Reynolds, as a young man of twenty-four, 
came to Cortland count}- in 1809, his sole 
possessions consisting of two cows which he 
drove through the woods from Saratoga 
county. Purchasing a small farm in Virgil, 
on credit, he soon paid for it through his 
indomitable perseverance, and thereupon 
began one of the most successful careers 
which we have to record. As his relation 
to the bar was only through his judgeship, it j 
is improper in this place to follow his course [ 
minutely; it is brieflj- outlined by saying 
that he held most of the important county 
offices in succession ; that he was many , 
)'ears a judge of the Common Pleas, and for 
fi\e )'ears first judge (corresponding to 



county judge at this time). As presidential 
elector, congressman, and Member of As- 
sembly he left a brilliant record, and at his 
death his large fortune and the high esteem 
in which he was held, stood as monuments 
to his ability and character. 

Dajton was born in the same county as 
Reynolds (Washington) and was nine j-ears 
his junior. He was admitted to the bar in 
1819, settling in Tru.xton, whence he re- 
moved to Cortland to enter into partnership 
with Samuel Nelson. He was afterwards 
district attorne}' in our count}-, but in 1831 
his connection with our bar was broken by 
his removal to Lockport. There he was 
soon elected first judge of the Court of 
Common Pleas, and in 1834 he became cir- 
cuit judge. He died in 1859, one of the 
most respected citizens of Niagara county. 

Edward C. Reed came from New Hamp- 
shire in 1 8 16, and became a partner of 
Judge Ross in Homer. Although not an 
advocate of prominence, he twice filled the 
office of district attorne}-, and was a mem- 
ber of the Twent}'-Second Congress, and 
was esteemed a wise and careful counselor. 

Under the date of December i ith, 1827, 
on the roll of attorneys' oaths, appears the 
name of William Henr}- Shankland, and 
immediately following it, that of Horatio 
Ballard, each looking as if written but ten 
years since, so like are the}- to those of half 
a century later. Judge Shankland was born 
in Cherry Valley, Otsego county, in 1804. 
Four years later his parents, who were 
farmers of the well-to-do kind, moved to 
Onondaga county, where the bo}hood and 
early manhood of the future judge was 
passed. Like so many other leading citizens 
of the second and third quarters of this 
century, he received his academic education 
at Pompey. This being completed, he en- 
tered the law office of Sanders Ya.i\ Rens- 
selaer, in the same county ; but with a nat- 
ural desire to re\-isit his nati\-e place he re- 



The Bench and Bar of Cortland Countv. 



141 



turned to Otsego, and entered the office 
of Robert Campbell, a man of considerable 
prominence at that time at Cooperstown. 
His legal studies were completed at Pompey 
Hill, in the office of Daniel Gott, where he 
remained until his admission to the bar in 
1827. He immediately opened an office in 
Cortland, where he soon secured an exten- 
sive practice, and where, five years later, 
he was appointed district attorney of the 
county. This office he filled longer than 
any other incumbent either before or since 
him, holding it for ten )-ears (according to 
private records ; six according to the State 
records). When the constitution of 1846 
took effect, Mr. Shankland was appointed 
a justice of the Supreme Court of this dis- 
trict, and at the expiration of his short term, 
was re-elected, in 1849. While a member 
of this court. Judge Shankland was one of 
those who, under the constitution, formed 
part of the Court of Appeals bench, a posi- 
tion which he filled with the highest credit. 
His opinions, which are frequently met in 
the reports, are marked by great clearness, 
and are prized by the bar for their brex'ity 
and decision. From 1852 until 1866 Judge 
Shankland resided in Syracuse, but the 
later j'ears of his life were passed in Cort- 
land. Here he was engaged in extensive 
practice, with his son as partner, until old 
age compelled him to relinquish business a 
year or two before his death. At the age 
of seventy-nine, respected by all of the 
State bar and by all who knew liim, in Jan- 
uary, 1883, Judge Shankland's life closed ; 
a life characterized by justice, integrity and 
all of the virtues of a Christian man. 

Horatio Ballard was born in Homer in 
August, 1803, thus being the senior, by 
several months, of his confrere, Judge 
Shankland. He received his early educa- 
tion in the Pompey and Cortland Academies, 
both being well known in those days as very 
excellent schools. He studied law with 



Judge Stephens at Cortland, and with the 
Hon. Freeborn G. Jewett, at Skaneateles, 
the latter one of the most prominent of the 
lawyers, jurists and publicists of his time. 
It was while here that he met and con\'ersed 
with Daniel Webster and Joseph Story, who 
were coaching through the State, a remin- 
iscence which he delighted to recall in later 
life. Mr. Ballard w^as admitted to practice 
at the age of twenty-four, and for many 
\-cars thereafter was the partner of Judge 
Stephens in Cortland. He very soon arose 
to prominence at the bar, and the firm of 
Stephens & Ballard became one of the best 
known in this part of the State. In 1842 
Mr. Ballard succeeded Mr. Shankland as 
district attorney, and thereafter was delegate 
to the national convention that nominated 
Polk, and to the one that nominated Bu- 
chanan. In 1 86 1 he was elected secretary 
of state, and in 1 866 represented this county 
in the Assembly. The succeeding year he 
was a member of the Constitutional Con- 
vention, in which body he was one of the 
most active workers. Mr. Ballard died in 
1 879, the most widely known and respected 
man in our county ; " A man of worth ; a 
man of letters and of manners, too;" an 
honor to the bar, the county and the State. 
In our list of county judges appears the 
name of Lewis Kingsley. He was born in 
Cincinnatus in 1823, where he afterwards 
studied law with Barak Niles, and later with 
Benjamin F. Rexford in Norwich. He was 
admitted to practice at Utica in 1846, and 
five years later was elected to the bench of 
the county. Before the war his relations 
with our bar were broken by his removal 
to Norwich, where he continued the prac- 
tice of the law until his death, some years 
since. 

Henry S. Randall's name is one of the 
most prominent in the catalogue of Cortland 
county attorneys. He was born in Madi- 
son county in 181 1, and after preparation in 



142 



History ok Cortland County. 



the Cortland and Geneva Academies, en- 
tered Union College, graduating with the 
class of 1830. He studied law with Judges 
Stephens and Shankiand, and was admitted 
to the bar in 1834. We might end our 
sketch at this point, so far as relates to his 
history as a lawyer, since he never devoted 
any time to practice. But on account of 
his prominence as a citizen, we add the fol- 
lowing brief summary. The year after his 
admission to the bar Mr. Randall was a 
member of the national convention which 
nominated Van Buren. It had been his in- 
tention to be a farmer in the highest and 
most scientific sense, and in this he suc- 
ceeded, writing and editing several books 
and papers on the subject, and being among 
the foremost movers of great agricultural 
enterprises. In 1851 he was elected sec- 
retary of state, and in 1871 Member of As- 
sembly, both times on the Democratic ticket. 
In 1853 Mr. Randall began the great work 
of his life, the biography of Thomas Jeffer- 
son. This was completed several years 
later, in three volumes, and ranks as one of 
the most carefully prepared and exhaustive 
biographies by an)- American author. For 
a long time he was president of the State and 
the National Wool Growers' Associations, 
and was the author of several important laws 
and works on the subject. He also devoted a 
large portion of his time to educational 
matters both in this county, and, while sec- 
retary of state, in the various other counties 
of New York. As a result of his zeal in 
this respect he was made president of the 
State Normal School at Cortland, and so 
continued until his death. He also occu- 
pied many other positions of trust, all of 
which he filled with eminent ability. More 
than any other man who has made Cortland 
his permanent home, Mr. Randall was char- 
acterized by the broadness of his views, and 
his energy in laboring for the public good. 
The friend of scholars and the companion of 



statesmen, he died in 1877, his loss mourned 
by the communit)' that knew him, and the 
State and nation as well. 

The most brilliant orator of thirty- five 
years ago, in Cortland, was Robert O. Reyn- 
olds. He was admitted to the bar in 1 839, 
and soon thereafter removed to Chenango 
county, where he was extensively engaged 
in the practice of the law both in Norwich 
and in Greene. In 1 843 he was elected 
district attorney of that county ; but four 
years later he returned to Cortland, where 
the remainder of his life was spent. He 
was a fine trial lawyer, a fluent and witty 
speaker, but in later life a \ictim of intem- 
perance, which ended in misery a brilliant 
and promising career. 

Roswell K. Bourne was among the ener- 
getic lawyers of his time, and one of the 
comparatively small number whose descend- 
ants are still among us. He was born in 
Otselic, in 181 3, and, indeed, spent most of 
his life in Chenango county. After com- 
pleting his academic education at Cazenovia 
Seminary, he began the study of law with 
Barak Niles, in Cincinnatus. W'hile study- 
ing for the bar he taught school in Pitcher 
Springs, and, on being admitted, opened an 
office there, where he remained until 1857 
as an active practitioner. In that }'ear he 
removed to Cincinnatus, where the remain- 
der of his life was passed. Mr. Bourne is 
described by those who knew him as a very 
positive, energetic man, and a thoroughly 
public spirited citizen. 

Augustus L. Ballard, a younger brother 
of Hon. Horatio Ballard, was a student in 
the office of the latter, and was admitted to 
the bar in 1844. His son entered into 
partnership with his brother, and for a 
number of years the firm of H. & A. L. 
Ballard was the leading one of the county. 
He was district attorney in 1847, a position 
to which his great abilities as a trial lawyer 
especiall)' adapted him. He was a very 



The Bench and Bar op' Cortland Countv. 



■43 



active, energetic man, a characteristic which 
probably hastened his death. He went 
west before the war, for the benefit of liis 
healtli, and died while there. 

Among the best criminal lawyers of the 
State was the late Hon. Milo Goodrich who, 
though not a member of our bar, had a 
large practice in our courts. He was ad- 
mitted in 1845, '" •^''"^ same class with Judge 
Duell, at our present court-house. For 
many years thereafter he resided in Dryden, 
during which time he represented his dis- 
trict in Congress one term, and in the Con- 
stitutional Convention of 1867. He after- 
wards removed to Auburn where he died a 
few years since. 

In 1847 James A. Schermerhorn was ad- 
mitted to the bar at Cortland, where he 
opened an office on the site of the present 
edifice which bears his name. He did not 
enter e.xtensix'ely into the practice of the 
law, howe\er, and subsequently spent but 
a small portion of his time in Cortland. Be- 
ing a gentleman of wealth, he lived in re- 
tirement, in his early years traveling ex- 
tensively both in Europe and America, and 
latterly residing in his beautiful home at 
Glen Haven. 

Among the oaths and certificates of 
study, signed by applicants for admission, 
is one subscribed in a very correct, neatly 
shaded hand, in marked contrast to his 
well known signature of later years, by 
Hiram Crandall. Mr. Crandall was from 
Chenango count}', but he received his early 
education in the Homer Academy, going 
thence into the office of Judge Shankland, 
where his legal studies were pursued until his 
admission to the bar in 1846. He then entered 
into partnership with his former legal in- 
structor, with whom he remained until the lat- 
ter was made member of the Supreme Court. 
He then entered into partnership with Rob- 
ert O. Reynolds, with whom he remained 
nine years. He was for a time, before 



the war, the postmaster at Cortland village. 
Thereafter, in 1859, he was elected county 
judge and surrogate, which office he held 
for eight years until succeeded by Judge 
Smith. He was for many years, and until 
his death in 1881, attorney for the Fjrst 
National Bank in Cortland, and as si|ch 
did a large office business, which was mc^ire 
to his taste than the labors of the court- 
room. He was one of the most genial, 
good natured of men, an ornament to the 
community as well as to the bar of the 
county. 

Charles F"oster was a native of Rens- 
selaer county, and, like many others whose 
names appear herein, received his early 
education in Pompey Academy. He then 
entered Yale College, where he was gradu- 
ated in 1844. After his graduation he en- 
tered the office of the Hon. Victory Birds- 
eye, at Pompey. He also attended the 
New Haven Law School for a time, studied 
in Syracuse with B. D. & G. Noxon, and 
was finally admitted at Catskill General 
Term in 1847. He then returned to Pom- 
pey and entered the office of Daniel Gott, 
where he remained five years, removing 
thence to Cortland. Here he continued the 
practice of the law until his death some 
years since. During the latter part of his 
life he was a member of the prominent law 
firm of Duell & Foster. In i86g he was 
elected to the Assembly, where he re- 
mained one winter. Mr. Foster was a very 
careful counselor, and a highly respected 
citizen. 

The present bar of our county consists 
of between thirty-five and forty active 
practitioners. As has always been the 
case, however, the business is monoplizcd 
by a comparatively small number, say one- 
fourth of those whose names appear upon 
the rolls. It is judged impracticable at this 
time to give more than a passing glance at 
those who are still actively engaged in busi- 



144 



History ok Corti.anu County. 



ness. While custom has decreed dc mortitis 
nil nisi boiiinii concerning the Hving, it is 
impossible to write so uniformly, or to 
totally lay aside the bias which is necessary 
to personal acquaintance. The limits of 
this chapter, moreover, will not allow more 
than is here attempted, lest it encroach too 
mucii upon other portions of the work. 

The senior member of the present bar is 
Hon. R. H. Duell, who was admitted in the 
same class with the late Milo Goodrich, in 
1845. J'^'c^gs Duell is a native of Herkimer 
county, having been born in the town of 
Warren in 1823. His academic education 
was completed at Syracuse, where, at the 
age of nineteen, he began the stud)- of law 
in the office of Hon. Charles B. Sedgwick. 
Two years later, in July, 1845, he was ad- 
mitted to the bar and began practice in the 
town of Fabius, Onondaga county. He 
moved thence to Cortland in 1847, '^0 ac- 
cept a partnership with Judge Stephens, 
and has since resided here. Judge Duell's 
political career has been remarkably suc- 
cessful from the first. In 1850 he was 
elected district attorney, and in 1855 coun- 
ty judge and surrogate. This office he re- 
signed just before the close of his term, on 
account of his election as a member of the 
Thirty-sixth Congress. In 1870 he was 
a member of the national legislature, and 
and at the close of his term was appointed 
commissioner of patents. After serving in 
that capacity until 1877, he returned to 
Cortland, where he resumed the practice of 
the law. 

Next in seniority at our bar stand Geo. 
B. Jones and Amos L. Kenney, both ad- 
mitted at the Cortland General Term, in 
1848. Mr. Jones was born in Columbia 
county, but a greater portion of his life has 
been spent in this part of the State. He 
was educated in Homer and in Cazenovia, 
and received his early legal training in the 
office of Hon. Horatio Ballard. Soon after 



his admission he opened an office in Mc- 

(ira\\\ille, where he remained several years. 
Just before the war he removed to Cortland, 
where, in i860, he succeeded Judge Smith 
as district attorne\'. This office he held 
two consecutive terms, a distinction not 
customar)' in this county. He was for a 
long time one of the justices of the peace 
of Cortlandville, and has enjoyed a good 
practice at the bar. 

Amos L. Kenney was born in Truxton 
and was a member of the graduating class 
of 1843 'it Hamilton College. After study- 
ing five years he was admitted to the bar 
and has since been an active practitioner in 
his native town, making a specialty of sur- 
rogate proceedings and conveyancing. 

In 1855 Oliver Porter came to Cortland 
from Delaware county, where he had been 
admitted to the bar, and began practice in 
Homer, where he has continued to reside. 
He was born in Sullivan county in 1824, 
receiving an academic education at Monti- 
cello, and pursuing his law studies there. 
He has been one of the most active practi- 
tioners in our courts for many j-ears. 

Of the legal class admitted at the Januar\- 
General Term of 1856, held at Cortland, 
three names are especially prominent — 
those of Nathaniel C. Moak, Merton M. 
Waters and Abram P. Smith. Mr. Moak 
was from Cherry Valley and was never con- 
nected with our bar. He has resided of 
late in Alban\', where he has attained a 
wide reputation as editor of various legal 
text-books and reports, and as one of the 
leading Court of Appeals practitioners of 
the State. 

Hon. A. P. Smith was born in East Vir- 
gil, April 9th, 1 83 I. He was educated for 
the profession of teaching, attending the 
Homer Academy and graduating from the 
State Normal School at Albany in 1853. 
After teaching about a year in Marathon 
he came to Cortland and began the study 



The Bench and Bar of Cortland County. 



145 



of law with Hon. Horatio Ballard, with 
whom he remained until his admission to 
the bar. In the fall of that year he was 
elected district attorney of the count}', hav- 
ing been in the profession but eight months. 
During the war Mr. Smith was connected 
with the 76th New York Volunteers and 
subsequently wrote a history of that regi- 
ment, which has attained a wide circulation 
among the soldiers of the State. In the 
fall of 1867 he was elected county judge 
and surrogate, being re-elected in 1871 and 
again in 1877. He thus held that office 
for sixteen consecutive years, having been 
at the time of his retirement longer on the 
county bench than any one in the State. 
Judge Smith has had a very extensive law 
practice, and has now in partnership with 
him his son, the firm being A. P. & D. E. 
Smith. 

Mr. Waters was born in Truxton, receiv- 
ing his academic education in De Ruyter. 
He studied law in the office of Reynolds & 
Crandall, in Cortland, and immediately 
after his admission began practice in the 
same village. His brother, Alvah D. 
Waters, admitted shortly after, entered 
into a partnership with him, which con- 
tinued until 1870. In 1865 Alvah D. 
Waters was elected district attorney and 
held that office at the time of his death. 
In 1875 Mr. Waters took into partnership 
with him his son-in-law, Stratton S. Knox, 
who had studied in his office and who had 
been admitted to the bar in September of 
that year. The firm continued doing an 
extensive business until December, 1881, 
when Mr. Waters removed to Syracuse. 
Mr. Knox continued in business until tiic 
fall of 1883, when he was elected county 
judge and surrogate on the Democratic 
ticket, which office he still holds. 

Ira L. Little, of Marathon, is also among 
the older members of the bar at present. 
He was born in Wallkill, N. V., in 1830, 



and was graduated at Harford University, 
Pennsylvania. He studied law and was 
admitted in Pennsylvania in 1853, but re- 
moved to Binghamton two years later and 
in 1855 was admitted to practice in this 
State. Soon after he came to Marathon, 
where he has since resided. Mr. Little has 
devoted a large portion of his time to liter- 
ary work, although keeping up considera- 
ble business as counselor in our courts. 

In the same town of Marathon resides 
another of the earlier bar. George A. 
Hulbert is a native of Truxton, where he 
was born in 1829. His early education at 
the Cortlandville Academy was followed 
by legal studies in Hamilton and in Ballston, 
until his admission in 1851. He spent a 
short time in the west, where he was ad- 
mitted to the Chicago bar in 1853. For 
the last twenty years Mr. Hulbert has re- 
sided in Marathon, being extensively en- 
gaged in the produce trade, as a member 
of the old New York firm of Wm. Hulbert 
& Brothers, He has not been engaged in 
law practice for some years. 

In 1858 there were admitted at the Cort- 
land and Binghamton General Terms John 
S. Barber and William H. Warren. Mr. 
Barber was a native of Broome county, 
having been born in Colesville, November 
1st, 1824. His academic course was com- 
pleted at Ithaca, and his legal studies with 
M. M. Waters in Cortland. In the January 
term of 1858 he was admitted to the bar at 
Binghamton, and has since been in business 
in Cortland. Mr. Barber's health for some 
time made active practice impossible, but 
he has devoted a large amount of time to 
real estate business, and has become one 
of the most careful and successful financiers 
of our county. 

William H. Warren was born in Exeter, 
Chenango county, N. Y., and was one of 
those whose names have added to the roll 
of Pompey Academy. He studied law with 



146 



MlSTURV UK CoRTl.AN'I) CoUNTY. 



Hon. Huralio l^allard, and for a long time 
was his partner. He was admitted in No- 
vember, 1858, and inimediateiy arose to 
the first rank as a trial lawyer. He was 
also for a time in partnership with his 
brother, L. E. Warren, now of Auburn ; 
and later with Hon. O. U. Kellogg. He 
has been one of the most successful advo- 
cates at our bar. 

Benjamin T. Wright studied law in the 
office of McDowell & Edwards, in Lisle, 
and was admitted in 1864. He served in 
the Union ranks during a portion of the 
war, and on his return settled in Marathon. 
In 1873 he was elected district attorney of 
the county, and has since resided iu Cort- 
land, doing a very flattering law business. 

Frank M. Benjamin came to this county 
from Herkimer in 1840, when eight years 
of age. He studied law with R. K. Bourne, 
at Cincinnatus, and was admitted in 1859. 
In 1863 he went to Chenango county, but 
returned in 1867 and began practice in 
Cincinnatus, where he has since remained. 

William J, Mantanye was born at Free- 
town in 1843, and after graduation at the 
Homer Academy, studied law with Hon. A. 
Holmes, and with Hon. A. P. Smith, of 
Cortland. He was among the first to en- 
list at the beginning of the war, and served 
with the Army of the Potomac until dis- 
charged, after the surrender of Lee. He 
was in all of tiie principal battles in which 
the 76th N. Y. Vols, were engaged, and 
was taken prisoner at Gettysburg. In 1 867 
he was admitted to the bar, and opened an 
office in Marathon, where he has been 
favored with an e.vtensive practice. 

Admitted in the same year as Mr. Man- 
tanye, at the November General Term, was 
Irving H. Palmer. He was born in Virgil 
in 1841, and was graduated at the Cortland 
Academy. His law studies were pursued 
in the office of Duell & Benedict, after 
which he began practice in Cortland. In 



1882 lie was elected district attorney, which 
office he still retains. 

Mr. Palmer's predecessor in office was 
Byron A. Benedict, who was elected in the 
presidential year of 1876, and re-elected 
three years after. Mr. Benedict is a native 
of this county, and a graduate of the Ho- 
mer Academy. He was admitted to the 
bar in 1869, and soon after, on the death 
of Mr. Foster, entered into partnership with 
Judge Duell, with whom he still remains. 
The firm has been one of the most prom- 
inent ever in the county. 

The oldest law firm in the county at pres- 
ent is that of Bouton & Champlin, the 
partnership having been formed in 1869. 
Lewis Bouton was born in Virgil in May, 
1838, and was admitted to the bar in 1867. 
In November, 1870, he was elected to the 
office of district attorney, which position he 
held three years. He was elected one of 
the justices of the peace in 1883, and is still 
in office. His partner, Riley Champlin, 
was born in Solon in 1838, and studied law 
in the office of Ballard & Warren, in Cort- 
land. He was admitted to the bar in No- 
vember, 1868, at Binghamton, and within 
a few months entered into partnership with 
Mr. Bouton. In April, 1870, he was ap- 
pointed district attorney of the county in 
place of Alvah D. Waters, deceased. The 
firm has been very successful in business, 
and has attained a very satisfactory position 
at the bar of this section of the State. 

Proniiiicnt among the younger members 
of the bar is Hon. O. U. Kellogg, a native 
of the town of Cincinnatus. Mr. Kellogg 
was graduated at the Albany Law School 
in 1869. In the same year he came to 
Cortland, and entered the office of Hon. A. 
P. Smith, where he remained until 1874. 
In 1875 he was one of the leading counsel 
for the contestants in the celebrated Shaw 
will case, the most important action of the 
kind ever tried in the count)'. In 1877 he 



The Bench and Bar of Cortland County. 



147 



was elected Member of Assembly on the 
Democratic ticket. Mr. Kellogg, in addi- 
tion to his extensive law practice, is largely 
engaged in stock raising, having one of the 
finest stock farms in New York, besides 
several others in the west. 

George S. Sands was born in Delaware 
county, August 19th, 1849, but came to 
Cortland when quite young. Here he re- 
ceived his preparatory education in the 
Academy and Normal School, afterwards 
attending the Andes Collegiate Institute. 
After a three years' course in the law office 
of M. M. Waters, he was admitted to the 
bar in 1873. Mr. Sands has served as town 
clerk two terms and as justice of the peace 
for six years, and is now in active practice. 

Among the graduates of the Alban\' Law 
School of the class of 1875 was Horace L. 
Bronson, born in Virgil in 1853. Mr. 
Bronson received his education in the Ho- 
mer Academy and Cazenovia Seminary, 
after which he entered the office of Hon. A. 
P. Smith, where he remained until he en- 
tered the Law School. He has since re- 
sided in Cortland, where he has an extensive 
and successful practice. 

Among the leading firms of the county 
is that of Eggleston & Smith, composed of 
Joseph E. Eggleston and Dorr C. Smith. 
Mr. Eggleston is a native of Cortland, and a 
graduate of the Normal School. He was 
admitted to the bar in September, 1875, 
and immediately opened an office in Cort- 
land, where he has met with flattering suc- 
cess. His partner, Mr. Smith, was born in 
Moravia, in 185 1. He was graduated at 
Genoa Academy, after which he entered 
the office of Hon. A. P. Smith in Cortland. 
He was admitted to the bar at the Albany 
General Term in January, 1875, and began 
practice immediately in Cortland. The 
firm was established in 1880, and has had a 
very large calendar of cases at each term 
since that time. 



Miles E. Burlingame was born in W'illet, 
N. Y., November 8th, 1838, and received 
his education in the common schools of the 
county. He studied law in the office of A. 
McDowell, at Lisle, Broome county, N. Y., 
and at the Albany Law School. He was 
admitted to the bar at Albany in 1872, and 
receix'ed a diploma from the law school soon 
after. He has continued his residence in 
Willet, where he is now practicing. 

Lucius P. Hollenbeck was born in Tully, 
N. Y., in 1837. He was admitted to the bar 
in 1873. He has made a specialty of the 
pension business, since that time, in Cort- 
land. 

Although not now an active member of 
the bar, mention should be made of William 
H. Shankland, jr., son of the late Judge 
Shankland, For several years the firm of 
Shankland & Shankland did a large busi- 
ness in Cortland, but the death of the senior 
member, and the removal of his son to Al- 
bany to accept the deputy clerkship of the 
Court of Appeals, deprived the county bar 
of two of its most valued members. Mr. 
Shankland intends to remain permanently 
in Albany. 

Among the older and retired members of 
the bar should be mentioned Hon. A. Jud- 
son Kneeland, the present Member of As- 
sembly from this county. Mr. Kneeland 
was born in Spaflbrd in 1821, and was grad- 
uated at the Cortland Academy in 1843. 
He studied law with Hon. Ira Harris in Al- 
bany and was admitted to the bar in 1848. 
He has held a number of offices of trust in 
this and Yates counties, but has not actively 
engaged in practice in some years. Since 
1875 he has been justice of the peace in Ho- 
mer, and in the fall of 1883 was elected to 
the Assembly on the Republican ticket. 

John W. Suggett, a native of this county, 
and a graduate of the Cortland Normal 
School, completed his scholastic work at 
Cornell Universit}'. He studied law with the 



148 



History of Cortland Countv. 



late Judge Crandall, and opened an office in 
Cortland immediately on his admission to 
the bar. He has devoted much of his atten- 
tion to patent law, and has a large practice 
in the Federal court, as well as in those of 
our own State and county. 

Henry D. Waters, of Cuyler, brother of 
M. M. Waters, of whom a sketch has already 
been given, and of A. D. and George L. Wa- 
ters, also members of the bar, is a member 
of a legal famih-. He is a native of the 
county, and during the rebellion was among 
the most active in the army, where he re- 
ceived wounds, the effect of which he still 
bears. He is now engaged in practice in 
Cuyler and is the present clerk of the Board 
of Supervisors. 

William P. Robinson was born in Cort- 
land in 1848, and received his education in 
the Cortland Academy and Normal School. 
His law studies were pursued with Hon. H. 
Crandall, and he was admitted to the bar in 
1876. He has since devoted his attention 
to other pursuits, and is now one of the lead- 
ing merchants of the county. 

James T. Steel was born in Solon in 1840, 
and after studying with Ballard & Warren 
in Cortland, was admitted to the bar in 1871. 
He was a member of the 185th X. V. Vol- 
unteers during the rebellion. 

William D. Tuttle was born in Salisbury, 
Herkimer county, in 1849. He was a stu- 
dent in the McGrawville Academy and the 
Cortland Normal School. His legal studies 
were pursued with Judge Crandall. From 
1878 to 1 88 1 Mr. Tuttle served as one of 
the school commissioners of the county, 
since which he has practiced law in Cort- 
land. 

Franklin Pierce was born in Marathon in 
1853, and received his preparatory educa- 
tion in Cortland Normal School and Caze- 
novia Seminary. For a time he was a stu- 
dent at Amherst, but completed his college 
course at Syracuse in 1879. He studied law 



with Waters & Knox and was admitted to 
the bar in September, 1S79. He has since 
removed to Homer, where he is practicing 
in his profession. 

John O'Donnel, after pursuing his legal 
studies with H. C. Miner at De Ruyter, was 
admitted to the bar in May, 1881. He 
immediately opened an office in Truxton, 
where he has since remained. He has held 
the office of town clerk several terms, and 
has had a fair share of the legal business of 
his vicinity. 

Willard J. Van Auken was born in Al- 
bany county in 1862, and attended common 
schools and Union Classical Institute at 
Schenectady until 1881, when he was grad- 
uated at the latter. He studied law with 
Hon. J. H. Clutes at Albany, and was grad- 
ated at the Albany Law School in 1883. 
He was admitted to the bar at Binghamton 
in May, 1 883, and in the fall of that year 
began the practice of the law at McGraw- 
ville, where he now resides. 

Jerome Squires was born in Lapeer, 
March 10, 1845. He was a student at the 
Marathon Academy, and studied law with 
Judge Smith and with John Courtney, jr., 
until 1 880, when he was admitted to the bar. 
He has since resided and practiced law in 
Cortland. 

Arthur L. Knight is a nativ'e of Scott, and 
was born in 1S52. He was graduated at the 
Homer Academy in 1871 and at S>'racuse 
University in 1878. He studied law with 
Uuell & Benedict until 1882, when he was 
admitted to the bar. He is now engaged in 
the pratice of law at Canastota. 

Eliot F. Stone was born in Homer, April 
1st, 1857, and was graduated at the academy 
at that village in 1877. He studied law with 
Waters & Knox, and was admitted to the 
bar in 1882. He is now one of the justices 
of the peace in Homer. 

Rufas T. Peck, was born December 24th, 
1836. His father, Lyman Peck, was a res- 



The Bench and Bar of Cortland County. 



149 



ident of Solon, in which town his grand- 
father, Stephen N. Peck, was one of its first 
settlers in 1805. His paternal ancestors 
were of English stock, and the progenitor 
of the family in this country, Deacon Wil- 
liam Peck, was one of the charter members 
of the New Haven Colony in 1638. His 
mother, Almira Thompson, daughter of 
Zenas Thompson, is of Scotch descent, and 
her ancestors were among the early families 
of New England. His early education was 
obtained in the common school and at New 
York Central College, and for fourteen years 
he was a successful teacher, followed by 
three years as a merchant in his native town. 
In the fall of 1874 he was elected, on the 
Republican ticket, school commissioner of 
the northern district of Cortland county, by 
re-election served two terms, and received 
the nomination for a third term, which he 
declined. He read law with Hon. R. Hol- 
land Duell, of Cortland, and was admitted 
to the bar at the January term of the Su- 
preme Court held at Albanj' in 1876, but 
has only practiced law in connection with 
his private business affairs. In P"ebruary, 
1876, he became identified with the publish- 
ing house of Maj. L. H. Evarts, of Phila- 
delphia, and since that date, the firm of 
Evarts & Peck have published the history 
of many of the largest cities and counties in 
the United States. Their published works 
are popular and will go down to future 
generations as the authentic record of these 
localities. 

Henry L. Gleason studied law with 
Holmes & Palmer at Cortland, and was ad- 
mitted to the bar in 1872. Soon after he 
entered into partnership with Mr. Palmer, 
and so remained for some time. For the 
last few years he has not been in active 
practice, but is now secretary of the Hitch- 
cock Manufacturing Company. 

E. D. Crosley was admitted to the bar 
in 1879, having studied law with Judge 



Duell at Cortland. He is now located in 
Scott. 

Gage E. Tarbell was born in Chenango 
county, in 1856. He was educated in the 
Clinton Liberal Institute at Clinton, N. Y. 
He began the study of law in the office of 
E. J. Arnold in Greene in 1877, and was 
admitted to the bar three years later. He 
moved to Marathon the same year, where 
he is still engaged in the practice of law. 

One of the most enterprising of the 
younger firms of the county is that of J. & 
T. E. Courtney. The senior member stud- 
ied law in Marathon, in the office of \Vm. 
J. Mantan\-e, and began practice there, but 
soon removed to Cortland where he has been 
located some six or seven years. His brother, 
Thomas E. Courtney, studied in Cazenovia 
Seminary, and pursued his legal work in the 
law department of Hamilton College. He 
began practice in Cortland, and in i88i en- 
tered into partnership with his brother. The 
firm has been verj' energetic and successful, 
and is now doing a large business. 

John E. Winslow is a native of Virgil. 
He studied law at home and in the ofl^ce of 
Hon. O. U. Kellogg at Cortland. After his 
admission to the bar he was elected justice 
of the peace of the town of Virgil, although 
he still keeps his office in Cortland with Mr. 
Kellogg, where he has a very successful 
practice. 

Another of the younger members of the 
bar is Fred Hatch, the present clerk of 
the village of Cortland. Mr. Hatch studied 
law in the oflice of Judge Shankland, after 
which he opened an office in Cortland, where 
he still remains. His practice is flattering 
to his efforts, and his success is assured. 

M. Stanley Bierce, one of the justices of 
the peace of the town of Cortlandville, is 
also a member of the bar, although he has 
not devoted his attention to the practice of 
the law. 

Benton B. Jones and Hon. \Vm. II. Clark, 



ISO 



History of Cortland County. 



editors of two of the village papers, are also 
members of the bar, but have not followed 
their profession. 

James Dougherty, for several years super- 
visor from Solon, has recently removed to 
Cortland, and opened a law office with I. II. 
Palmer. Mr. Dougherty has all of the qual- 
ifications of a good lawyer. 

The youngest member of the present 
Cortland bar is D. E. Smith. Mr. Smith 
was born in Cortland in i860, and completed 
his collegiate studies at Syracuse University. 
He studied law with his father, Hon. A. P. 
Smith, and is now in partnership with him. 
Mr. Smith is the compiler and author of 
the first part of this article, down to the his- 
tory of the living members of the bar. 

FIR.ST JUDGES OF THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS 
AND JUDGES OF THE COUNTY COURT. 

Name. Date of Election or Appointment. 

John Keep 18 10 

William Mallory . - 1823 

Joseph Reynolds 1833 

Henry Stephens x 838 

Daniel Hawks 1847 

Lewis Kingsley 185 1 

R. Holland Duell 1855 

Stephen Brewer _ 1^59 

Hiram Crandall 1859 

Ahram P. Smith 1867 

Stratton S. Kno.x 1883 



SURROGATES. 
Name. Dale of Election or Appointment. 

John McWhorter 1808 

Mead Merrill : 1810 

Lutlier F. Stephens 1811 

John McWhorter 1815 

.\(lin Webb 1816 

Jabez B. Phelps _ _ 1823 

Charles W. Lynde._ 1828 

Townsend Ross _ . 1832 

.Anthony Freer _ 1 836 

Adin Webb 1 840 

Anthony Freer 1 844 

County jfi/i/i^e since 1847, 

DISTRICT ATTORNEYS. 

[Since 18 19.) 

Augustus A. Donnelly . 1819 

F.hvard C. Reed 1827 

William H. Shankland 1836 

Horatio Ballard 1842 

.\ugustus S. Ballard 1847 

R. Holland Duell 1850 

Edward C. Reed 1856 

.\bram P. Smith 1856 

George B. Jones 1859 

A. D. Waters _ 1865 

Riley Champlin 1870 

Lewis Bouton 1870 

B. T. Wright -.- 1873 

B. A. Benedict 1876 

L H. Palmer 1882 



CHAPTER XVL 



THE CORTL.Wn COUNTY MEDIC.-\L SOCIETY. i 



THE Cortland County Medical Society 
was organized in 1808 in accordance 
with a law, enacted by the Legislature in 
1806, incorporating the New York State 
Medical Society, and which law also re- 
quired medical societies to be formed in 
every county of the State. This enactment 
was approved by Gov. Morgan Lewis, April 
4th, 1806. 



Cortland county was organized in the 
spring of 1808, having until that time con- 
stituted a part of Onondaga. As soon 
after the organization of the county as 
practicable, namely, on the lOth day of 
August, 1808, the following gentlemen, 
legally cpialified to practice medicine and 
surgery, convened at the house of Captain 

1 Prepared by Dr. Caleb Green, of Homer. 



The Cortland County Medical Society. 



151 



Enos Stimson (now "The Windsor") in 
Homer village : Drs. Lewis S. Owen, Luther 
Rice, John Miller, l-Llijah G. Wheeler, Rob- 
ert D. Taggart, Ezra I'annel, Allen Barney 
and Jesse Searl. 

These pioneers in the nictlical profession 
of the count)- then and there formed a 
medical association under the name of the 
" Cortland County Medical Society," which 
has continued in active operation since that 
date to the present time. 

The organization was effected b}- the 
election of the following members as officers 
of the societ\' : Dr. Lewis S. Owen, presi- 
den ; Dr. John Miller, \ice-president ; Dr. 
Jesse Searl, secretary ; Dr. Robert D. Tag- 
gart, treasurer. 

Drs. Miller, Barney and Taggart were 
appointed a committee to draft a code of 
by-laws for the government and regulation 
of the society. 

At the time of the semi-centennial anni- 
versary of the society, August lOth, 1858, 
the honored and venerable Dr. John Miller, 
of Truxton — then our president — was the 
only one of the founders of the society still 
living in the county. 

So far as the records show, the societ}- 
was not represented in the State Medical So- 
ciety until 1 8 14, when Dr. John Miller was 
sent as delegate. 

The opportunities for a thorough medical 
education at the time of the formation of 
this society were limited, and only those of 
wealth or who resided in convenient prox- 
imity to the few medical colleges then exist- 
ing in the country could have the advantage 
of systematic instruction. Not one of the 
founders of the society had graduated in 
medicine. Dr. Miller, while a private pupil 
of Dr. Rush, in Philadelphia, had attended 
the lectures of Rush and Shippen, two of the 
founders of the medical department of the 
University of Pennsylvania, but did not 
complete his university course, l^ut these 



men had been sufficiently instructed to know 
the value of education, and most of them 
sought to supplement it by the diligent study 
of such works as were then to be had. As 
early as 18 14 or 181 5 measures were taken 
to found a library for the use of the society, 
and Drs. Owen and Miller were appointed a 
committee to select such books as they had 
the means of purchasing. PVom time to time 
most of the surplus funds in the treasury 
were expended in the purchase of books, 
until a choice library of standard books and 
periodicals accumulated to the amount of 
about 200 volumes. After 1845 this co-op- 
erative plan of keeping up a central library, 
by additions to it, was discontinued, and 
each member urged and encouraged to sup- 
ply himself with and study the latest and 
best works and periodicals, and thus to keep 
abreast of the advances in medical knowl- 
edge. 

From the early records of the Onondaga 
County Medical Society we learn that the 
first meeting of that society was held July 
1st, 1806, three months after the passage of 
the act establishing the State Society. At 
that meeting Dr. Jesse Searl, of Homer, be- 
came a member of the society. At the next 
meeting of the society, held October 7th, 
1806, among the persons proposed for mem- 
bership were Dr. Robert D. Taggart, of 
Preble, and Dr. John Miller, of Truxton. 
These three gentlemen were among the or- 
ganic members of the Cortland County So- 
ciety, and afterwards so prominent in its his- 
tory, and were the only Cortland county 
physicians, so far as the records show, who 
were also members of the original Onon- 
daga Society. 

The following gentlemen were the organic 
members of the Onondaga County Medical 
Society : Drs. William Adams, Deodatus 
Clark, John W. Frisbie, Gordon Needham, 
Smith Weed, Jesse Searl, James Jackson, 
Daniel Tibbals, Isaac Benedict, Salmon 



152 



History of Cortland County. 



Thayer and Walter Colton. At the next 
meetinfj of the Society in October, 1806, the 
following were proposed for membership, 
viz. : l^rs. Jesse Munger, Robert D. Tag- 
gart, John C. Merwin, Silas Park, David 
Holbrook, John Miller, Calvin Wright, 
George Eagur, Joseph l^^ly, Samuel Porter, 
Bildad Beach and Samuel Furniss. 

At the organization of the Onondaga So- 
ciety, Dr. F"risbie was elected president, Dr. 
Needham vice-president. Dr. Tibbals treas- 
urer and Dr. Walter Colton secretary. 

We shall give brief sketches of the pio- 
neers of tliis society, as well as of some of its 
more active members during the first half 
century of its existence.' 

Dr. Lewis S. Owen, the first president of 
the society, was born in the town of New 
Lebanon, Columbia county, N. Y., in 1772. 
His earl)- education was obtained in the 
common schools of his native town. For 
a short time he attended the academic 
department of Williams College, prepar- 
atory to commencing the study of med- 
icine, which was in 1795 or '96, with Dr. 
Stringer, of Albany, then a very prominent 
practitioner of that city. He concluded his 
medical pupilage with Dr. McClellan, also 
of Albany, and was licensed by the courts 
of Albany county in 1798, and came to the 
town of Homer in 1799, in which town he 
continued to li\etill his death in 1849, lack- 
ing but one month of fifty years' residence 
there. It is believed that Dr. Owen was the 
first physician who permanently located in 
what is now the county of Cortland. The 
country was new, the roads were bad, and 
often mere cattle paths through the woods. 
This state of affairs rendered his labors severe 
and fatiguing, but he pursued the practice 
of his profession steadily for nearly twenty- 
five years. He was said to have been a man 
of discriminating judgment and was reputed 
a sound and successful practitioner. 

Dr. Owen was one of the original found- 



ers of the society in 1808, was elected its 
first president and held that office by an- 
nual election till 1820. 

Dr. Owen was one of the founders of 
Cortland Academy, in 18 18, and one of its 
trustees during the remainder of his life, 
and was for several years president of the 
board of trustees. The last twenty or more 
years of his life were mainly devoted to 
agricultural pursuits. 

Dr. Jesse Searl, one of the best known 
and most influential for good in e\'er\- word 
and work, was a native of Southampton, 
Mass. He was born in i 767, educated in 
the common schools of his native town, and 
pursued his medical studies with Dr. Wood- 
bridge, of Southampton. He commenced 
practice in the \-icinit)- of his native town, 
but came to this State not far from i8oo, 
fixing his first residence in Fabius, Onon- 
daga count}'. He came to Homer in 1803 
or '04 and diligently pursued the practice 
of his profession until the year 1812, when 
he purchased and assumed the editorship 
of the Cortland Repository, at that time the 
only newspaper published in the county. 
From that time he attended but little to 
professional calls — at least, devoted him- 
self mainly to editorial work, printing and 
publishing. Being a frail man physically, 
he could not endure the hardships incident 
to a physician's life in a new country, and 
hence his motive for renouncing medical 
practice for a less laborious occupation. It 
is related that while he devoted himself to 
medical service he was faithful to the trusts 
imposed upon him, and by his s}'mpathy 
with the sick and kindness of heart won the 
confidence and esteem of his employers. 
Dr. Searl's education, general and profes- 
sional, was somewhat in advance of most of 
his cotemporaries, and he continued to im- 
prove it b}- diligent study and observation. 
He had the best private medical library in 
the county. He was a subscriber and 



The Cortland County Medical Society. 



153 



reader of the only medical periodical then 
published in this country — the Medical 
Repository, published in New York. He 
was a regular attendant upon all the meet- 
ings of the County Society — was its first 
secretary, and held that position by annual 
election until the year 1820. 

He was eminently a religious man and 
a worthy member of the Congregational 
Church from 1806 to the time of his death 
in 1834, at the age of sixty-eight years. 
" In all of the affairs of life, as a man, a 
Christian, a conductor of a public news- 
paper, and as a physician. Dr. Sear! was 
consistent and faithful in their varied duties, 
and the poor always found in him a friend 
in time of need." 

Dr. Robert D. Taggart was the son of 
the Rev. Samuel Taggart, of Colerain, 
Mass., and a twin brother of Dr. Samuel 
Taggart, jr., formerly of Byron, Genesee 
county, N. Y., and also a brother of the 
Hon. Moses Taggart, formerly one of the 
judges in the Supreme Court of this State. 
Dr. Taggart was born, reared and obtained 
his general and medical education in Cole- 
rain. He came to this State in 1804. He 
first resided for a short time in Pompey, 
Onondaga county. He came to Preble in 
1 805 and for a few months was a teacher of 
common schools, but was solicited by some 
of the people to establish himself as a phy- 
sician, which he soon did. He was the first 
physician who settled in that town, if we 
except Doctor, afterwards Judge, Jabez B. 
Phelps, who, on account of some physical 
disability, never entered into general prac- 
tice. His medical education was rather im- 
perfect, even for that day, but he was a man 
of good sense, not rash, and acquired the 
confidence of the people and was popular 
as an accoucheur. He was a man of " good 
humor," having a good fund of anecdote 
and quick at repartee. In 183 i he removed 
to Byron, Genesee county, and entered into 



partnership with his brother. He died in 

1843- 

Dr. Ezra Pannel was also a native of 
Colerain, Mass., and was a part of the time 
of his pupilage a fellow-student with Dr. 
Taggart in the office of Dr. Ross of his na- 
tive town. Little is known of his early 
history. He came into this county and 
settled in the town of Truxton in 1807, 
where he combined farming with the prac- 
tice of his profession until about 1822, when 
he removed to Monroe county. 

Dr. Elijah G. Wheeler came into this 
county from New Jersey in 1804 or '05 
and settled in the town of Solon. He was 
well educated, a man of good abilities, and 
had the reputation of being a good practi- 
tioner of medicine, " but unfortunately was 
addicted to habits of intemperance, which 
rendered him an unsafe person to take 
charge of the sick. That very much in- 
jured his business and usefulness." He 
died about 1825. 

Dr. Luther Rice was a son of Deacon 
Rice, one of the pioneers in the settlement 
of this county, who came into Homer — 
now Cortlandville — in 1796. It is not 
known where this son was educated, but he 
established himself in practice in Homer 
about the year 1800. He was one of the 
original members of the County Society. 
He removed to Alleghany county, but the 
date is not known. 

Dr. Allen Barney settled in the town of 
Homer in 1807. After a few years he re- 
moved to Cortland. He was a man of pe- 
culiar characteristics ; obstinate in opinion, 
impatient of contradiction, receiving much 
credit for sense and ability by his roughness 
and crispness of speech. He removed to 
the State of Ohio in 181 2, and died there 
soon afterwards. 

The last, but by no means the least, of 
the original founders of the Cortland Coun- 
ty Medical Society to be noticed is Dr. 



154 



History of Cortland County. 



John Miller. We avail ourselves of the 
highly interesting memorial sketch given of 
him by the late Dr. George W. Bradford, 
in the Transactions of the Nczv York State 
Medical Society for 1862. 

Dr. Miller was born in the town of 
Amenia, Duchess count}', N. Y., on the 
lOth of November, 1774. His early op- 
portunities for education were very limited, 
he having attended a common school but 
one \-ear and a classical school in Connecti- 
cut for about the same length of time. 
With these meager advantages he com- 
menced the study of medicine in 1793 with 
Dr. Miller, an uncle of his, in his native 
county. After little more than a year he 
went to Easton, Washington county, and 
entered the office of Dr. Moshier. While 
pursuing his studies with Dr. Moshier he 
received a severe injury by being thrown 
from a horse. Owing to the severity of 
this injur)' he was obliged to suspend his 
studies for more than two years, during 
which time he was at his home in Duchess 
county. After several months of this en- 
forced idleness he was advised by Dr. Baird, 
of New York, to seek a position in the then 
small navy of the United States. With this 
purpose in view, but much against the 
wishes of his family, he went to New York, 
where he was presented, by Dr. Baird and 
others, with letters of recommendation to 
Dr. Benjamin Rush, of Philadelphia, whith- 
er he repaired and presented his credentials. 
At that time young Miller was in bad 
health, very thin in bod\', and more than 
si.x feet in height. The venerable signer 
of the Declaration, not a little amused that 
so ghostly looking a young man should 
think of entering the navy, said to him : 
"Young man, you look much better fitted 
for a skeleton in my office than for a post 
in the navy." But as he had somewhat 
recovered from the fatigue of his journey. 
Dr. Rush went with him to visit the presi- 



dent of the United States, the venerable 
John Adams, residing in Philadelphia, then 
the seat of the general government, antl 
! through the influence of Dr. Rush obtained 
the place he sought. He was directed to 
report himself to the surgeon of the United 
States brig Ncu' York, then soon to sail for 
Tripoli. At this interview with President 
Adams, Dr. Rush and young Miller were 
invited to dine with the president the next 
da}'. The in\itation was accepted, and at the 
president's table they met General Wash- 
ington, Fisher Ames, and several other 
distinguished characters of that day. 

On farther acquaintance Dr. Rush ad- 
\ised Miller to resign his post in the navy, 
and at the same time offered him a place 
in his famil)' and a position in his office as 
a private pupil. This most advantageous 
offer he gladl\- embraced, and remained 
with him nearly two years, accompanying 
the doctor in his rides into the country and 
attending his lectures in the Universit)' of 
PennsN'lvania, and those of Dr. Shippen. 
P'rom Philadelphia he returned to Wash- 
ington county in 1798, and entered into a 
partnership with his former instructor, Dr. 
Moshier, where he remained until 1801. 
He was licensed to practice medicine and 
surger\' by the Vermont Medical Society 
in 1800. P^rom Washington county he re- 
moved, in 1801, to what is now Tru.xton, 
Cortland county, and established liimself in 
the practice of his profession, which he pur- 
sued unremittingi}' for more than twenty- 
five years, and occasionally for some years 
longer. 

P"ew men had the capacity for physical 
endurance and unwearied perseverance like 
him. The countrj' being new, the roads 
were always bad, and sometimes almost im- 
passable, yet he performed an amount of 
labor almost incredible, frequent!)' riding 
thirty, forty, and even more than fifty miles 
a day — at all times, b)' night as well as 



The Cortland County Medical Societv. 



155 



day, in storm as well as sunshine, with an 
energy that no obstacle could resist. Many 
are the anecdotes related of his adventures 
in the forests and by-paths of Truxton, 
often by torch-light, to attend on some fam- 
ily perchance too poor to pay the doctor 
for his services. 

As a practitioner Dr. Miller possessed in 
an eminent degree the confidence of his 
employers. His strong mind and retentive 
memory enabled him readily to seize on the 
phases of disease and to recall the measures 
of treatment indicated, and his promptitude 
and readiness in the administration of relief ' 
to the sufferer at once secured the confidence 
of the sick. His strict attendance to those 
entrusted to his care, as well as his kindness 
of heart, which led him to sympathize deep- 
ly in all their sufferings, all convinced those 
who employed him that his whole energies 
were enlisted in their welfare. Amidst all 
his incessant labors he found time to culti- 
vate his mind b)' reading much of the cur- 
rent medical literature, and his well balanced 
mind and retentive memory enabled him to 
make the best use of what he read. 

He was elected an honorary member of 
the New York State Medical Society in 
1808, and at the time of his death was the 
oldest member of the society by nine years. 
At the semi-centennial anniversary of the 
society in February, 1857, Dr. Miller 
was present by special invitation. He 
entered into the spirit of the meeting with 
all the ardor of his nature, and many of 
the members present, who, for the first time, 
there saw him will long remember ''the old 
man eloquent" and their pleasant and 
profitable acquaintance with their venerable 
fellow-member. Such was his character and 
standing in his profession, and his gentle- 
manly intercourse with each member of the 
society, that all loved to meet him and to 
confer honor and their kindest favors upon 
one so much esteemed and highly venerated. 



Dr. Miller, while yet in the vigor of his 
days, left the practice of his profession and 
turned his attention to agriculture. Not- 
withstanding this, he still manifested an in- 
terest in his profession, always greeting its 
members with warm cordiality. He pur- 
sued agriculture with the same character- 
istic earnestness, both on the farm and in 
the agricultural society, that he had ahva}-s 
shown in the practice of medicine. 

The intelligence and energy with which 
he entered into all the affairs of state was 
such that he early became prominent in 
public life. His first public office was that 
of coroner, to which he was appointed b}- 
Gov. George Clinton in 1802. He was ap- 
pointed postmaster in 1805, and retained 
the office for twenty years. He received 
the appointment of justice of the peace in 
181 2 and discharged its duties until 1821. 
He was one of the judges of the county 
courts from 1817 to 1820. He was elected 
as a Member of the Assembly from this 
county in 18 16, and re-elected in 1820 and 
again in 1846. This same year he repre- 
sented his county in the convention for re- 
vising the constitution of the State. In 
1826 and 1827 he represented the Twenty- 
second Congressional District in the Con- 
gress of the United States. In all these 

o 

positions of public trust he e\'inced the 
same energy and determined will and 
prompt action that he had shown in his 
professional career. His readiness to sacri- 
fice personal interest and ease to the public 
good, and his experience in public life with 
the honesty of purpose manifested in his 
intercourse with his associates enabled him 
to exert a commanding influence over any 
deliberative body. These, with his usual 
energy, his eminent personal vivacity, ren- 
dered him a welcome guest in all social 
gatherings. 

In person Dr. Miller was tall in stature, 
and even in his last years still retained his 



iS6 



History of Cortland County. 



firm step and erect position and never ex- 
hibited the decrepid old man in appearance 
or in loss of intellect, but entered into con- 
versation with all the energy and fire of his 
youthful days. 

During the epidemic pneumonia which 
prevailed in 1812-13 his labors were her- 
culean and very successful. 

In the temperance cause he spent much 
time and large sums of money in the dif- 
fusion of temperance publications among 
the inhabitants of his town, holding meet- 
ings in the se\'eral school-houses, and urg- 
ing with earnest eloquence the adoption of 
the practice of total abstinence. He was 
firm in the belief of the beneficial effect of 
a wise prohibitorj' law to prevent the traffic 
in into.xicating liquors. In this cause Dr. 
Miller took an early and active part. Dur- 
ing his pupilage he once saw a beautiful 
child sacrificed in consequence of the in- 
toxication of the physician when called to 
its relief in an hour of suffering. This 
made a deep and lasting impression on his 
mind and led him at the very beginning of 
his professional career to firmly resolve to 
abstain from all intoxicating drinks. In 
this determination he persevered to the end 
of his life. He was long an officer in the 
New York State Temperance Society and 
often attended its meetings at Albany. 

At an early day the doctor gave to the 
Presbyterian Church and society two valu- 
able lots of land in the center of the village 
for a church and parsonage, and also one 
other lot as a site for a public school-house, 
besides contributing liberall)- to the expense 
of erecting and furnishing these public build- 
ings. His seat in church was always occu- 
pied by himself or family. 

In the support of the varied objects of 
benevolence of the age and of the institu- 
tions of the Gospel in his own vicinitj' Dr. 
Miller was a firm friend and a contributor. 

The legend of his romantic courtship and 



marriage would occupy more space than we 
have to give to it. Suffice it to say that, 
before coming to this county in 1801, he 
had formed an attachment to and an engage- 
ment with a young lady living in Troy, N. 
Y., whom he expected to become his part- 
ner and help-meet through the journey of 
life. After his settlement in Tru.xton the 
correspondence was for some months kept 
up constantly and matters went on smoothly. 
After some time letters were not received 
by either party as formerly and at last ceased 
altogether. They each came to the conclu- 
sion reluctantly, and in bewilderment, that 
the other had become false to the engage- 
ment promi.se. At last the doctor received 
a letter from a friend in Troy, saying that 
the young lady was to be married to a per- 
son there in a few days from the date of his 
letter, and, knowing that John Miller could 
never do a dishonorable thing, suspected 
something wrong. There were no tele- 
graphs or swift mail trains in those days. 
The letter of his friend was received only 
twenty- four hours before the expected wed- 
ding. This was late in March when the 
winter roads were breaking up and were 
consequently at their worst. What should 
be done ? With a promptness inspired by 
desperation he instantly resolved to retrieve 
what he supposed had been lost. He 
mounted his faithful horse Gcrshoiii, who 
possessed a physical endurance and deter- 
mined energy equal to that of his master 
and, turning his head toward Troy, one hun- 
dred and thirt}- miles distant, started. In 
less than twent)'-four hours the journey 
must be accomplished and with Gcrshom 
alone. And splendidly did the noble ani- 
mal accomplish his task, reaching the west 
bank of the Hudson just in time'to plunge 
aboard the last boat that was to cross that 
night, and was in a few minutes standing, 
with foaming flanks and distended nostrils, 
before the door of his future mistress. The 



The Cortland County Medical Society. 



157 



wedding guests were assembling No time 
was to be lost. He knocked at the door. 
The father of the girl opened it. There 
stood the young doctor bespattered with 
mud and riding-stick in hand. No time 
for apologies. "Is Phebe at home ?" "Yes." 
"Can I see her?" "Walk in; I will in- 
form her that you are here." In a few 
minutes Phebe made her appearance, ex- 
planations followed and a speedy reconcilia- 
tion was the result. Their letters had been 
intercepted by the rascally fellow who went 
home that night wifeless. 

They were married in 1805 and a happy 
union it proved to be. Mrs. Miller was a 
lady of rare accomplishments, of ardent piety 
and in all respects a fit companion for her 
worth)- husband. They had eight children 
— five sons and three daughters. Mrs. 
Miller died in 1834, much lamented, aged 
59 years. 

Dr. Miller retained his wonted faculties 
almost to the last hour of his long life ; 
was perfectly sensible of the steady and 
sure approach of death, yet with calmness 
and systematic carefulness made every prep- 
paration for the end. 

Thus he actively and usefully lived, thus 
he quietly and calmly died on the 30th day 
of March, 1862, leaving abundant evidence 
of his preparation for an entrance, through 
the grace of our Lord and Savior, into the 
rest prepared for the just. 

A large concourse of his friends and fel- 
low-citizens attended his funeral and among 
them a large number of the members of the 
County Medical Society. An impressive 
sermon was delivered by the Rev. Caleb 
Clark, who for more than forty years had 
been the confidential friend and the spiritual 
adviser of himself and family. The Medical 
Society, through their committee consisting 
of Drs. F. Hyde, G. \V. Bradford and C. 
Green, presented memorial resolutions ex- 
pressive of love, veneration and esteem for 



their deceased brother and sympathy for his 
family and friends. 

We iiave devoted perhaps too much of 
our limited space to the biographical sketches 
of the pioneers — the founders of the soci- 
ety — but the extended notice of Dr. ]\Iiller 
seemed to be demanded by his place in the 
history of the society and that of the county 
and State. The history of the county re- 
quired more than a passing notice of his 
worth and deeds. 

But there have been other worthies in the 
first half century of the society's history 
who were so much identified with its interest 
and progress, as well as that of the county 
and State that, at least, a brief notice of them 
should be recorded. 

Dr. Levi Boies, of Cortland village, was 
the first licentiate of the society, becoming 
a member in 18 12, and was long a respect- 
able practitioner and valuable citizen. 

Dr. John Lynde was the first member of 
the society who ever attended a full course 
of lectures in a chartered medical college, 
he having attended the course in the College 
of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, in 
1 812. He was a prominent practitioner in 
Homer for many years, when he removed to 
Ogden, Monroe county, where he died some 
years ago. 

Dr. Miles Goodjear, of Cortland, was the 
first member of the society who ever re- 
ceived the degree of Doctor of Medicine, 
and which was conferred on him by Yale 
College in 18 16. 

Dr. Goodj'ear was born at Hamden, New 
Haven county, Conn., November 14th, 1793 
— Thanksgiving Day. His father died 
when he was four years of age. His mother 
lived to the ripe age of eighty-six years. 
At about the age of fifteen he entered a 
mercantile establishment, thinking that 
trade might be his vocation, but soon per- 
ceived that "it would not do, as he was 
I likely to give away all the goods and so con- 



1S8 



History of Cortland County. 



eluded to get a profession." As prepara- 
tory to professional study he took lessons 
in Latin and chemistry under the tutelage 
of the Re\-. l^Iiphalet Coleman. As his 
guardian refused to furnish him the means 
of education, he had to borrow money in 
order to complete his studies. It was early 
in the war of 1812-14 that he matriculated 
in the medical department of Yale College. 
A brother who had a family was drafted to 
serve in the war, but Miles took his place, 
serving at New London a few weeks until 
the college term opened, when he was re- 
leased, as students were exempt by law. He 
was a member of the first class that gradu- 
ated in the medical department of the col- 
lege. After his graduation he made a jour- 
ney to Niagara Falls on horseback, accom- 
panied by his friend and class-mate, Dr. 
Smith. Rochester at that time had but few 
houses and l^uffalo was a mass of blackened 
ruins, having been burned b\- the British 
during the then recent war. This journey 
was full of interest to the ardent young bot- 
anists soon to enter on medical practice. He 
practiced a few months in Genoa, N. Y., and 
then came to Cordand, but finding the field, 
as he thought, fully occupied, removed to 
Danby, Tompkins count)-, where he re- 
mained a year, and was then induced to re- 
turn to Cortland, which ever afterwards was 
his permanent residence. In 18 18 he joined 
the County Medical Society, and soon be- 
came one of its most active and reliable 
members — always attending its stated meet- 
ings when not absent from town or other- 
wise inevitably detained. "He loved his 
profession and pursued it as such and not as 
a trade. He respected the claims of his call- 
ing and was keenly sensitive to its honor, 
and observed its ethical usages in letter and 
spirit. He sought in his professional inter- 
course first to confer the greatest good on 
the patient ; next, to observe the kindliest and 
most sacred regard for the good navie of the 



attending physician." He was eminently 
the friend of young medical men and 
always ready to give them encouraging 
words and to overlook their mistakes and 
deficiencies. 

He was president of the society in 1824 
and 1 83 1, and from 1834 to 1840 inclusive, 
and again in i 847. The society commemo- 
rated the fiftieth anniversary of his member- 
ship by reading a poem written by Miss E. 
Hathawa)- and dedicated to him, entitled the 
" Good Physician." 

Such was the pre-eminent confidence of 
his fellow-citizens in his courage, skill and 
judgment that, on the outbreak of the first 
epidemic of Asiatic cholera in 1832, they 
sent him to Albany and New York to in- 
vestigate the nature, prophylaxis and treat- 
ment of the dread disease. Many years after- 
ward, being in New Haven during the very 
fatal epidemic of j-ellow fever in Norfolk, 
Va., he offered himself to the common coun- 
cil to be sent professionally to the help of 
the stricken city, "but word being received 
of the abatement of the pestilence, he was 
allowed to come home to other self-denials." 
In 1 85 1 he represented the Medical Asso- 
ciation of Southern Central New York in the 
American Medical Association at Charles- 
ton, S. C. In his various journeyings dur- 
ing his professional vacations, which he took 
for the benefit of invalid members of his 
famil)-, he visited Chicago, St. Louis, Louis- 
ville and New Orleans, alwa\-s making pleas- 
ant and profitable acquaintances among the 
distinguished members of the profession in 
those places. 

During the war of the rebellion he visited 
the hospitals of Washington, intending to 
stay as long as his funds should hold out. 
Here his cheerful service among "our boys" 
proved a great blessing, and when his purse 
became exhausted, instead of coming home, 
he enlisted as an assistant surgeon in a reg- 
iment, and was sent to the front at Freder- 



The Cortland County Medical Sociktv. 



159 



icksburg, where for some time he did the 
duties of regimental surgeon. But the 
fatigue and wearing nature of his labors 
were too much for a system already begin- 
ning to feel the infirmities of age, and he 
was allowed to return, but on the way en- 
countered perils near!)' as great as those in 
active service in the enemy's front, having 
been left at a poor Virginia cabin, sick with 
fever, and with a family so poor that the 
cow and pig shared the hut with the bipeds 
of the place, and the dietary consisting of 
corn meal alone. But he survived these 
perils, and, after resting awhile, returned to 
his home quite fresh and well. 

He occasionally visited New Haven, 
Conn., and the scenes of his childhood and 
youth, in his native town and county, nearly 
alwa)-s taking some member of his family 
with him. During one of these sojourns at 
this place occurred the opening of the new 
Medical College. On this occasion he met 
on the platform three of the professors to 
whose lectures he listened about forty years 
before, and he was the onl\- matriculant of 
the first class present. 

Like many other medical men of his 
early day, the principal branch of natural 
history specially cultivated b)- him was 
botany. In this Dr. Goodyear was an ex- 
pert. He taught it to his children and his 
students, who, under the inspiration im- 
parted to them by their teacher, became 
enthusiastic in its pursuit. And this en- 
thusiasm was not limited to his home and 
office, for many a one, in his extensive inter- 
course with the people, was influenced by 
it to pursue this fascinating department of 
inquiry. Much of the tcdiousness and even 
fatigue of his long rides over the hills, 
through the forests, by the swamps and 
river borders was relieved by the delight 
yielded on every hand by the sight of some 
new or rare, or even familiar flower or plant, 
and those at home were rarely disappointed, 



on his return, in the receipt of a rich botan- 
ical contribution. His neighbors were often 
surprised in looking over his flower borders 
to find some new beauties that their un- 
trained eyes had never seen before, and 
could have been easily persuaded that they 
were rare and expensive exotics. But when 
told that they grew in abundance in the 
neighboring woods, or yonder swamp, or 
by Otter creek, or on the banks of the 
Tioughnioga, their surprise was not dimin- 
ished. 

His botanical studies kept him ever 
young, as an intelligent pursuit of any 
branch of natural history will do to its ar- 
dent votary. It is rest and vacation to the 
weary doctor, and nianj-fold enhances the 
pleasure of his periods of vacation travel 
when they are taken. F.very where, in 
every plant, shrub or tree, under every 
stone or old log, in the very ooze or mud 
beds of pond or river nature reveals herself 
in an endless series of pleasure-giving sur- 
prises, and when the microscope is added 
to the means of observation and study, the 
pleasure of the student is almost unlimited. 
Dr. Goodyear was by no means indifferent 
to other departments of natural science 
than botany, but regarded every revelation 
of it as but a thought of the Creator, and, 
as such, worthy of interested attention. It 
is said that he was much interested as well 
as proficient in chemistry and physics. 

Like too many physicians, especially of 
his time, he was careless in the collection of 
his dues — even in charging for his services. 
Very often his charges were wholly inade- 
quate, and in the matter of collection, he 
allowed his patient to fix the amount he 
would pay, and thus between charging and 
collection his income was small. Besides 
this, there was a large list of those who 
never paid an)' thing, but freely and unhes- 
itatingly called on him for service and sac- 
rifice. "Keenly se;isitive to a kindness, he 



i6o 



History of Cortland County. 



endeavored to repay the same ; as sensitive 
to neglect, he still continued to feel kindly 
toward all. Ever unwilling to owe any 
man anything, and often doing without 
comforts until he had the money in hand to 
pay for them, it was strange to him that 
people could ask for his services for a gen- 
eration without seeking to recompense him 
for the same. Yet when real inability ex- 
isted he considered it a privilege to minis- 
ter, and that not grudgingly." He once 
told the writer that one of the greatest sins 
for which he had to repent was not that he 
had given the poor so little, but the rich so 
viiich, — alluding to the easy manner in 
which he had often allowed a long account, 
severely earned, to be balanced by those 
able to pay in full the customary and legit- 
imate fees. 

Dr. Goodyear's interest in his old class- 
mates was manifested hy his correspondence 
— his and their letters passing from one to 
another in the manner of circulars. One 
of his classmates was Professor Jared Kirt- 
land, of Cleveland, the distinguished natur- 
alist of Ohio, with whom he kept up a very 
pleasant correspondence. 

Three years before his death a daughter 
died at Portage, Wis. She was the fourth 
child whom he had buried — the last but 
one. An invalid most of her life, he had 
undertaken the journey, extending to the 
Falls of St. Anthony, for the benefit of her 
health. After marked impro\ement, she 
suddenly declined in health, and died away 
from home. This was a great source of 
depression to him at the time. 

On the 29th of January, 181 7, he was 
married to Miss Polly Goodyear, a distant 
relative of his, and living in his native town. 
Much as we desire time and space for re- 
counting the many virtues of this most ex- 
cellent woman and most worthy helpmeet 
of such a man, we are obliged barely to re- 
fer to her long and happy association as the 



wife of the "Good Physician," and as an 
affectionate mother, devoted friend and 
neighbor. She survived her husband more 
than six years — kept fresh and fragrant 
his memory in the annual meetings of the 
County Society by the decoration of its 
tables with the choicest flowers of "the 
month of roses," which the good doctoral- 
ways loved so well — a custom which has 
been in a good measure perpetuated by his 
only surviving child. 

Their Golden Wedding was duly cele- 
brated on the 29th of January, 1867 — the 
doctor entering into its festivities with his 
usual zest. He was gratified beyond meas- 
ure by the great pains his friends had taken 
to make it an occasion of joy, and appeared 
to good advantage in his in\'ariable dress 
coat and ruffles. He spent the following 
summer with his family in New Haven, re- 
visiting every spot dear to his childhood. 
In February, 1869, he visited Philadelphia, 
remained some time, and returned home 
greatly invigorated. More cheerful than 
usual during the next summer and the fol 
lowing winter months, his steps grew slower. 
But he abated not a whit his interest in 
every thing, he buffeted any storm, an- 
swered any call, and every day but his last 
w^as dressed with the usual neatness and 
care, which those who knew him will re- 
member so well. He died on the morning 
of March 1st, 1870, aged seventy-six years. 

Dr. Lewis Riggs was born in Norfolk, 
Conn., on the i6th of January, 1789. His 
father was of English, his mother, of Scotch 
descent. They were good examples of the 
early inhabitants of New England, and 
both are said to have been persons of re- 
markable force and energy of character. 
Their family consisted of seven sons and 
two daughters, and were trained to habits 
of industry and frugality. Lewis was the 
youngest son, and although brought up to 
the labor of the farm, displayed much me- 



The Cortland Colwtv Medical Society. 



i6i 



chanical talent as well as aptness for the 
acquirement of a knowledge of books. 
While at home he had the advantages of a 
common school education, and also of sev- 
eral terms at an academy in his native 
town, thus acquiring what was considered 
a good English education. But the lack 
of means prevented his pursuit of a college 
course, to which he aspired. His taste and 
talent for mechanical employment led to his 
apprenticeship to the carpenter's trade to 
Mr. Samuel N. Gaylord, with whom he 
came to Cortland in the spring of 1805. 
In after years, when riding over the coun- 
try as a practitioner of medicine, he was 
able to point to not a few houses and barns 
which he helped to build. After working 
at his trade for about two years he returned 
to Connecticut, where a part of the time he 
plied his trade, and a portion of the time 
attended school. In the spring of 1809 he 
decided on the profession of medicine, and 
commenced his student life in the office of 
Dr. Samuel Woodward, of Torringford, 
Conn., a practitioner of high repute, and the 
father of the afterwards distinguished alien- 
ist of the Worcester As\'lum, and who was 
his fellow student. In the office of Dr. 
Woodward his opportunities for medical ob- 
servation were superior for the times. In 
May, 1812, he received a county license to 
practice, but continued in the office of his 
preceptor during the summer, but in Octo- 
ber of that year he went to Philadelphia to 
attend a course of medical lectures in the 
Uni\'ersity of Pennsylvania. Here he sat 
under the instruction of Drs. Rush, Philip 
Syng Physic, Dorsey and Wistar — the 
leaders in medical thought at that period. 
This was the last course of lectures deliv- 
ered by the venerable Rush at the close of 
a long and active life as civilian, medical 
practitioner, author and medical professor. 
He died April 19th, 181 3. Dr. Physic has 
been called the father of American surgery, 



as Dr. Rush was confessedly the father of 
American medicine. To listen to the in- 
struction of these men was a rare oppor- 
tunit\- for \oung Riggs, and was not allowed 
to pass without being improved, and the 
lessons made impressions which lasted for a 
life time. l-'rom C()n\'ersations which the 
writer had with Dr. Riggs in the latter years 
of his life, it is certain that Dr. Physic, 
equally with Dr. Rush, was impressed by 
the diligence and acuteness of perception of 
the young student from Connecticut, and as 
the testimonials which he bore away from 
these men, and now in the hands of Dr. H. 
O. Jewett, of Cortland — having the "sign 
manual" of one of the signers of the Declar- 
ation, and of the father of American sur- 
gery — abundantl)' show. 

From Philadelphia he returned to his 
native State, when, after looking about for 
a few weeks, concluded to "go west," and 
so in the spring of 1813 came to the State 
of New York and located at \'ernon, Onei- 
da count}-. Here he soon acquired a fair 
amount of business, but after a while he 
became ambitious of the wider field of a 
more populous town and, in 1818, removed 
to Homer and opened a drug store, intend- 
ing to associate trade with practice as less 
laborious than an entire devotion to general 
work in the professional field. But he soon 
found himself engaged in large practice. 
The same year he became a member of the 
County Society. For about ten vears he 
continued the practice of his profession in 
Homer, but in the summer of 1828 sold his 
property and "practice" to Dr. Metcalf and 
removed to Trumansburg, engaging as a 
partner in a dr\- goods store. We have no 
explanation of this strange movement for a 
physician well prepared for professional 
work, but find it pleasant to make a record 
of the fact he did not long remain in a busi- 
ness which ill-befitted him and with which 
he naturally became dissatisfied. Dr. Met- 



l62 



History ok Cok,tlanu County. 



calf, for some reason, did not remain in 
Homer long and Ur. Riggs was persuaded 
by his former patrons in that town to re- 
turn to his legitimate calling. Theic he 
applied himself with his characteristic ener- j 
gy to professional work and soon became 
one of the leading practitioners, and for 
several )-ears performed a large share of the 
medical and surgical practice of the town. 
In 1834 Dr. Riggs formed a copartner- 
ship with Dr. Ashbel Patterson, formerly 
of Danby, Tompkins county, and continued 
the association for about seven years. After 
the dissolution of this business relation he 
was nominated in the fall of 1840 b\- his 
political party to represent the district in 
Congress. He was elected and served his 
constituents as the representative of the 
Twenty-second District in the Twenty- 
seventh Congress, 1841-42. This led to 
his retirement from practice and to his en- 
gagement in other enterprises which would 
relieve him from the labors of professional 
work. He purchased the flouring mill 
south of the village and erected a new stone 
building on its site, superintending its con- 
struction and planning man}- of the details 
of its machinery. But this did not distract 
his attention entirely from his interest in 
medicine, and he frequently responded to 
professional calls from his old friends and 
patrons. 

In the spring of 1847 'i'-' 'i^d an attack 
of hemiplegia, which confined him to his 
bed for several weeks and threatened the 
termination of his life. From this attack 
he gradually recovered and in a few months 
was able to resume his accustomed employ- 
ments. But he never recovered his former 
strength and activity. Still his memory, 
. except for certain words and names, and 
his mental faculties generally seemed but 
slightly, if at all, impaired. 

He attended to some calls about the vil- 
lage bv those who still insisted on ha\ing 



the opinion and advice of "the old doctor," 
and also attended at times to consultation 
visits in the countr}-. 

But his infirmities from year to year crept 
gradually on him, of which he had the clear 
perception and the good sense to acknowl- 
edge. And yet he was able to perform 
some work and rarely suffered e.xcepting 
temporarily until the fall of 1869, when he 
was prostrated by a slow fever which con- 
fined him to his room, and much of the 
time to his bed, during the following win- 
ter and spring. At the approach of warm 
weather he began to rally and was so far 
impro\-ed as to be able to walk about the 
village, although his steps were slow, neces- 
sitated by those heart degenerations pecul- 
iar to advanced life and which caused 
paroxysms of difficult respiration. But as 
the months wore on, at the approach of 
autumn, it became evident that the end 
was near. His ])arox\-sms of dyspncea be- 
came more frequent. His last days were 
those of a very gradual failure, and the last 
hours were a quiet sinking to rest, appar- 
ently conscious to the last. He died about 
midnight of the 7th of November, 1870, in 
the eighty- second \'ear of his age. 

Dr. Riggs was twice married. P"irst to 
Miss F"anny Olmstead, a lady of quiet and 
amiable disposition and purely domestic 
habits. B\- her he had five children, four 
daughters and a son Mrs. Riggs, after 
several years of feeble health, died of acute 
pneumonia, on the 31st of January, 1862. 
He afterwards married Mrs. Sarah Lilly, 
with whoni he spent the remainder of his 
days. 

Dr. Riggs possessed a good phj'sique 
with a large amount of \'ital stamina and 
great physical and moral courage. His 
countenance was strongly marked, his eyes 
were dark, his brow prominent, his mouth 
firm and compressed, bordering on the se- 
vere. His personal appearance conveyed 



The Cortland County Medical Society. 



163 



at once the impression of unusual force of 
character. He possessed a mind naturally 
vigorous and well poised ; was thorough, 
bold and independent in his thoughts and 
actions and firm in his convictions. 

For these notes of the life of Dr. Riggs 
we are indebted to the very able and in- 
teresting biographical sketch read at the 
annual meeting of the County Societ\- in 
December, 1870, by Dr. H. O. Jewctt, of 
Cortland. We regret that we ha\e not 
room for a more extended notice. 

Dr. George W. Bradford was born in the 
town of Otsego, near Cooperstown, N. Y., 
May 9th, 1796, and died at Syracuse, Oc- 
tober 31st, 1883. He was of the seventh 
generation in direct descent from the famous 
William Bradford, the second go\ernor of 
Plymouth colony. His father, Esek Brad- 
ford, a native of Providence, R. I., removed 
from Woodstock, Conn., about 1793, to 
that portion of the town of Otsego now 
called Hartwick. George was the third 
child and oldest son of a family of ten chil- 
dren. 

The opportunities for education at that 
early day in a new country were extremely 
limited — the nearest school-house being 
two miles awa)- and his school term being 
limited to the few months between late fall 
and early spring ; but this short time was 
compensated b)- its most energetic and dili- 
gent use. He early acquired a taste for 
books and became a devoted reader of the 
best literature accessible. In i8i2and 1813 
he was sent to an academ\- at Woodstock, 
Conn., where among his school-mates was 
the afterwards celebrated surgeon and clin- 
ical teacher, Dr. George McClelian, the father 
of Gen. George B. McClelian. In 18 14 he 
was sent to a classical school at Clinton, N. 
Y. In the fall of 18 16 he entered as a 
student the office of Dr. Thomas Fuller, of 
Cooperstown, the leading physician of that 
vicinit)'. Here he alternated severe study 



with horse- back rides in company with his 
preceptor, receiving the double benefit of 
health and the acquisition of professional 
knowledge in the form of clinical instruc- 
tion and observation — an educational ad- 
vantage not lighth^ to be estimated. He 
never had the benefit of systematic lectures 
in college, a fact which he always lamented. 
In 1 8 19 he removed to Preble in this coun- 
t\- where he duly commenced the practice 
of medicine. In I'ebruary, 1820, he re- 
t'lrned to Cooperstown and was licensed to 
practice medicine by the Otsego County 
Medical Society. About 1821 or 1822 he 
removed to Homer, where, for about si.xty 
years, he continued the practice of his pro- 
fession. In October, 1820, he was elected 
a member of the Cortland County Medical 
Society. Si.x years afterward he was chosen 
secretar}^ of that society, an office which he 
held for forty-fi\'e )'ears consecutively, 
when, from increasing disabilit}' from deaf- 
ness, he resigned, but was still continued in 
the ofiice of treasurer until 1 88 1, when he 
declined a re-election, having permanently 
removed to Syracuse. At the time of 
his resignation as secretar}- the society 
passed resolutions expressive of its high 
estimate of the faithful and intelligent man- 
ner in which he had performed the duties 
of secretar}- and treasurer and of how much 
of the prosperity of the societ}- was due to his 
vigilant administration. In 1841 Dr. Brad- 
ford was elected a delegate to the State 
Medical Society for four years and in 1847 
was elected a permanent member of that 
society, and the same year was elected one 
of the delegates to the American Medical 
Association, which then met in Philadelphia 
and where he became a permanent member 
of that body at the time of its permanent 
organization. In 1858 he was elected vice- 
president of the State Medical Societ\- with 
his associate, the accomplished Brinsmade, 
in the president's chair — declining the 



164 



History of Cortland County. 



solicitation of the nomin^itiiiL;" committee to 
accept tlic nomination for the presidency. 

Besides tliose that strictly related to his 
profession, he was the recipient of various 
honors military, civil and literary. In 185 i 
he was elected as Member of Assembly of 
the State Le.yislature, where he proved him- 
self to be an iiulustrious and capable mem- 
ber of several committees and especially of 
the one on medical colleges and societies. 
In November, 1863, he was elected to the 
State Senate, and in 1855 was re- elected to 
the same position. An interesting chapter 
might be written of his perseverance and 
tact in securing the passage of the bill pro- 
viding for anatomical materiel for medical 

o 

colleges (his celebrated "Bone Bill") and 
for the establishment and maintenance 
of various educational and benevolent in- 
stitutions. In 1 856 he was elected a mem- 
ber of the American Association for the 
Advancement of Science, and in the same 
year was elected to membership in the Wis- 
consin Historical Society, to the library of 
which he in after years contributed several 
valuable historical \\-orks. In 1858 Genesee 
College conferred on him the honorary dc 
"ree of Master of Arts. Some of the most 
important services of his long and busy 
life were those given to Cortland Academy, 
at Homer, to the trusteeship of which he 
was elected in 1832, a position which he 
held for thirtj'-eight years. In conjunction 
with the late Dr. Woolworth, for many years 
its principal, he rendered most efficient 
service in the cause of education as well as 
in every work of benevolent enterprise and 
Christian endeavor. In 1864 as a member 
of the electoral college he cast his vote for 
Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Bradford was often 
called upon to act as secretary of various 
societies and kept the records of the County 
Bible Society for about forty years. 

At the request of the Cortland County 
Medical Society in 1880 — it being the 



si.xtieth anniversary of his connection with 
the society — he gave a summary of the 
changes which had occurred during that 
period in the practice of medicine. 

From the first years of his professional 
life Dr. Bradford became a generous patron 
of medical literature. About 1820 he be- 
came the constant reader of Tlie Pliila- 
delphia Jotinial of the Medieal c'V Pliysieal 
Scicnees until the change of its title to that 
of lite Aiiieriean Journal of the Medieal 
Scienees in 1827, which he continued to 
read, as well as many other journals, up to 
1 88 1, the time of his removal from Homer. 
It is not difficult to perceive that one who 
thus furnishes his mind with the best 
thoughts and a record of the most recent 
discoveries and observations of the leading 
minds in the profession, must be well 
grounded in the principles which should 
guide him. .As a writer said of him in a 
local journal in 1876: " He is wo/ of the 
'old school' for his school is like the Lord's 
mercies, ' neiv every morning.'" In gen- 
eral literature ho was the reader of the best 
books and journals. In common with 
many of our profession he was much inter- 
ested in all departments of natural science, 
but made a specialty of botany, and many 
years ago made a report to the Regents of the 
University on the plants of Cortland county. 

It will be seen from Dr. Bradford's habits 
of reading and study that his librar\- must 
have grown with his \-ears and as he chose 
well his collection, must have been not onl)- 
large but \aluable. It was one of the larg- 
est medical libraries in Central New York, 
if, indeed, it did not e.xcel any other. He 
had a plan, which rapidly growing infirmity 
allowed him to carr)' out onl_\' in part, viz.: 
the distribution of his books among his 
medical friends, knowing full well that, 
however rare and valuable, when on the 
auctioneer's counter they would count for 
little more than the coarsest paper stock. 



The Cortland County Medical Society. 



165 



On the 17th of March, 1S18, Dr. Brad- 
ford was united in marriage to Miss Mary 
Ann Walker, of Middlefield, Otsego county, 
N. Y. The\' had three cliikh'cn. The eldest, 
a son who died in infancy at Cooperstown. 
The next, Emeline M., the accomplished wife 
of Wm. W. Northrop, esq., of New York 
cit}', and Helen Sabina, who died in March, 
1 84 1, aged 17 }'ears. On the 17th of 
March, 1868, Dr. and Mrs. Bradford cele- 
brated their Golden Wedding, " upon which 
occasion a large number of their neighbors 
and friends honored themselves and their 
esteemed hosts by their presence, congrat- 
ulations and gifts." Mrs. Bradford survived 
this joyous event but six years. On the 
26th of November, 1874, at 7 o'clock in 
the morning " the golden bowl was broken." 

In middle life Dr. Bradford was what is 
denominated tough, wirj-, enduring. In 
early life he was delicate, but by horse- back 
riding, most rigid temperance in eating and 
drinking and great regularity of habits — 
or habits as regular as a busy medical prac- 
titioner could observe in all hours, times and 
seasons — he acquired great powers of re- 
sistance against the adverse influences of 
exposure and fatigue. But to us he seemed 
reckless as to personal protection, for not 
until 1864 would he wear, e\'en in the cold- 
est weather of winter, either overcoat or 
gloves. In Jul}-, 1863, while treating the 
gangrenous wound of a soldier just returned 
from the field of Gettysburg, he suffered 
septic poisoning through an abrasion on his 
right hand, which resulted in long continued 
and fearful inflammation with thecal ab- 
scesses of the palm and fingers, loss of 
tendons, contractures and ankylosis and the 
consequently dangerous prostration, render- 
ing the prognosis for a long time doubtful 
and the public mind full of anxious inquiry 
as to his condition and prospects. We can- 
not better describe Dr. Bradford as he ap- 
peared in his prime than to quote an 



account given by his former pastor, the 
Rev. T. K. Fessenden, who was intimately 
associated with him in every good word and 
work for several years. He says : "When 
I first knew him in 1842 he was, I think, 
between forty and fifty years of age, dimin- 
utive in stature, not over nice in his dress 
and appearance, often blunt and even curt 
in his manner of speaking, but always truth- 
ful. There was a rare common sense in 
his views and mode of speaking. There 
was a pleasant smile on his countenance, 
a quiet humor in his remarks and in his 
social intercourse which made him a most 
genial companion, while his honesty, ten- 
derness and manifest deep interest in his 
intercourse with the sick gained for him the 
confidence and love of those who employed 
him. He had a great abhorrence of quack- 
ery and trickery, and this often led him to 
speak of it in not very complimentary terms 
— sometimes so as needlessly to offend. 
But I think the largest portion of the best 
people of Homer then employed him and 
regarded him as a wise, skillful, entirely 
trustworthy and successful physician. I 
had occasion to know much of his religious 
character. No one could be an inmate of his 
family and not see that the one great aim 
of his life was to do the will of God. He 
was a generous supporter of charitable and 
religious objects and institutions. There 
was not a more liberal and public spirited 
donor to benevolent objects, in proportion 
to his means, in the congregation or com- 
munity. He was a friend to whom all 
classes could go with the assurance of kind- 
ness and sympathy in their troubles. He 
did not reap a harvest of wealth ; men of 
the world might feel that his life work was 
not conspicuous or eminently successful, but 
when tested by the true standard, — by per- 
sonal worth, by professional fidelity, by the 
confidence and love of the good in the com- 
munity in which he lived and by the bless- 



1 66 



History of Cortland County. 



ings wliich lia\'e flowed frmn his character 
and sacrifices for tlie good of others, I be- 
lieve he will receive the approval 'well done, 
good and faithful servant ; enter thou into 
the joy of thy Lord.' " 

The last two years and a half of his life 
were spent in Syracuse at the home of his 
granddaughter, Mrs. Dow, who, with her 
mother, Mrs. Northrop, ministered lovingly 
to his comfort during the declining months 
of his life. The choicest portions of his 
librar\-, medical and miscellaneous, were ar- 
ranged in cases about the walls of his room, 
so that he might still feel that he was at 
home with his friends about him and with his 
books and journals, and although memory 
was mostly gone, he daily enjoyed brief 
and pleasant converse. And thus life ebbed 
away. Late in the night of October. 30th, 
1883, he was resting as quietly as an infiint 
on its mother's breast. When light broke 
on the earth on the morning of the 31st, it 
was found tliat the wheels had ceased to 
move, — he was at rest. 

The funeral services were held in the Con- 
gregational Church in Homer in the after- 
noon of November 2d, and which were con- 
ducted bj' the pastor, the Rev. W. A. Rob- 
inson, assisted by the Rev. Dr. Edward 
Hitchcock, who pronounced a brief but ap- 
propriate discourse on the occasion from 
Heb. iv: 9. In speaking of Dr. Bradford he 
said : — 

"Few lives furnish richer material for 
stimulating biography. On its title-page 
could be fairly written ; ' The upright citi- 
zen ; the skillful physician ; the conscientious 
representative; the wise legislator; the pure 
patriot ; the zealous reformer ; the conserv- 
ative thinker; the patient investigator; the 
progressive scholar; the judicious adviser ; 
the faithful friend ; the sympathetic helper ; 
the large-hearted philanthropist ; the con- 
scientious, consistent Christian man.'" 

His medical brethren bore his remains to 



their final rest in the beautiful Glen wood 
Cemetery, and then assembled to pass me- 
morial resolutions. 

Dr. I'hineas H. Burdick, of Preble, was 
born in De Ruyter, Madison county, N. Y., 
June 3d, 1800. 

His father was a farmer of moderate 
means and was able to give his son only 
the advantages which the common school 
could aftbrd him, and that mainly during 
the winter months, working on the farm 
during the summer. But his ambition to 
become a tcaclicr stimulated him to push 
his studies with such vigor that he was early 
qualified to assume the duties of that call- 
ing. His wages, whether earned on the 
neighbors' farms or in the school-room, 
during his minority, were always returned 
to his father, so that at his majority, "with 
weakened physical powers, penniless, un- 
aided and alone, he set forth to the acquire- 
ment of a noble profession," determined to 
succeed, "which, with alternate study and 
teaching, together with tiie strictest econo- 
my, he accomplished in due time, with no 
mean acquirements, as attested b}- his life- 
work." 

His medical studies were had in the of- 
fice of Dr. Hubbard Smith, of De Ru}-ter, 
and Dr. Jehiel Stearns, of Pompey, — the 
latter for many years the leading surgical 
authorit)- in Central New York. He at- 
tended medical lectures in the college at 
Castleton, Vt., but did not complete the 
course requisite for graduation. He was 
licensed to practice medicine b\' the Onon- 
daga County Medical Society in 1828, and 
commenced the duties of his profession in 
Scott in this county during the same year ; 
also in 1 828 becoming a member of the 
Cortland County Medical Society. " He 
was twice married ; first to Miss Sally Dyer, 
of Homer, who, not long after, died of 
small-pox, contracted from the messenger 
who came to obtain the services of the doc- 



The Cortland County Medical Soctetv. 



167 



tor. Two years later he was married to 
Miss Laura J. Phelps, daughter of Judge 
Jabez B. Phelps, who was also a ph\sician, 
but never engaged in the practice of med- 
icine. " 

In 1833 Dr. Burdick renio\ed to Preble, 
where he lived and labored up to the time 
of his sickness and death — a period of 
thirty-seven years. His earl\- professional 
life, as that of many other j'oung physi- 
cians, witnessed severe struggles with pov- 
erty. " During several of the earlier years 
of professional life he rode wholly on horse- 
back, being unable to purchase a vehicle to 
ride in. The first carriage he ever owned 
he bought for five dolliirs — a rattling, 
ricket}' thing, but he said he felt proud of 
it — it was his." 

" By assiduit}^ in business he was crown- 
ed with success and at length acquired a 
competence quite equal to that attained b\- 
country ph)-sicians ; though, through man- 
ifold charities, he had unquestionabl}- given 
away much more than his accumulated 
property. He was a cheerful giver, often 
bestowing more liberalh' than his means 
would warrant." 

Though suffering from difficulty of breath- 
ing and other infirmities, he continued to 
attend diligentl}- to the duties of his pro- 
fession until a few weeks before his death, 
giving himself little relaxation from work, 
rarely taking a vacation. 

Amid all his labors he took great inter- 
est in public affairs and especially in the 
condition of the common schools of the 
town, making his early experience as a 
teacher available in the interest of a higher 
standard of education. For several years 
he was superintendent of public schools. 
For several years during the administrations 
of Jackson and Van Buren he served as post- 
master. Aside from these instances he 
steadih- refused any political preferment. 

He was for forty-two )-ears a member of 



the County Medical Society and always 
very punctual in attendance at its meetings, 
contributing to its proceedings and serving 
it as delegate to the New York State Med- 
ical Society for four years, and of which he 
was elected a permanent member in 1853. 
He was also sent as delegate to the Amer- 
ican Medical Association, of which he be- 
came a permanent member. In 1851 the 
Regents of the University conferred on him 
the honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine. 

Strict integrity was among his character- 
istics. He was eminently a religious man. 
" For the last thirty years of his life he was 
a most e.xemplary professing Christian, and 
for the last decade a ruling elder of the 
Presbyterian Church." 

For the last eight years of his life he was 
able to leave much of the burden of his 
work to his son. Dr. Daniel W. Burdick, 
who had graduated at Geneva Medical 
College in 1862. 

"Yet he maintained his interest in his 
profession, read his medical journals and 
continued business to some extent until 
September, 1869, which, and the following 
month of October, he spent in traveling in 
the western part of the country. It was 
by exposures during this journey that he 
added to his previous trouble of shortness 
of breath on taking active exercise, and a 
troublesome cough which continued to -in- 
crease after his arrival home ; and by the 
first of February, 1870, he was confined to 
his house, most of the time unable to lie 
down, — sleeping in the erect posture and 
suffering terribly at times from paroxysms 
of dyspncea. He had all the signs of 
hypertrophy of the heart and valvular le- 
sions, with pulmonary congestion, h\'dro- 
thorax and general anasarca. 

"After about eight weeks of the most in- 
tense suffering, which was borne through- 
out with the same evenness of temper and 
Christian fortitude that had e\-er character- 



1 68 



History of Cortland County. 



ized him, in the triumph of living faith, he 
died March 28th, 1870. At his funeral, on 
the 30th, the whole community seemed to 
turn out, and especiall\- the old men and 
women of the town, to whom for so many 
years he had been a devoted and sympa- 
thizins^ friend — in a sense, a confessor, and 
a judicious adviser in times of trouble." 

At a meetin<^ of the members of the 
County Medical Society, present on the oc- 
casion of the funeral, suitable resolutions 
were passed, commemorative of the services 
and virtues of their deceased brother, and 
Dr. H. C. Hendrick, of McGraw\'ille, was 
requested to prepare a memorial sketch of 
Dr. Rurdick, to be presented at a subse- 1 
quent meeting of the societ)'. At the 
meeting of the society, December 14th, 
1870, Dr. Hendrick read a highl_\- interest- 
ing memorial record, which was communi- 
cated to the State Medical Society and 
published in its Transactions for 1871. 

Dr. Horace Hronson, of Virgil, was of 
Scotch descent. 

He was born at Catskill, N. Y., Septem- 
ber 8th, 1796. When four or five years of 
age the family removed to Vernon, Oneida 
county, N. Y. Here he had his early ed- 
ucation in the common schools of the place | 
and was an apt scholar, developing when 
quite young a taste for natural history 
studies. It appears that he became a mem- 
ber of Hamilton College, but did not com- 
plete the curriculum of college studies by- 
graduation. During his college course he 
devoted much attention to chemistry and 
became much attached to Dr. Noyes, the 
professor in that department. We are not 
able to give the date of his commencing the 
study of medicine, but it was in the office 
of Dr. Lewis Riggs, then of Vernon, and 
probably completed in the office of Dr. 
Hastings, of Clinton ; nor the date of his 
first connection with the Medical College 
at Fairfield, N. Y., where it is said he at- 



tended four full courses of lectures and 
graduated in 18 19. He spent much time 
with Dr. Hadley, the professor of chemistry 
and materia mcdica, working in the college 
laboratory and pushing his inquiries into 
chemistry and pharmacy, as well as botany, 
geology, and mineralogy. His love for the 
natural sciences continued through his whole 
professional life. He made extensive col- 
lections and his cabinet was rich in the de- 
partments of mincralog}- and paleontology. 
One of his red-letter periods was a visit 
from Professor Emmons, of .Alban}-, one of 
the distinguished geologists of the State 
Natural History Survey, and who was in- 
debted to Dr. Bronson for the determina- 
tion of important scientific facts relating to 
his specialt)-. 

Sometime, probabK' in 1S20, he visited 
his former friend and instructor. Dr. Lewis 
Riggs, of Homer, who ad\ised him to settle 
in Virgil, which he did soon after. He be- 
came a member of the County Medical 
Society on the 17th of October, 1821. At 
that time there was only one other member 
of the society who had received the degree 
of Doctor of Medicine, and that, as before 
mentioned, was Dr. Miles Goodyear, of 
Cortland. 

Dr. Bronson had but few professional 
neighbors when he began the practice of 
medicine, and those often inaccessible in an 
emergency. He was thus thrown on his 
own resources, which a sound mind and 
thorough professional training enabled him 
to marshal eftectivel)-. In the departments 
of surgery and obstetrics, especially the 
latter, he was eminently successful. 

He held the obligations required b_\' the 
principles of medical ethics in \'ery high 
regard. 

" He was very forbearing to those whom 
he had aided, and lost much in the delin- 
quency of his patients. He was a good 
citizen, hospitable to his acquaintances and 




-^ ^J\j<i,C>0- 



The Cortland County Medical Society. 



169 



generous to the needy. He was a friend 
to the cause of education and also a strong 
friend of temperance and kindred reforma- 
tory causes. He sustained a h'gli reputa- 
tion as a man of integrity." He was for 
many years a consistent member of the 
Presbyterian Church. 

For several j'ears he was conscious of a 
steadily advancing cardiac trouble, which 
grew worse in the latter half of 1873 and 
terminated his useful life on the 30th of 
January, 1874. At the next meeting of 
the County Medical Society, in June, 1874, 
his distinguished pupil. Dr. Frederick Hyde,' 
read a high!)' interesting biographical sketch 
of him. 

One of the most astute and popular 
practitioners among the early physicians 
of this county was Dr. Azariah Blanchard, 
of Truxton. He became a member of the 
County Societ}' in 1821 and continued the 
practice of medicine in Truxton for about 
twenty-five years, when he removed in 
1846 to Milwaukee, Wis., where he con- 
tinued his professional work for several 
years and until the infirmities of age com- 
pelled him to desist. He died in 1S68, full 
of years and honors and rich in the esteem 
and affection of his numerous acquaintances. 
A Milwaukee journal in noticing his de- 
cease said : " Dr. Blanchard has been a 
resident of Milwaukee twenty-two years, 
and we can say without exaggeration that 
no man ever lived in this communit}- who 
had fewer enemies — we might say he had 
none, for his daily life was marked by such 
a guileless simplicity and Christian conduct 
in all his relations, which justly rendered 
him a most estimable and beloved citizen. 
His heart was warm, not merely toward his 
fellow-men, but toward his countr)-. Dur- 
ing the war his patriotic sympathies were 
always alive, and like a good man he prayed 

1 Sketches of the lives of Dr?.. Frederick Hyde and C. 
Green will be found in another portion of this work. 



to live to witness the crowning triumph of 
the nation." 

Dr. Lyman Fldredge, of Cincinnatus, 
became a member of the County Society 
in 1829, having been licensed by the Her- 
kimer County Society. For many years he 
was an extensive practitioner and kept him- 
self well posted in the literature of his pro- 
fession. 

Dr. Eleazer H. Barnes, of Marathon, be- 
came a member of the County Society in 
1840, and pursued his profession for many 
years with diligence and success. For the 
last few years, owing to increasing physical 
disabilities, he has mainly retired from prac- 
tice. 

Dr. Homer O. Jewett was born in Leb- 
anon, Madison county, N. V., and when he 
was twelve years of age his father removed 
to Homer in this count)-. His father was 
a native of Lanesboro, Mass., being the son 
of one of the Revolutionar\- heroes who 
faithful!}- served his country throughout 
that war. 

Dr. Jewett had the usual experiences of 
the farmer's boy of his period — constant 
work and rigid economy. The farm which 
his father purchased is now the site of Glen- 
wood Cemetery. 

Besides the limited opportunities of the 
common schools he enjoyed the advantages 
of the academy at Homer under the ad- 
niinistration of Prof Samuel B. Woolworth, 
to whose counsel and encouragement he 
attributes much of the success that maj- 
have resulted from his educational course. 

When, in his eighteenth year, his father 
sold his farm and retired from business, 
leaving to his son the wide world for a por- 
tion, the son turned his attention to teach- 
ing, and while pursuing the business of the 
pedagogue he began the study of medicine, 
but before going on with his medical course 
he still further extended and established his 
school education by two more terms in 



170 



History of Cortland County. 



Cortland Acadcm\-. After this he entered 
tlie office of Dr. A. B. Sliipman, alternating 
medical stud}' with teaching in order to be 
able to ilcfray the expenses of the lecture 
courses, much of the time devoting sixteen 
of the twenty- four hours to the business of 
teaching and study. 

In the winter of 1841-42 he attended 
the first course of lectures ever delivered in 
the medical department of the University 
of the City of New York. He also at- 
tended the second course given there and 
graduated in March, 1843. The faculty 
of the medical department of the university 
at that time consisted of Drs. Valentine 
Mott, Mart)'n Paine, Granville Sharpe Pat- 
tison, John Re\ere, John \V. Draper and 
(iunning S. Bedford, one of the most bril- 
liant and successful bodies of teachers that 
ever graced the halls of medical learning 
in this country. Dr. Payne was his oracle 

— an oracle well chosen — and in him he 
saw only what was wise and noble and 
generous. He showed his pupil many kind 
attentions, proffering him the freedom of 
his private office, giving him several valu- 
able works together with much safe advice 

— altogether and reasonably giving him 
the impression that he was a favorite jnipil, 
all of which proved a healthful stimulus to 
his ambition. 

After practicing a few weeks with his 
preceptor in the summer of 1843, he estab- 
lished himself at Summer Hill, Cayuga 
count)-, where he remained six years. Here 
he had a wide field and unobstructed and 
which he thoroughly and successfull)- cul- 
tivated, acquiring much valuable experience 
in the way of diagnostic skill and thera- 
peutic tact. 

In the summer of 1849 he removed to 
Cortland where he still pursues the duties 
of his calling. 

For more than thirty years, and until 
within the last five or six, it was his rule 



never to refuse a call that he could attend, 
regardless of the condition of the patient, 
the inclemency of the weather, the con- 
dition of the roads, the time of the day or 
night, or the distance from home — a state- 
i nient which will apply to a vast majority of 
medical practitioners who conscientiously 
and industriously devote themselves to the 
duties of their profession as the medical 
advisers and friends of the families in their 
respective neighborhoods. 

Dr. Henry T. Dana was born in Fenner, 
Madison county, N. Y., in 1836, and was 
the youngest son of Judge Sardis Dana. 

He received "his early education at home 
and in the local schools, and later in the 
Cazenovia Seminary. 

He became a private pupil of Dr. James 
H. Armsby, the distinguished professor of 
anatomy in the Albany Medical College, in 
which college he graduated in 1863. The 
same \'ear he located in Tully, Onondaga 
county, where he practiced his profession 
until 1869 when, his health becoming im- 
paired, he removed to Chicago, 111., and 
resided in that city about three years. In 
1872 he removed from Chicago to Cortland 
and resumed the practice of medicine which 
he still continues with increasing success. 

In 1874 he was appointed U. S. examin- 
ing surgeon for pensions and held that 
position until the fall of 1883, when a board 
of examining surgeons was appointed and 
on its organization he was elected its presi- 
dent. In 1877 he was elected president of 
the County Medical Society. 

The Cortland County Medical Society was 
ably represented in the medical branch of 
the army service during the War of the Re- 
bellion. 

Dr. Judson C. Nelson, of Truxton ranks 
his fellow surgeons of this count}- in point of 
time of enlistment. 

Dr. Nelson was born in Danby, Tomp- 
kins county, N. Y., June 3d, 1824. His 



The Cortland County Medical Society. 



171 



father, the Rev. Caleb Nelson, was, for many 
jears, the pastor of the Baptist Church in 
Danb)', afterwards living in Spencer and 
Candor, Tioga county. 

Dr. Nelson was educated in the common 
schools of Tioga county. 

In medicine he was educated in Geneva, 
where he was the private pupil, for three 
years, of Dr. Thomas Spencer, then the 
distinguished professor of the institutes and 
practice of medicine in Geneva Medical 
College, in which institution he attended 
three courses of lectures, graduating in Jan- 
uar\-, 1848. On the 20th of the ensuing 
No\'ember he was married to Miss Henrietta 
S. Walter, of Newark, Tioga count}-. 

In March, 1848, he commenced the prac- 
tice of medicine in Truxton, where he has 
since pursued his professional work with 
unusual success and popularity. 

He was elected a permanent member of 
the State Medical Societj- in 1875. He is 
also a member of the Central New York 
Medical Association, as well as of the Cort- 
land Medical Societ\-. 

"At the breaking out of the Rebellion, in 
1 86 1, he began enlisting men in his own 
and adjoining towns, first for the 23d Regt. 
N. Y. S. Vols., and then for the 76th Regt. 
N. Y. S. Vols., to which he was commis- 
sioned as surgeon Dec. nth, 1861." He 
served his regiment faithfully when, owing 
to failing health, from a severe illness due 
in part to severe work and also to the effect 
of the climate, he was obliged, on the i ith 
of Jul}-, 1862, at Fredericksburg, V^a., to 
resign his position in the regiment altogether 
and return to his home, as the medical offi- 
cers of his division and himself believed, a 
confirmed invalid. After spending some 
time, however, at Avon Springs, he so far 
recovered that earl}- in Januar}', 1863, and 
b}- special contract with the surgeon -general, 
he entered upon the duties of a medical | 
officer in the U. S. General Hospital, De- j 



partment of Washington, in which capacity 
he occupied several positions of trust and 
responsibility. He first served as ward 
physician in Trinity General Hospital until 
its discontinuance in April, 1863, then in 
Mount Pleasant General Hospital until 
December, 1863, when he was put in charge 
of the Regular Army Post Hospital on the 
Potomac, opposite Mt. Vernon, where he 
remained until the following April, when he 
was relieved by the regular surgeon of the 
post. " He was then ordered to Finley 
General Hospital and put in charge of three 
surgical wards, where a large amount of 
operative surgery devolved upon him and 
where he remained (with the exception of 
two weeks on duty with Surgeon Antisell 
in attending the sick and wounded officers 
who reported there from the front during 
the great battles of the Wilderness, Cold . 
Harbor and Petersburg) until the expira- 
tion of his term of ser\-ice in November, 
1864. 

" On retiring from the hospital Dr. Nel- 
son received the public thanks of the sur- 
geon in charge for his faithful attendance 
to duty and from the inmates of his wards 
a very \aluable case of amputating and 
general operating instruments as a testi- 
monial of their appreciation of his services 
in their severe trials and afflictions. 

" He was in the battle of Fort Stevens, 
one of the defenses of Washington, July 
1 2th, 1 864, when Generals Early and Breck- 
enridge made their famous assault on that 
city." 

Dr. Nelson has alwa}-s been a Democrat, 
though during a portion of the war period 
he voted with the Republicans. He has 
held the office of supervisor of his town since 
1872 — now on the thirteenth }'ear of con- 
tinued service. 

In the fall of 1875 he was elected as 
Member of Assembly in its 99th session, 
1876; and again in the fall of 1882 to its 



172 



History of Cortland CoUiVTY. 



io6th session, 1883. At the session of '83 
he ser\ed as chairman of the committee on 
the pubhc health and also on the committee 
on charitable institutions. 

On the 20th of June, 1883, he was mar- • 
ricd the second time to Miss Florence Irwin 
Snyder, of MiddleburLj, Schoharie count}-, 
N. Y. 

Dr. Henry C. Hendrick, of McGraw\ille, 
is of English Puritan stock, whose charac- 
teristics modified and softened in the course 
of their history, have been fairly preserved 
to the present generation. His grandfather, 
Joel Hendrick — born in 1772 — remo\'ed 
from Southington, Conn., to Guilford, Che- 
nango county, N. Y., when a young man — 
was one of the pioneers of that town and 
reared his family there. His son, Leontes, 
the father of the doctor, was born there in 
1796; removed to Coventry in the same 
count)' in 1832 when tiie subject of this 
sketch was between four and fi\'e years old. 
Dr. Hendrick was born in Guilford, Sep- 
tember nth, 1827. He attended the vil- 
lage district school and sometimes what was 
called a "select school," and several terms 
at the Oxford Acadcmj-. He became a 
teacher and taught in the district and select 
schools some twehe terms. This has given 
him an interest in schools and he has ever 
fince been more or less connected with 
school boards 

He studied medicine with his brother, the 
late Dr. E. F. Hendrick, of Danbury, Conn., 
who was a prominent surgeon in the war of 
1 86 1, serving as surgeon of the 15th Conn. 
Vols. 

Dr. Hendrick attended a course of lect- 
ures in Geneva Medical College in 1852 and 
graduated in the medical department of the 
University of Michigan in 1853; practiced 
medicine in Willet four years ; removed to 
McGrawville in December, 1857, where he 
still resides. 

He entered the niilitar\- service in the War 



of the Rebellion in the summer of 1862, re- 
ceiving his commission from Gov. Morgan 
as surgeon of the 157th Regt. N. Y. Vols., 
August 15th 1862 ; served in that capacity 
nearly three years and was mustered out 
July 31st, 1865. 

lie served in extra service as follows: 
On staff of Gen. Carl Schurz in charge of 
3d Division i ith Corps Hospital at Brooks's 
Station, Va., from March, 1863, to the 23d 
of June following. Was assigned by Med- 
ical Director Suckley in general charge of 
the dressing department of 1 ith Corps Hos- 
pital, third and fourth days of the battle of 
Gettysburg. Assigned as one of the med- 
ical examining board. Folly Island, S. C, 
Sept. 2ist, 1863. October 2 1 St, 1863, was 
made chairman of special examining board 
to inquire into the sanitary condition of 
certain regiments on Foil)- Island. On the 
1 6th of Januar)', 1864 appointed chief med- 
ical officer 2d Brig., Folly Island. In March, 
1864, was post surgeon at Jacksonville, Fla., 
and in April, 1864, post surgeon at Fernan- 
dina. On the 13th of July, 1864, appointed 
member of medical examining board at Hil- 
ton Head, S. C, and at the same place July 
19th, 1864, was appointed chief medical offi- 
cer of Provisional Brigade. August 24th, 
1864, appointed post surgeon, Hilton Head, 
chief medical officer of " District of Hilton 
Head, Fort Pulaski, Beaufort, St. Helena 
and T\-bee Island." October 24, 1864, ap- 
pointed post surgeon in charge of troops and 
Confederate prisoners (600 officers) at P"t. 
Pulaski, Ga. January 1 ith, 1865, was placed 
in charge of P"icld Hospital \o. 1, Coast Di- 
vision, S. C. 

At the close of the service he was com- 
missioned " Lieutenant-Colonel by Brevet 
for meritorious service during the war" — 
his rank as surgeon being " Major of Cav- 
alry." 

On calling to say good-bye to his friend, 
the medical director of the department, he 



The Cortland County Medical Society. 



173 



handed him the subjoined document, which 
was certainly a handsome recognition of the 
doctor's faithful and efficient services during 
the war : — 

"Office of Medical Director. 

" Dep.artment of the Solth. 
" Hilton Head, S. C, July 12, 1865. 
"To Surgeon Henry C. Hendrick, 

•• 157th Regt, N. Y. Vols. 
" Sir, 

" On your bfing mustered out of the service 
of the U. S. — the term of enlistment of your 
regiment having expired, it gives me great pleas- 
ure to testify to your imiform excellent conduct 
as an officer and gentlemen since vou have been 
on duty in this department, and to the able man- 
ner in which you have discharged your official 
duties. 

•• Very Respectfully, 

" Your Obedient Servant, 

•• Meredith Clvmer. 
"Lieut. Col. U. S. Vols., and 

" Med. Director. D. S." 

On being mustered out of service the 
doctor returned to the peaceful duties of 
his profession which he had patriotically left 
three years before. 

Dr. Hendrick has been twice married — 
first to Miss Eliza J. Moonc}', of AVillet, who 
died June 12th, 1858; and again Septem- 
ber 5th, i860, to Miss Marinda McGraw, 
daughter of the late Harry McGraw, of Mc- 
Grawville. 

Dr. Hendrick is a member of the Presby- 
terian Church, and for the past fifteen years 
has been an elder in that church. 

Dr. James W. Hughes was born in Men- 
don, Monroe county, N. Y., May 23d, 1832. 
He pursued his preparatory studies in Cort- 
landville Academ\% teaching a portion of 
the time in the village schools, and a year 
and a half in northern Mississippi, and en- 
tered Williams College in 1856. He sub- 
sequently was professor of mathematics in 
Cortlandville Academy, devoting his spare 
hours to the stud}' of medicine with Dr. 
Miles Goodyear, and, after attending two 



courses of lectures in the University of the 
City of New York, he graduated in 1863. 
In September of the same year he was 
commissioned assistant surgeon of the 59th 
Regiment N. Y. Vet. Vols., and entered on 
his duties at once. In May, 1864, 'le "'^s 
detailed for duty in the di\-ision field hos- 
pital, and had charge of two of its wards 
until August, when he was proinoted to the 
more important and responsible position of 
one of the division operating staff On the 
4th of March following he was commissioned 
surgeon of the I52d Regiment N. Y. Vols., 
and on the 25th of the same month was, by- 
order of Major- General Francis C. Barlow, 
made division surgeon, and put in charge 
of the division field hospital, in which posi- 
tion he ser\ed until the close of the war. 

On being mustered out he returned to 
his home in Cortland and commenced the 
practice of medicine, and still continues his 
professional work in that place. 

In natural history Dr. Hughes "follows 
in the footsteps of his illustrious predeces- 
sor," the venerated Goodyear, in his taste 
for botany and horticulture. His familiar- 
it}- with the flora of Cortland county ren- 
ders him an authority in that department. 

He keeps his library well supplied with 
the latest and best professional books and 
journals. 

As a physician he is faithful in his devo- 
tion to the interests of his patients. 

Dr. Hughes is an elder in the Presby- 
terian Church. 

Dr. John H. Knapp was born in 18 19. 
Studied medicine in the office of Drs. White 
& Lyman, of Sherburne, and was licensed 
to practice in the spring of 1843. Having 
practiced in Marathon and Etna, he finally 
fi.Ked his residence at Harford, where he 
has largely enjoyed the confidence and re- 
spect of the communit}- as a ]jh\sician and 
citizen. 

He united with the County Medical So- 



i;4 



History of Cortland Couni v. 



cict)- ill 1858, and was its president in 1861 
and again in 1867. 

In 1855 Dr. Knapp represented his coun- 
ty in the Legislature as Member of the As- 
sembl}', and has also served his town in the 
Board of Supervisors. 

In Ma)', 1863, lie was appointed b\- Pres- 
ident Lincoln as surgeon of the board of 
enrollment for the 23d New York Congres- 
sional district, and remained as such to the 
close of the war,— having examined in that 
time probably over 6,000 men. 

Dr. John D. Tripp, of Virgil, was born 
in Dryden, N. Y., August isth, 1843. His 
preparatory education was received in the 
common school and in Dryden Academy. 

He enlisted in the army in September, 
1 861, was injured in Fort Totten, and dis- 
charged in 1862; returned to Dryden and 
commenced the study of medicine under 
the instruction of Dr. Isaac S. Briggs ; at- 
tended medical lectures at Geneva, and in 
the spring of 1864 was examined and ap- 
pointed medical cadet. During the winter 
of 1864-65, was assigned to the department 
of the east, with headquarters at New York 
city, and, by doing night duty, was per- 
mitted to attend the spring session of lect- 
ures at Long Island College Hospital, and 
graduated from that institution in June, 
1865. He then did duty for a time as as- 
sistant surgeon. 

In October, 1865, he settled in Virgil, 
where he continues the practice of his pro- 
fession. He became a member of the Coun- 
ty Medical Society, June, 1866, and in 
1878 was elected its president. He has 
read before the society several interesting 
papers, more especially on the recent dis- 
coveries in the functions of the nervous 
system. 

The County Society has always main- 
tained a representation in the State Med- 
ical Society as well as in the American 
Medical Association, and in the District 



Medical Associations of Central New York, 
also in the neighboring county medical so- 
cieties. 

The society adopted the code of ethics 
of the American Medical Association after 
the organization of the latter in 1847, which 
had also been adopted b)' the State Socie- 
ty, so that it was, in the matter of ethics, 
in conformit)' with the State and national 
societies. 

But when, in 1S82, the State Society, at 
a thinl)' attended meeting, but packed for 
a purpose, adopted what is called the "new 
code," against the most serious and earnest 
protests and warnings of the minority pres- 
ent, as well as against a large majority of 
the constituent county societies, — refusing 
to postpone the consideration of the subject 
for even one night, — the Cortland County 
Medical Societ)' refused to comply with the 
demand of the State Society to revise its 
code of ethics so that it should conform to 
that of the State Societ)'. B\- a large ma- 
jorit}- — twenty-three to four — the Coun- 
ty Society stands by the national code, and 
is largely represented in the new State 
Medical Association. 

The society in its meetings, annual or 
semi-annual, has, with few exceptions, held 
its proceedings and discussions in a most 
harmonious spirit. It has been the aim of 
its members at such times to elicit and im- 
part practical information, — to draw out 
the valuable results of individual experi- 
ence, observation and study, while a healthy 
esprit dc corps has been maintained. 

CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF MEMBERS. 
Name. Dale of Election. 

Lewis S. Owen 1808 

I ohn Miller 1808 

Luther Rice 1808 

Elijah C. Wheeler 1808 

Rohert D. Taggart 1808 

Ezra Pannel ... 1808 

.Mien Barney 1808 

Jesse Searl _ i8o8 



The Cortland County Medical Society. 



i;5 



Mordecai Lowe 

Joseph Sawtell 

Levi Boies 

John Lynde 

Marcius Simmons 

Joel R. Carpenter 

Peleg B. Peckham 

Miles Goodyear 

Lewis Riggs 

Alvan Ryan ... 

Oliver P. Raymond — 

Geo. W. Bradford 

Azariah Blanchard 

Horace Bronson 

Elias P. Metcalf 

Joseph H. Ellis 

Eleazer W. Grain 

Joseph Ballard 

Hiram N. Eastman _ . 
Phineas H. Burdick . . 
Alanson Burroughs . _ . 

Turnis Turner 

Sylvester F. Pelton _ . _ 

Harvey Houghton 

Archelaus Green 

Daniel M. Wakely..- 

Hubbel Fox . . _ 

Corrington Babcock__ 

Robert C. Owen 

Isaac Noyes 

Arabert B. Smith 

Alanson Owen 

Lyman Eldredge 

Constantine P. Weaver 

Isaac S. Briggs 

Daniel Havens 

Hiram Brock way . 

Henry Williams 

Marsena Terry 

Ira L. Babcock 

John Jeffrey 

brvil P. Laird 

Frederick Hyde . . 

Azariah B. Shipman . . 

George W. Maxson 

Melvin A. Webster 

Francis A. Decker 

William M. Freeman . 
Christopher L. Main . _ 



809 
812 
812 

8'5 
817 
818 
818 
818 
819 
820 
820 
821 
821 
822 
823 
824 
826 
828 
828 
828 
828 
828 
828 
828 
828 
828 
828 
828 
828 
828 
829 
829 
830 
830 
830 
831 
83' 
831 
832 
833 
833 
833 
833 
833 
834 
834 
834 
836 



Ashbel Patterson 1836 

Edwin P. Healy 1838 

Jonathan W. Jones 1839 

Eleazer H. Barnes 1840 

David W. Houghtaling 1840 

Hiram \Viggins 1840 

Joseph Shipman 1841 

Leander Green . 1841 

William J. Wilson 1842 

Franklin T. May berry -1842 

Lysander B. White 1842 

Anson B. Caul - 1843 

Henry P. Eells . . 1844 

Lyman H. Davis 1844 

Caleb Green __ 1 845 

James Finn 1845^ 

George N. Woodward . _ 1846 

W. B. Sturtevant - - 1846 

Charles N. Kingman 1846 

Titus B. Davidson 1847 

Charles Thomas 1848 

William Fitch 1849 

Lorenzo J. Keen . 1850 

Daniel E. Foot 1852 

Marcellus R. Smith 1853 

Charles H. Swain 1853 

Dix A. Shevalier 1853 

Franklin Goodyear 1854 

Henry C. Hendrick 1855 

William H. Niles 1855 

Charles S. Richardson 1858 

A. D. Read 1858 

J. H. Knapp 1858 

Jerome Angel _ _ _ 1858 

T. C. Pomeroy 1859 

G. L. Newcomb 1862 

D. W. Burdick 1863 

WilHam Galagher _ 1863 

I. D. Warner 1865 

A. L. Head .1865 

H. O. Jewett 1865 

James W. Hughes 1866 

J. D. Tripp 1866 

William Witherell 1866 

L. C. Warner .1867 

N. R. Barnes 1867 

J . C. Nelson 1867 

De Forest Hunt 1867 

S. C. Webb .1867 



176 



History ok Cortland County. 



M. G. Hyde 

O. G. Dibble - 

D. C. Waters 

William B. Niles .... 
George G. Bosworth . . . 
Marcellus L. Halbert.. 

Henry T. Dana 

George D. Bradford 

Owen C. Hall - 

Amasa Quivey 

J. B. McClellan 

Francis G. Wheelock . . 
Kdward W. McBirney. 

Dewitt C. Clark 

Herman D. Hunt 

Francis W. Higgins — 

Charles E. Bennett 

Frank H. Green 



CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF PRESIDENT 

Lewis S. Owen 1808, 

John Miller 1820, 

John Lynde 

Lewis S. Owen 

Miles Goodyear 

Lewis Riggs._ .-1825, 

Jesse Searl 

A. Blanchard . _ _ 1828, 

Levi Boies 

Miles Goodyear 

Horace Bronson _ 



Lewis Riggs . 

Miles Goodyear 1 834 to 

A. B. Shipman 

Miles Goodyear 

A. B. Smith 1843, 

Horace Bronson 

Lyman Eldredge 

Miles Goodyear 

P. H. Burdick 

Frederick Hyde 1849, 

P. H. Burdick 

Caleb Green . 

C. ^L Kingman - . 

Geo. W. Maxson 

L.J. Keen 

(ieo. W. Bradford 

William Fitch 

John Miller 

F. Hyde.. 



868 
869 
869 

871 

87, 

872 

872 

87s 

875 

875 
876 

877 

877 
880 
880 
881 
882 



820 
821 

822 

823 
824 
826 
827 
829 
830 
831 
832 
833 
840 

841 
842 

844 

845 
846 
847 
848 
850 
85J 
85-' 
853 
854 

855 
856 

857 
858 

859 



C. ^L Kingman 1 860 

J. H. Knapp._ 1861 

Caleb Green 1862 

Horace Bronson 1863 

S. Beebe.. 1864. 1865 

L D. Warner 1866 

J. H. Knapp ...1867 

J. C. Nelson.. i868 

S. C. Webb 1869 

H. C. Hendrick 1870 

Isaac S. Briggs _ . 1871 

E. H. Barnes .1872 

H. O. Jewett -1873. '874 

M. G. Hyde 1875, 1876 

H. T. Dana. 1877 

J. D. Tripp 1878 

D. W. Burdick. 1876 

A. (Quivey ..1880, 1881 

Marcellus R. Smith . _ 1882, 1883 

Charles E. Bennett 1 884 

CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF SECREI ARIES. 

Jesse Searl 1808 to 1820 

Lewis Riggs - 1820 to 1823 

Jesse Searl 1823 to 1825 

Geo. W. Bradford 182510 1870 

Caleb Green 1870 to 1884 

PRESENT MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY. 

Jerome Angel, - Union Valley 

E. H. Barnes, . - - - Marathon 

Charles E. Bennett, Cortland 

Isaac S. Briggs, . . Dryden, 'I'omp. Co. 

Daniel W. Burdick, Homer 

George D. Bradford, Homer 

Dewitt C. Clark, Marathon 

Henry T. Dana, Cortland 

William Fitch, .Dryden, 'I'omp. Co. 

Caleb Green, Homer 

Frank H. Green, Homer 

M. L. Halbert, Cincinnatus 

A. L. Head, Homer 

H. C. Hendrick, McGrawvilie 

F. W. Higgins, Truxton 

James W. Hughes, Cortland 

Herman D. Hunt, Preble 

Frederick Hyde, Cortland 

Miles G. Hyde, - Cortland 

Homer O. Jewett, . _ Cortland 

John H. Knapp, Harford 

(George W. Maxson, Scott 



Secret Societies, etc. 



177 



Edward W. McBirney, \\'\\\et 

Judson C. Nelson, . _ Truxton 

A. D. Read,. - - - - Marathon 



Marcellus R. Smith,. Cincinnatus 

J. D. Tripp - .Virgil 

Sumner C. Webb, Homer 



CHAPTER XVII. 



secret societies, etc. 



The Free .ind Accepted Masons of Cortland County 
Other Lodges Instituted — The Independent Order of Odil 

THE orders of Odd Fellows, Masons, 
and others somewhat similar in char- 
acter, have always been well represented in 
this county, and the different lodges now 
embrace many of the leading citizens; this 
is especially true of those ancient and hon- 
orable orders, the Free and Accepted Ma- 
sons and the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows. 

The first Masonic Lodge in Cortland 
county (then Onondaga) was known as 
Homer Lodge No. 137, which was char- 
tered by the Grand Lodge of the State of 
New York to brethren residing in the 
county and vicinity on the 9th day of May, 
I 806. Under this charter the lodge worked 
until June 6th, 1833, when the warrant was 
forfeited. 

The old records of this lodge are still 
preserved by the present lodge in Homer 
and the charter was deposited in the ar- 
chives of the Grand Lodge but a few years 
ago, by L. E. Barker,^ of Homer village. 
Hung in the lodge rooms at Homer are also 
the old warrant of Washington Chapter 
No. 29 Royal Arch Masons; also the war- 
rant of the old Preble Lodge. 

The next lodge in the county was insti- 
tuted at Preble, its charter bearing the date 
of Nov. lOth, 1814; it was called Hesper 

1 We are indebted to Mr. Barker for important assis- 
tance in this connection, and also to Geo. I^. Warren, 
of Cortland village. Mr. Barker was Master of Homer 
Lodge from 1865 to 1871, and District Deputy Grand 
Master m 1S70-71. 



— The First Lodge in tlie County — Its Old Records — 
Fellows — Lodges ami OITicers — Other Societies. 

Lodge No. 237 and was suspended June 
5th, 1834. 

On the 8th of January, 1 821, a warrant 
was issued to Miles Dunbar, as master; 
Alanson Coats, senior warden; Arnold 
Hicock, junior warden, and other brethren, 
to hold a lodge in Tru.xton, to be called 
Truxton Lodge No. ^^^. The warrant 
was surrendered June 8th 1832. 

A warrant was issued to Benjamin S. 
Campbell, master; Jabez B. Phelps, senior 
warden; Nathan Dayton, junior warden, 
and other brethren, on the 6th of June, 
1823, to hold a lodge at Cortland (then in 
the town of Homer) by the name of Cort- 
land Lodge No. 371. This lodge held its 
meetings at Port Watson, and the warrant 
was surrendered June 8th, 1832. 

In June, 1825, a warrant was issued to 
Jacob Hemingway, master; Caleb Sher- 
man, senior warden; Wm. Lincoln, junior 
warden, and other brethren, to hold a lodge 
in Virgil, to be called La Fayette Lodge 
No. 409. This lodge forfeited its charter 
June 8th, 1832. 

A tt'arrant was issued to Malicah Church, 
master; John Davis, senior warden; Bar- 
nabas Hastings, junior warden, and others, 
June 1st, 1825, to hold a lodge at Harrison 
(now Marathon) by the name of Western 
Union Lodge No. 417. The warrant was 
surrendered and work discontinued June 
5th, 1835. 

During the Anti-Masonic political cru- 



178 



History of Cortland County. 



sadc the orilcr in this cuiint}', as in most 
other sections, rcniainecl dormant and so 
continued from about the date last men- 
tioned durinj4 a period of more tlian twenty 
years. But in June, 1X59, CorthiiuK'ilie 
Lodge No. 470 was chartered. The follow- 
ing brethren were charter members: Joseph 
Reynolds, Horace Dibble, C. S. Mattison, 
R. H. Duell, S. R. Hunter, Franklin Good- 
year, Horace L. Green, C. B. Chittenden, 
A. 1'. .Smith, J. A. Schermcrhorn, S. L. 
Thompson, ( ). V, Eldredge, B. Bulman and 
Josiah Hart, jr. This lodge has had a 
membership of over four hundred. The 
present officers are: S. S. Kno.x, W. i\I. ; 
Fitz Boynton, S. W. ; C. T.. Kinney, J. W. ; 
F. M. Keator, treasurer; VVm. F. Bnrdick, 
secretary; H. J, Harrington, S. D. ; H. T. 
Hollister, J. D. ; P. Van Bergen, tiler; J. J. 
Taggart, organist. 

On the 20th of Sepetmber, 1854, Homer 
Lodge No. 352 was instituted under a dis- 
pensation from the Grand Lodge of the 
State of New York, Joseph D. Evans, grand 
master, with the following charter members: 
Ashbel Patterson, M. D. ; Cornelius B. 
Gould, Lj'man Reynolds, E. C. Reed, 
Stephen Knapp, H. D. Patterson, Wm. R. 
Smith, Elijah Button, I'".lijah Baker, Josiah 
Patterson, FVank Richardson, M. E. Wal- 
pole, Elnathan W. Vanderlyn. On the 3 1st 
day of August, 1855, the lodge was duly 
constituted under a warrant and the follow- 
ing officers were installed by Geo. N. 
Williams, deputy grand master: Ashbel 
Patterson, master; Ella R. Stephens, senior 
warden; Hammil Thompson, junior, war- 
den ;Wm. L. Sherman, treasurer; Josiah 
Patterson, secretary; A. W. Kingsbury, 
senior deacon; E. \V. \'anderl\'n, junior 
deacon; Jas. McNiel, tiler. 

The present officers of the lodge are: 
Chas. E. Wills, W. ma.ster; R. A. Goodell, 
senior warden; Philo Jones, junior warden; 
John J. Murray, treasurer; Robert J. Wat- 



son, secretary; F. D. Carpenter, senior 
deacon; L. L. Rood, junior deacon; Isaac 
Smith, tiler. Geo. Murra}-, jr., C. H. Gil- 
lett and B. H. Griffin are the trustees. 
This lodge is incorporated. 

Royal Arch Masonry. — The first Royal 
Arch Masonry of which we have any record 
in this county was in 1809, when a dispen- 
sation was granted to comps. George Rice, 
Hooker l^allard, Samuel Hoar, jr., and 
others to hold a lodge at Homer, by the 
name of Centre Mark Lodge No. 50. On 
the 7th of February, 18 10, a warrant was 
issued to Geo. Rice, high priest; Asahel 
Minor, king; Reuben Washburn, scribe, 
and others, to hold a chapter of Royal 
Arch Masons in Homer by the name of 
Washington Chapter No. 29. This chap- 
ter was represented in the Grand Chapter 
by companion George Rice, Joshua Ballard, 
Joseph Crofoot, Jabez B. Phelps, Nathan 
Gillett, Luther Nicols, Benjamin Enos, F^d- 
ward C. Reed, William Andrews, Benjamin 
Chamberlain and Orin Stimpson. The 
chapter could not withstand the Anti-Ma- 
sonic prejudice and forfeited its charter, 
until tile year 1865, when a dispensation was 
granted and the chapter revived. 

On the 8th of F""ebruary, 1866, a charter 
was granted to Roswell K. Bourne, high 
priest; S. Adams, king; Geo. L. Warren, 
scribe, and companions John W. Osgood, 
W. H. Crane, G. W. Davenport, R. W. 
Bourne and Horace Dibble, to hold a chap- 
ter of Royal Arch Masons in Cortland, to 
be called Cortland Chapter No. 194. There 
have been on the rolls of this chapter 102 
members and the chapter is now in a flour- 
ishing condition. Following are the present 
officers: Geo. L. Warren, H. P.; A. Sager, 
K. ; O. Hitchcock, S. ; Fitz Boynton, treas.; 
W. F. Burdick, sec'y; C. E. Selover, C. of 
H. ; W. D. Tisdale, R. A. C. ; H. T. Dana, 
P. S.; Fitz Boynton, M. 3d V.; C. E. 
Ingalls, M. 2d v.; T. T. Bates, M. 1st 



Secret Societies, etc. 



'79 



v.; P. Van Bergen, tiler; J. J. Taggart, 
organist. 

Knights Templar. — The first and only 
Comrnandery of Knights Templar ever or- 
ganized in the county is Cortland Com- 
rnandery No. 50, Knights Templar, which 
was chartered in October, 1871, to the fol- 
lowing named Sir Knights: W. H. Crane, 
Geo. L. Warren, A. Sager, J. D. Benton, 
Wm. F. Burdick, M. A. Rice, R. E. Hill, 
E. M. Seacord, A. B. Wooster, P. Van Ber- 
gen, Wm. S. Copeland, C. W. Kinne, M. J. 
Robinson, Seth Hobart. All these Sir 
Knights except two received the order of 
knighthood in St. Augustin Comrnandery 
38, at Ithaca. The present officers are: 
Wm. F. Burdick, E. C . ; R. C. Shattuck, 
general; Geo. L. Warren, capt. general; A. 
Sager, treas. ; E. M. Seacord, sec'y ; H. T. 
Dana, prel. ; M. A. Rice, senior warden ; D. 
C. Smith, junior warden ; C. F. Thompson, 
St. br. ; O. Hitchcock, sw. br. ; Fitz Boyn- 
ton, warder; C. F. Baldwin, C. E. Ingalls 
and Geo. W. Loomis, guards ; P. Van Ber- 
gen, captain of the guard. 

independent order of odd fellows. 

The first lodge of this order in Cortland 
county was instituted F"ebruar\- i6th, 1847. 
The charter was granted by the Grand 
Lodge of the State of New York on Janu- 
ary 19th, 1847, to Tioughnioga Lodge, No. 
263. The charter members were Lyman 
Reynolds, Isaac Fairchild, Horace P. Good- 
rich, John H. Ferguson and Wm. P. Ran- 
dall. When the State was subsequently 
divided into the Northern and Southern 
Jurisdiction, .or Grand Lodges, the number 
of this old lodge was changed to 50 of North- 
ern New York. This is all the information 
we have been able to obtain relative to the 
first lodge of Odd Fellows in this county. 

Homer Lodge No. 280 I. O. O. F., was 
instituted on the 30th of March, 1847, by 
R. F. Russell, D. D. G. M. of Cayuga 



District. The petitioners for the charter 
were D. H. Strickland, German Thompson, 
Wm. Dalrymple, Samuel Wallace and H. 
L. Bowen. The lodge proved very pros- 
perous, increasing largely in numbers and 
in wealth, under the Jurisdiction of the 
Grand Lodge of Northern New York. In 
August, 1866, the union of Northern and 
Southern New York was made ; P. G. H. 
W. Blashfield was representative of Homer 
Lodge at that session, held in New York 
city. Subsequently it became necessary to 
renumber the lodges, which was done. Ho- 
mer being changed to No. 99. On the 1st 
of March, 1875, lodge rooms were destroyed 
by fire with all their contents, causing a 
loss of one thousand dollars to the lodge, 
yet not one meeting was lost, for at the 
regular night of meeting the lodge took 
rooms in the Masonic Hall and continued 
to occupy them while the block was being 
rebuilt and a new hall fitted. Fortunately 
the lodge had a surplus fund to meet the 
emergency, so the new hall was furnished, 
and a balance of several hundred dollars 
left in the treasury. 

The lodge still continues in a healths- 
condition. The present elective officers 
are C. F. Williams, N. G. ; E. E. Warfield, 
V. G. : George S. Gilbert, secretary ; S. P. 
Miller, treasurer. 

Marathon Lodge No. 415 I. O. O. F., 
under the Jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge 
of Northern New York, was instituted 
January 2d, 1852, and its first officers were: 
Nelson Roe, N. G. ; Israel W. Taft, V. G. ; 
Henry W. Burlingame, secretary. The 
lodge was run with uniform success until 
August 7th, 1877, when its lodge room and 
property were destroyed by fire, entailing a 
loss upon the institution of several hundred 
dollars. It was reorganized under a dupli- 
cate charter November 14th of the same 
year, but has never entireh- regained its 
former prosperity. 



I So 



History of Cortland County. 



When the Graiul Lodges of Northern 
and Southern New York were consoHdated, 
the number of the lotlgc was changed to 
167, which it retains. 

The jjresent officers of tiie lodge are : 
Fred. S. Dellow, N. G. ; Isaac Stevens, V. 
G. ; Lewis A. Burgess, secretary. 

Vesta Lodge No. 555, was instituted in 
Cortland, December 15th, 1870. The lodge 
meets Monday evenings in Odd Fellows' 
Hall. The present officers are : Charles B. 
Roethig. N. G. ; L Whiteson, V. G. ; A. M. 
Delavan, secretar\-; D. C. Johnson, treasurer. 



Lion luicanipment meets also in Odd 
Fellows' Hall on the first and third Wednes- 
days of each month. Its officers are: H. 
W. Blashfield, C. P. ; Arthur Nelson, H. 
P.; S. N. Gooding, S. W. ; F. G. Kinney, 
scribe ; C. E. Ingalls, treasurer. The Fln- 
campment was instituted in 1871. 

There are lodges of Odd Fellows now in 
existence in Cortland village, Marathon, 
Homer and Preble. There have also been 
several other lodges of the order, which 
ha\e also since been suspended, of which 
we ha\'e no definite data. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



COUNTY SOCIETIES, lU'ILI IIXG.S, ETC. 

The Cortland County Agricullur.il Society — Its First Fairs — List of its Presidents — The Cortland County 
Farmers' Club — Its Organization and First Officers — Value of its Work— List of Officers — The Cortland County 
Bible Society — The Young Men's Christian Association — County Buildings. 



THE County Agricultural Society. — The 
formation of the first agricultural so- 
ciety in Cortland county in 1818 has been 
described in the general history, with the 
details of the first fair held. It is not known 
just when this first organization closed its 
career of usefulness, but it is probable that 
there was not a long interval between that 
event and the organization of the second 
society in 1838. It is conceded that to 
Henry Stephens, more than to any other 
person, is due the credit of making the first 
organization a success. 

On the first day of October, 1838, a 
meeting was held at the court-house for the 
purpose of organizing the second and pres- 
ent agricultural society. W'm. Berrj' was 
chairman of this meeting and Henry S. Ran- 
dall secretary. The first officers chosen 
were John Miller, president ; Joseph Reyn- 
olds and Peter Walrad, vice-presidents ; 
Rufus Boies, treasurer ; Paris Barber, sec- 
retary. The first fair was held at the Eagle 



Ta\ern in Cortland \illage and was consid- 
ered a success for that period, although it 
was considered necessary in I 840 to reduce 
the liighest premium from $3 to $2. Jesse 
Ives was chosen president in 1841, and in 
the following year an appropriation was se- 
cured from the State, for the advancement 
of agricultural interests, through the medium 
of the socict)-. The fairs were held at the 
court-house, in the Eagle Tavern, and per- 
haps elsewhere until the grounds in Homer 
village were secured. These were occupied 
until 1857, when the present tract of land 
between the villages was secured. Im- 
provements have been made and buildings 
erected from time to time on these grounds, 
until now the)- -are admirably adapted to 
their purposes and among the most com- 
modious and convenient fair grounds in the 
State. 

Following is a list of the presidents of 
the society who have been elected annually, 
beginning with the )-ear 1S41 : Jesse Ives, 



County Societies, Buildings, etc. 



i»i 



Dan Hibbard, Wm. Randall, Jedediah Bar- 
ber, Rufus Boies, H. S. Randall, Amos 
Rice, James S. Leach, Peter Walrad, Hiram 
Hopkins, Noah Hitchcock, Antlion\- Freer, 
Paris Barber, Israel Boies, Alfred L. Cham- 
berlain, Joshua Ballard, S. D. Freer, Manly 
Hobart, W. P. Randall, VV. E. Tallman, S. 
D. Freer, Geo. Murray, Wm. A. Boies, H. 

B. Van Hoesen, C. C. Taylor, A. L. Cham- 
berlain, F. H. Hibbard, A. D. Blodyett, H. 
Dennison, J. C. Carmichael, S. D. P'reer, A. 
L. Merrill, James M. Smith (four successive 
years), James H. Clark, A. D. Blodgett, 
James M. Smith, L. J. Fitzgerald (1882-83), 

C. W. Gage, 1884. 

The Cortland County P'armers' Club. — 
This organization was formed in the year 
1878, through the call of a meeting at the 
ofiRce of John S. Barber, esq., for Wednes- 
day, February 13th. Allen B. Benham was 
chosen temporary chairman of the meeting 
and T. Mason Loring temporary secretary. 
A. P. Rowley stated the object of the meet- 
ing, and on his motion the following officers 
were appointed: president, A. D. Blodgett; 
vice-president, Dwight H. Hitchcock ; sec- 
retary, T. Mason Loring. On motion of 
James M. Smith, A. P. Rowley, was chosen 
treasurer. A. P. Rowley, A. B. Benham, 
Charles Copeland and T. Mason Loring 
were made a committee to prepare a code 
of by-laws. Chas. H. Price, one of the mem- 
bers, offered the gratuitous use of a room in 
Taylor Hall Block, for the temporary con - 
venience of the club, and the first regular 
meeting was held there on the 23d day of 
February, 1878. At this meeting the fol- 
lowing question was discussed : " Plaster, 
its uses and the time of appl)ing it." 

The club received numerous acquisitions 
to its membership during the first year of 
its existence, and its intelligent discussions 
of questions of importance to the farmers of 
the county awakened a good degree of in- 
terest. During its life of about si.x years the 



club have invited and been addressed by 
many able men, among whom may be 
named Prof Roberts and Prof Law, of 
Cornell University, Hon. Harris Lewis, 
president of the State Dairymen's Associa- 
tion, Mr. Powell, of Syracuse, James Root, 
of Skaneateles, and others. 

In the membership of the club are many 
men who are both practical and theoretical 
farmers of distinction, who have given their 
best thoughts to the consideration of vari- 
ous important topics, either in carefully 
prepared papers, or in extemporaneous dis- 
cussion. Among the more prominent of 
these we may mention Hon. B. F. Tilling- 
hast, Hon. Stephen Patrick, A. D. Blodgett 
(president of the club since its formation), 
H. P. Goodrich, D. E. Whitmore, Dr. King- 
man (veterinary surgeon), A. B. Benham, Le 
Roy Gillett, A. P. Rowley, T. Mason Loring, 
Charles Taylor, Dr. Jewett, Prof J. H. Hoose, 
A. Sager, Prof. Milne, Robert Purvis, Martin 
Sanders, George Conable, Dr. Gazlay, B. S. 
Conger, M. F. Cleary, and many others. 

The club has met every two weeks since 
its organization, except during the summer 
work season, and has accomplished an 
amount of good that is inestimable. 

The efficiency displayed and the satisfac- 
tion given by the first officers of the club, 
as given above, is testified to by the fact 
that the president and treasurer have held 
their offices ever since their first election ; 
H. P. Goodrich was vice-president for five 
years ; while the secretary's office has been 
filled by C. M. Bean and W. A. Bean since 
the first election. Hon. B. I". Tillinghast is 
now the vice-president. 

The Cortland County Sportsmen's Club. 
— This club was organized and incorporated 
in April, 1866, by J. A. Schermerhorn, J. 

C. Carmichael, J. S. Ormsby, F. E. Knight, 
M. H. Mills, W. R. Randall, D. C. McGraw, 

D. H. Burr, J. B. Fairchild, F. O. Hj-att, V. 
Carpenter and M. Coats. 



I»2 



History of Cortland County. 



The princij)nl objects of the chib were the 
preservation of game and fish in the coun- 
ty, the proper enforcement of the laws 
bearing upon tliat subject, and the general 
elevation of manly sports. In these direc- 
tions the club accomplished excellent re- 
sults, but it was dissolved about two years 



CORTLAND COUNTY BIBLE SOCIETY. 

This socict)' was organized in Cortlaml 
village on the 27th of August, 1816. Its 
first officers were : Rev. Elnathan Walker, 
president ; Elder Alfred Bennett, vice-pres- 
ident ; William Sears, corresponding secre- 
tary ; Jesse Searl, recording secretary ; 
John Keep, treasurer. The society has ac- 
complished much good, more than twenty 
thousand dollars having been contributed 
to the spread of the Bible. 

In the Cortland Observer, printed at Ho- 
mer village, of the date of September 24th, 
1830, we find the following, which is of in- 
terest in this connection : — 

"Anniversary. — The annual meeting of the 
Cortland Auxiliary Bible Society was holden at 
Cortland village on the 21st inst. An apjiropri- 
ate discourse was delivered by Rev. Alfred Ben- 
net. The report of the directors was read by 
the Rev. Luke Lyons, by which it ap[)ears that 
fifty-seven destitute families in the county have 
been supplied by the society since the last an- 
nual meeting, besides fifty bibles which have 
been given to the poor by a generous individual; 
that the county has been nearly supplied; that 
a debt due the parent society has been paid ; 
that $133 remain in the treasury, and that $422 
have been transmitted to the American Society 
on the extra supjjly. . . . The officers chosen for 
the ensuing year are as follows : Rev. Luke Ly- 
ons, president; John Osborn, vice-president; 
Franklin Sherrill, corresponding secretary ; Jesse 
Searl, recording secretary and treasurer. 

" Directors — Rev. John Keep, Rev. Alfred 
Bennet, John Keep, esq., John Hubbard, Dan- 
iel Miller, Lemuel Dady, Rufus Boies, Gideon 
Hoar, Augustus Donnelly, Nathan Dayton, Sam- 



uel B. Hitchcock, Charles Chamberlain, F.lisha 
Grow, Jared Babcock, Asa G. Atwater, Joseph 
L. Clapp." 

The Young Men's Christian Association. 
— This association was organized March 
1 7th, 1 868, with the following charter mem- 
bers : A. F. Tanner, C. W. Collins, H. C. 
Smith, H. F. Benton, R. A. Smith, L. D. 
Garrison, J. A. Todd, J. D. Fredericks, W. 
H. Myers, T. F:. Pomeroy, A. N. Rouns- 
vcll, Lewis Bouton. 

F'ollowing were the first board of officers 
of the association : — 

President — A. F. Tanner. 

Vice-president — H. C. Smith. 

Recording secretary — J. D. Fredericks. 

Corresponding secretary — C. W. Collins. 

Treasurer — R. A. Smith. 

Directors — H. F. Benton, W. H. Myers, 
A. N. Rounsvell. 

The first business meetings of the asso- 
ciation were held in Fireman's Hall, and 
the first devotional meetings in the Squires 
block. Early in 1 869 the association moved 
into rooms in Taylor Hall block, where they 
remained until F\^bruary, 1882, when they 
again moved into the Schermerhorn block, 
and now occupy the entire third floor of 
that block. Four large rooms are used, 
including a parlor, gymnasium, reading 
room and prayer room. 

The present membership, consisting of 
males onl\-, is 130. The rooms contain 
about $200 worth of furniture, and furnish 
about the only attractive place for young 
men to spend their leisure to their profit. 
The rooms are open every day (e.xcept Sun- 
day) from 8 a. m. to 10 p. m. Bible classes, 
gospel and young men's meetings are held. 

The present officers of the association are 
as follows : — 

President — Elmer Bangs. 

Vice-president — Dr. E. B. Nash. 

Recording secretary^ — E. G. Gould. 
General secretary — W. N. P. Dailey. 



Town of Homer. 



183 



Directors — C. F. Brown, E. Jennings, 
C. E. Selover, W, D. Tuttle, B. L. Webb.' 

THE county clerk's office. 

Tlic memory of the old and insignificant 
structure, which served as a place of deposit 
for the valuable county records during a 
period of nearly sixty years, has not yet 
faded away ; indeed, it is perpetuated by 
numerous lithographic prints which have 
been scattered through the county — an 
honor that probably woukl not have been 
paid the old building had its use not been 
prolonged until it actual])' became the 
laughing stock of citizens and strangers. 
But the imperative necessity for a new 
building became at length so pressing that 
in 1873 the Board of Supervisors appointed 
a committee to examine into the subject 
and report. With these initiatory steps Su- 
pervisor Matthias Van Iloesen, of Preble, 
was, perhaps, more prominent!}' identified 
than other member of the board. 

A preliminary report was made to the 
effect that a new clerk's office was needed 
(a self-evident fact), and that one of proper 
size and character could be built for from 
$15,000 to $18,000. The subject rested in 
abej'ance until the next year (1874), when 
another committee was appointed with 
broader powers. Mr. Ilicok, of Homer, 



made a proposition that, as the town of 
Homer would build and present to the 
county a suitable office, it was the duty of 
the board to accept the offer and locate it 
in that village. This proposition (which 
was the last flickering attempt to locate a 
portion of the county buildings in Homer) 
was rejected. 

The last mentioned conmiittee reported, 
in 1875, in favor of the erection of a two- 
story brick structure, fire-proof and to be 
located either on the old site, or on land 
owned by the county just west of the court- 
house; the building to cost about $17,000. 
In December, 1875, the location was defi- 
nitely fixed on the old site and proposals for 
the building were solicited. The bid of L. 
G. Viele was accepted by the building com- 
mittee of the supervisors (composed of M. 
'Van Hoesen, W. A. Bentlcy and D. Mc- 
Graw) and the present handsome and con- 
venient structure was erected. It was ready 
for occupancy in February, 1877, and the 
contents of the old building (which had 
been temporarily deposited elsewhere), were 
rearranged under the supervision of Deputy 
Howard J. Harrington and placed on file 
in excellent order. R. W. Bourne is the 
present county clerk, and Howard J. Har- 
rington, who has been in the office for about 
sixteen years, is deputy. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF HOMER. 



THE town of Homer embraces a part of 
the original township No. 19 of the Mil- 
itary Tract (Homer) and lies on the western 
border and just north of the center of the 
county. It is bounded on the north by the 

1 This account of the Y. M. C. .V. was UiiuUy fuinished 
by the general secretary. 



towns of Preble and Scott ; on the east by 
Truxton and Solon ; on the south by Cort- 
landville, and on the west by Cayuga county. 
The siu'face of the town is broken by the 
east and west branches of the Tioughnioga 
river and its two tributaries. Cold brook and 
Factory brook. The western part of the town 



1 84 



History of Cortland County. 



consists of an elevated upland, rising to the 
lieight of fifteen hundred to sixteen hun- 
dred feet above tlic tide. The valley of the 
western branch of the Tioughnioga in the 
town is of nearh' an a\erage width of a mile, 
and is elevated one thousand and ninety-six 
feet above tide. The eastern valley is much 
narrower. A ridge of hills lies between these 
two valleys, ranging from two to five hun- 
dred feet in height above the Tioughnioga, 
and a similar ridge occupies the southwest 
corner of the town. 

The soil of the river valleys is a deep, rich 
alluvial and dark loam, which is well adapted 
to tillage. On the hills it is a sandy or grav- 
elly loam, better adapted for pasturage. 

The township of Homer, when erected in 
1794, and down to the year 1829, embraced 
the present town of Cortlandville. Prior to 
the year 1791, when Amos Todd and Jo- 
seph Beebe explored this beautiful valley, the 
territory now comprised within the bounda- 
ries of the town of Homer, as well as the sur- 
rounding vicinity, was known to the whites 
only on maps and charts, and though con- 
stituting a part of the State of New York, 
was considered, chiefly on account of its lo- 
cation, of but minor importance to settlers. 
Previous to its settlement by Todd and 
Beebe there was but a legendar}- history 
of the localit}', consisting of reminiscences 
treasured in the mcmor}' of the scattered 
remnants of the Indian tribes who had oc- 
cupied the banks of the Chenango and the 
Tioughnioga^ rivers. The natural beauty 
of hill, dale and valley in this region, with 
the material advantages surrounding, soon, 
however, attracted other eyes than those of 
the red man, which led to the beginning of 
settlement on the site of the present quiet, 
rural village of Homer,^ whose spires and 

1 The name of the Tioughnioga, in the Indian lan- 
guage, was O-nan-no-gi-is-ka, signifying " .shagbark, " or 
hickory. 

^llonicr was called liy the Indians, " Te-wis-ta-no- 
ont-sa-ne-ha," signifying, " the place of tlie silversmith." 



domes lend additional attractiveness to the 
valley. 

To record the events in the lives and early 
settlements of those hardy adventurers who 
first located on the banks of the Tiough- 
nioga, or reared their cabins on the hill- 
sides, is in part the task before us. Fortu- 
nately some records were kept of early 
events in this region, at a time w'hen they 
were available and could receive verification. 
There also remain here and there the aged 
resident, whose memory reaches back to 
early days and whose co-operation has en- 
abled us to give the principal facts connected 
with the history of this and other towns.^ 

The first settlers in the town of Homer, 
as they were also of the county, were Amos 
Todd and Joseph Beebe, the latter's wife 
Rhoda, and John Miller, whose experiences 
will be given a little farther on. In the 
spring of 1792 Mr. Miller, after a visit 
home, rcttirncd with John House, James 
Matthews, James Moore and Daniel Miller. 

In 1793 Darius Kinney, Roderick Owen, 
John Ballard and Captain David Russell 
came into the town. In 1794 Jonathan 
Hubbard and Moses Hopkins (who located 
in the present town of Cortland) came in, 
and were followed in 1795 by Thomas L. 
and Jacob Bishop, Thomas Wilcox, Zebu- 
Ion Keene, John Stone, Joshua Atwater, 
Libeus Andrews, John Keep, Solomon and 
John Hubbard, Thomas G., Ebenezer and 
Charles Alvord. 

In 1797 Joshua Ballard, John Albright, 
Asa White and Caleb Keep came into the 
town, and in 1798 considerable accession 
was made to the population, by persons set- 

1 It is worthy of mention that the people of Homer 
have always been noted for their patriotism to their coun- 
try, their religious character and their longevity; there 
still reside here a number of early settlers who have 
passed through the different stages of the history of the 
town, to its present conditiim of growth and prosperity ; 
to them we are indebtecrfor valuable assistance, and espe- 
cially to Charles Kingsbury, Hosea Sprague, Thomas U. 
Chollar, and others. 



Town of Homer. 



185 



tling in various parts of the territory, but 
more especially along the borders of the 
cast and west branches of the river. While 
the names of all who came in after this date 
cannot probably be given, we can mention 
the following : Stephen Knapp, Daniel, 
Samuel and Gideon Hobart, Titus Stcbbins, 
Samuel Hotchkiss, Dr. Lewis S. Owen, Dea- 
con Noah Hitchcock, Zenas Lilly, Timothy 
Treat, Enos Stimson, William Lucas, Asahel 
Miner, Col. Benajah Tubbs, John and Rich- 
ard Bishop. 1 These pioneers all came into 
the town prior to 1800, and constituted the 
beginning of the new settlement. They 
were the men who suffered many and great 
hardships, privations and inconveniences 
while subduing the wilderness, all the de- 
tails of which it is impossible at this late 
day to obtain. Those who followed during 
the first quarter of the nineteenth century 
also endured privations and made sacrifices 
that are little realized at the present day. 
They all possessed aggressive spirits and 
labored not for themselves alone, but for 
their children and future generations as well. 
For this life and purpose they abandoned 
the hearthstones of their boyhood days, the 
endearments of social ties, cultivated asso- 
ciations and the many luxuries common to 
older settlements. 

The forefathers of Homer could have been 
none other than men of enterprise, with pos- 
itive characters and unfaltering determina- 
tion, to have attained so high a degree of 
success in their eflbrts for the extension of 
civilization into what was then an unknown 
wilderness. 

Amos Todd and Joseph Beebe, whose 
advent into the old town of Homer has been 
already alluded to, migrated from New 
Haven, Conn., and located at Windsor, 
Broome county, N. Y., during the year 

* Several of these i)ioneers settled within tlie |ii'eseiit 
limits of Coitl.aiulville and becime identilied with tl\.it lo- 
cility. See history of thai town. 



1789. They explored the valley of the 
Tioughnioga in the summer of 1790 and in 
1 791 left Windsor to become the first settlers 
in Cortland county and, probably, in the 
town of Homer. They were accompanied 
by Mr. Beebe's wife, Rhoda, who was 
Todd's sister. The current narrative of 
the early experiences of these pioneers, as 
it has often been told and written, is as fol- 
lows : — 

Coming up the valley from the southward 
they selected the site for their primitive 
home just north of the present village of 
Homer, within a few rods of the bridge 
across the Tioughnioga, and nearly opposite 
the residence occupied in later years by 
Erastus Goodell. Their rude dwelling was 
composed mainly of poles and was, perhaps, 
twelve by fifteen feet in its dimensions. 
Before this temporary abode was finished 
their team strayed away into the forest. 
Leaving Mrs. Beebe alone, the two men set 
out in pursuit of the animals. Without any 
protection other than the four walls of her 
unsubstantial cabin, which was yet without 
roof or floor, and with no door save simply 
a blanket hung upon the poles to cover the 
opening, the brave woman remained alone 
three davs and nights. Durinsj these lone:, 
lonely hours she is said to have retained a 
tranquil mind and received no annoyance 
save such as was caused by the howling 
wolves and occasional screaming panther, 
which at that time often made the nights 
hideous. She received but one call during 
the time the men were absent, and that was 
by a wolf which, being rather timid, only 
displaced the blanket door sufficiently to in- 
troduce his nose and take a survej' of the 
apartment and the shrinking woman. 

A severer trial, however, awaited this 
pioneer woman. During the following 
winter her brother and husband were com- 
pelled to return to Wintlsor for their house- 
hold effects, etc. At the end of their jour- 



1 86 



History of Cortland County. 



ney they were snow bound for a period of 
six weeks, during which time Mrs. ]?eebe 
remained in her lonely wilderness home, the 
sole occupant of the forest and her "palace 
of poles." She must have been blessed 
with far more tlian ordinary courage and 
fortitude or she could never have lain calmly 
down in a dense forest, night after night, 
many miles distant from any human habi- 
tation, to rest by the lullabys of the wolves 
and jianthcrs. Mrs. Becbe is said to luu'e 
been tluis situated, and it was not until the 
middle of the winter that her husband and 
brother pushed their frail craft to Bingham- 
ton, where they were joined b)- John Mil- 
ler, father of the afterward well known dea- 
con Daniel Miller. The little canoe was 
again pushed from shore and on their way 
homeward up the river "the men took 
turns in directing its course and removing 
obstacles, or following on foot and driviu"- 
the cattle." Sometimes the stream was 
found too shallow and the boat was drawn 
across the rift by o.xen and then again set 
afloat. Time, which is the author of all 
changes in human aftains, at last brought 
the pioneers near to their wilderness home. 
The imagination of the reader can best de- 
pict the meeting of the two men with the 
brave and lonely wife and sister. So runs, 
in substance, the narrative of the first set- 
tlement of this town. 

Unfortunately for the authors and cir- 
culators of this interesting story, there is a 
somewhat different version of it given upon 
undoubted authority (that of Mr. Charles 
Kingsbury, of Homer) which it is our duty 
to reproduce. Mr. Kingsbury has written 
and published many reminiscences of earlj' 
times, and of the account of the winter jour- 
ney of the three men from ]5roonie county, 
says: "Now, it strikes me as being singu 
lar that those first settlers should pull from 
shore in midwinter and be able to propel 
their frail craft, not only against the current 



of the stream ; but the winter must have 
been of a much milder type than modern 
winters, or the stream would have been 
filled with hea\'y ice which, of course, would 
have seriously obstructed the navigation. 
It appears that this story lacks confirma- 
tion." These are Mr. Kingsbury's own 
words, aiul the narrati\e as best substan- 
tiated to him is to the effect that " Mr. and 
Mrs. Bcebe and Mr. Todd, a brother-in-law 
of Beebe, and at that time unmarried, came 
up the river in a boat from Windsor and 
landed on the west bank about midway be- 
tween the present Port Watson bridge and 
the point where the two branches of the 
river unite.i There they constructed a 
temporary cabin of a few logs, but mostly 
of poles, and the men returned to W'indsor 
for provisions and such articles as they could 
bring back, and which their circumstances 
imperatively demanded. It has been as- 
serted almost times without number, that 
Mrs. Beebe remained alone during their ab- 
sence ; but it now appears upon good au- 
thority that she had a daughter named 
Clara, who remained with her. For some 
cause, at present unknown, the men were 
detained much longer than they expected 
to be ; even more than twice the length of 
time they had marked out had already 
passed. Mrs. Beebe's small stock of pro- 
visions was exhausted, and she was reduced 
to the necessity of resorting to roots and 
the barks of trees to appease their hunger 
and sustain life. At length she came to 
the conclusion that some serious misfortune 
had befallen her husband and brother, and 
that some decided effort was necessary on 
her part ; the only alternative which pre- 
sented itself, which appeared at all feasible, 
was to make the journey down the river 
through the forest on foot. This bold res- 
olution she finally adopted, although well 

'This would locate their first settlement within the 

present boundaries uf Cortlandville. 



Town of Homer. 



187 



aware that the woods were inhabited by 
wild animals, many of which were fierce 
and dangerous. She hoped by keeping near 
to the stream, to avoid the danger of being 
lost in the woods, and thus by patient and 
persevering effort, she would at length suc- 
ceed in emerging from the forest and dis- 
covering a settlement. The day for begin- 
ning the journey was fixed, the small means 
she possessed were in readiness, when, some- 
time in the night preceding her start, upon 
looking out of her cabin, she discovered a 
light some distance down the river. This was 
something so unusual that it created much 
interest in her mind, and, watching it closely, 
she saw it was approaching. In a little 
time it drew near and with it her iiusband 
and brother, with a stock of provisions and 
other goods which they so much needed." 

This cabin was their temporary residence 
during the time the men were engaged in 
building a log house, on the farm upon 
which Mr. Beebe located, west of Homer 
village, on lot 43, on the south side of the 
road formerly known as "the turnpike." 
Here the Beebes spent the remainder of 
their lives, Mrs. Beebe dying in 1830 and 
her husband in 1802. An old-fashioned 
headstone marks their graves, in what is 
now Glenwood Cemetery. Like a majority 
of the early settlers, Mr. and Mrs. Beebe 
were very worthy people. We find their 
names among the earliest members of the 
first Baptist Church society of Homer. 

Mr. Todd subsequently settled on the 
form adjoining Mr. Beebe's on the east, 
where himself and his wife passed their lives. 
They were also worthy and respected mem- 
bers of the community. Both of these fam- 
ilies reared a number of children, all of 
whom removed from the town. Harry S. 
Beebe, son of Joseph, succeeded his father 
on the farm, but subsequently removed to 
the State of Pennsylvania, where he died 
several years ago. 



This last account of the first settlement 
in this count}' is undoubtedly reliable and 
correct, in the main, as we have it directly 
from one who is, probably, the oldest na- 
tive citizen now living in the old town of 
Homer, to whom Mrs. Beebe herself related 
the circumstances; going with him to the 
spot upon which their first cabin was built, 
which she was enabled to recognize by a 
spring of water issuing from the ground near 
to and in a certain direction from the loca- 
tion of the cabin. The land on which the 
dwelling was built was owned and occupied 
in later years by Samuel Hotchkiss. 

This last account of the first setdement 
in the county by white persons becomes of 
considerable importance when we consider 
its authenticit)-, its bearing upon the most 
prominent of the early experiences of the 
pioneers, and the fact that it removes the 
first settlement from the town of Homer to 
a point within the present boundaries of 
the town of Cortlandville. 

As we have before stated, John Miller 
accompanied Todd and Beebe on their sec- 
ond journey up the Tioughnioga river and 
in the spring of the year, 1792, brought to 
the town of Homer his wife and two sons ; 
they came from the State of New Jersey and 
constituted the third family in the town ; 
although John House, James Mathews and 
James Moore accompanied him on his re- 
turn from his former home in the spring of 
the year last named. It appears by an old 
record that the Miller family formerly re- 
sided in the State of Maryland, about fifty 
miles west of Baltimore ; but at what time 
is not known ; nor is the place in New Jer- 
sey, from which he is said to have migrated 
to this county, known at this time, as far as 
we have been able to learn. He settled on 
lot 56, now embraced in the town of Cort- 
landville, and further reference to the family 
will be found in the history of that town. 

John House, James Mathews and James 



i88 



History of Cortland County. 



Moore, wlio came into the town witli the 
Millers, were from Binghamton ; they 
camped at the forks of the river, where their 
wives reniainetl while the pioneers went 
forward and erected cabins for their tempo- 
rary homes. " Mr. Mathews built on the 
upper end of Mr. Miller's lot (56). Mr. 
House about eight rods west of where Eb- 
enczer Cole afterward lived. Mr. Moore 
near the bridge just south of the cotton fac- 
tory."' 

Darius Kinney came into the town from 
Brimfield (from which Massachusetts town 
very many of the early settlers in this sec- 
tion migrated), and located in 1793 on the 
East river. Mrs. Kinney was a sister of 
the wife of Judge Keep. Mr. Kinney re- 
sided on that farm about four years, and 
near the dwelling of Judge Keep on the 
site of the present county poor-house. Mr. 
Kinney then disposed of his farm and pur- 
chased another in tlie valley of the west 
branch of the river, since owned by Abel 
Kinney (now owned by a Mr. Gallup), 
where he died in 1S16. Mrs. Kinney sur- 
vived her husband something more than 
twenty- five years and was one of the little 
band that constituted the first Congrega- 
tional Church in Homer, in October, 1801 ; 
at the time of her death she was the last of 
the little company. 

The Ballard family came from Holland, 
Mass. John located on the east side of the 
Tioughnioga, and three years later settled 
on the farm subsequently owned by Paris 
Barber. It was owned at that time by 
Capt. David Russell, who had erected a 
double log house near the northwest corner 
of Mr. Barber's orchard. 

During the year 1795 several small com- 
panies came in by way of Manlius and 
Truxton. Thomas L. and Jacob Bishop, 
from Brimfield, located on lot 25, on lands 
afterward owned by Noah Hitchcock, now 

KiooiUvin's I/istoiy. 



occupied by his son, Dwight Hitchcock. 
The farm was known in early days as the 
Vanderlyn farm. Thomas Wilco.x came 
from Whitestown, N. Y., and located on 
lot 64, where Joshua IkiUard afterwards 
lived. Zebulon Keene located on the farm 

afterward owned by Mr. Sheffield. 

John Stone, from Brimfield, settled on lot 
25, on what was subsequently known as the 
Albert Baker farm. Joshua Atwater located 
on lot 13, northwest of the village; Ezra 
and Joseph Atwater were his sons. 

Solomon and John Hubbard, brothers, 
came from Massachusetts in 1795 or '96; 
the former settled on lot 25 and the latter 
on lot 26, a little north from the present 
village. These men were active, intelligent 
citizens and their eftorts in \arious direc- 
tions for the good of the community became 
in after j'ears important and influential. 
Solomon Hubbard's residence, when origi- 
nally erected, was looked upon as one of 
the largest and most pretentious in the 
county. 

Thomas G., Ebenezer and Charles Al- 
vord came in from Farmington, Conn., in 
1795 or '96, and settled in the northwest 
part of the town on lot No. 13. The form- 
er, however, drew lot 56. When he reached 
Manlius on his journey into the county he 
was met by two "land-sharks," who, on 
learning the number of the lot on which the 
old hero was intending to settle, coolly in- 
formed him that they had been to Homer 
and that they were well acquainted with 
'■• the position of his land, and would assure 
him that it was of very little value, was wet, 
the greater part of it being covered with 
water. By virtue of plausible lies of this 
character they induced him to part with 
six luindi-ed acres of most \'aluable land for 
a few dollars. 

In 1795 luion Phelps emigrated from 
Morristown, N. J., and settled on the north- 
east corner of lot 50 in the extreme south- 



Town of Homer. 



189 



east corner of the present town of Homer ; 
there, on the hill adjoining the town of 
Solon, he located on a hundred acres of 
land which he had bought of George Clin- 
ton. It is believed that Mr. Cilnton drew 
this lot as bountj' land for services rendered 
in the army. The location of Mr. Phelps 
was about three miles from the valley, be- 
tween which points there was at that time, 
of course, no road. Mr. Miller, on lot 56, 
(where T. Mason Loring now resides) was 
desirous of opening better means of com- 
munication with his neighbor Phelps ; he 
accordingly started for the purpose of locat- 
ing a road by "blazing" trees — making 
what was early called a bridle-path. Leav- 
ing the valley, he proceeded, as he sup 
posed, in the direction of Mr. Phelps's 
house ; he made good progress, finding the 
route a very feasible one. Pushing on as 
fast as the bru.sh and his labor marking the 
trees would admit, he finally emerged from 
the forest into a clearing. His astonish- 
ment may be imagined on finding himself 
not more than half a mile in a southeasterly 
direction from the place where he left the 
valley, and but a short distance from the 
ground now occupied as a burying-ground. 
He made a second attempt, but again failed 
utterly. Procuring a compass, his third ef- 
fort at road making was successful. ^ 

William W. Phelps was a son of Enon 
Phelps and a printer by trade. He was at 
one time connected with one of the county 
Democratic papers, but subsequently re- 
moved to the western part of the State, 

1 This is by no means an isolaled instance of the kind. 
Most old settlers will remember similar experiences on 
either their own part or that of their neighliors. It has 
been often proved that it is an absolute impossibility for 
a person unacquainted with woodcraft to follow any point 
of the compass through a thick forest ; he may do it liy 
chance, but as an intention the probabilities are all against 
his success. On the other hand, the Indian, by some 
power that is difficult of comprehension l.iy civilized man, 
finds no trouble in going miles through an impenetrable 
forest direct to a distant point, and seldom or never err- 
ing. Instinct, as it is called, often seems to baffle reason. 



where he became a leader among the 
Mormons, then located in that section, and 
printed their bible. Later still he returned 
to Homer and baptized his father, mother 
and brother. Enon Phelps cleared up his 
land and planted the first apple orchard in 
the town. 

Joshua Ballard came from Holland, Mass., 
in 1797, and selected a location on lot 45. 
He was twenty-one years old at that time. 
During the next year he returned to his 
native State and brought back with him his 
young and interesting wife. They came 
by the way of Cazcnovia into the town of 
Homer on horseback. Mr. Ballard taught 
the first school in the old town and gave 
valuable aid to the Cortland Academy, be- 
ing one of its founders and most prominent 
supporters. He was appointed sheriff on 
the lOth of April, 18 10; was a member of 
the Legislature of 1816; was appointed 
county clerk in July, 18 19, soon after which 
he removed into the boundaries of the pres- 
ent town of Cortlandville. 

In 1798 Daniel Crandall came to Homer 
and worked for Judge Keep, chopping the 
timber and clearing ten acres of land on 
the site of the county poor-house farm. 
He was a native of Voluntown, Windham 
county. Conn. He came in alone and it is 
believed he made the entire journey on 
foot. Late in the season after his arrival 
he was seriously wounded by an axe cut in 
his foot, which made it impossible to con- 
tinue his labor in the woods. Under these 
circumstances he collected a few tools and 
began the business of "cobbling" in Judge 
Keep's house. Here he was permitted to 
occupy a small space in one corner of the 
family room, which was not a large one, 
and contained a bed, a loom and other do- 
mestic furniture, for the use of which and 
his board he ga\'e the judge one day's work 
in each week. He soon became sufficiently 
expert in his new avocation to begin mak- 



190 



History of Cortland County. 



ing boots and shoes, and so spent tlie win- 
ter in industry. It is quite probable that 
this was the first nmnufacturing of any 
kind, other tlian spinnint^ and weaving, car- 
ried on in the county. Mr. Crandall sub- 
sequently returned to Connecticut, and in 
the winter of 1 799-1 800 was married and 
rcmoxed with his wife back to Homer; the)' 
made the journey with an ox team, crossed 
the Hudson river on the ice, opening and 
breaking his own road a ])ortion of the dis- 
tance, and being twenty-one days on the 
way. He afterwards helped to chop the 
trees from the ground now occupied by the 
" green " in Homer village, and also to 
build the structure there for school and re- 
ligious purposes. He purchased fifty acres 
of land on lot 38, which included the site 
of the East River Mills, where he built a 
log-house; he moved into it when it was 
without a door and the gables were open, 
and kept his oxen, a cow and a calf through 
the first winter on "browse." The wolves 
attempted to kill the calf, but, strange to 
relate, the cow and oxen fought desperately 
in the feeble animal's defense and came off 
victorious. Captain Crandall built the first 
saw-mill at East River, and subsequently, 
in compan)- with Samuel Griggs, erected 
the first grist-mill at that point. He was 
one of the sixteen persons who constituted 
the first Baptist Church society in Homer. 
In the pioneer days Mr. and Mrs. Cran- 
dall were in the habit of walking to the 
house of Judge Keep 'for the purpose of 
attending meeting, that being the place 
where, for some years, religious and other 
public gatherings were held, Mr. Crandall 
carrying their first-born child in his arms. 
On one of these occasions the)' had pro- 
ceeded about half a mile, when they came 
into a small opening in the forest where the 
water bubbled in several springs from the 
ground and formed a little rivulet. Here 
they suddenly encountered a large bear, 



deeply engaged in digging roots from the 
soft ground for her cubs ; the bear, being 
a mother and suddenly surprised, instantly 
reared on her haunches and for a few mo- 
ments intently surveyed her enemies. It 
was a critical time ; Mr. and Mrs. Crandall 
confidently expected an attack, and that at 
the next moment they might be clasped in 
the too ardent embrace of the animal and 
their flesh be torn by her teeth. But after 
a few moments, when her curiosity was 
apparently satisfied, the bear turned and 
disappeared in the forest, to the great relief 
of the church-goers. 

In 1797 John Albright located on lot 29. 
He was an excellent citizen, respected by 
his friends, and his experience was of a very 
interesting character. He passed through 
much of the severest service in the Revolu- 
tionary War, faithfully and honorably serv- 
ing his country. He was of Swiss parent- 
age and early in life followed the tailoring 
business ; but he did not like the work to 
which he was apprenticed, and the son of 
his foster-parent having been drafted, young 
Albright saw an opportunity of escape from 
his irksome position by taking the place of 
the drafted son in the colonial service, sur- 
rendering his indentures to the tailor's trade. 
After his enlistment he was ordered to Fort 
Montgomery, Orange county, where he was 
stationed during the siege. He was after- 
wards engaged in the defense of Fort Stan- 
wix, and was subsequenth' captured by To- 
ries and Indians and taken as a prisoner to 
Canada. Afterwards he was a participant 
in the terrible march of the Continental 
army from Philadelphia to Valle)' Forge, 
where they could have been tracked upon 
the frozen ground b)- their bleeding feet. 
Finally he was in the siege of Yorktown, 
which ended in the capitulation of Corn- 
wallis. For his services to his countr)- he 
drew the military bount)- lot on which he 
located. 



Town of Homer. 



191 



Daniel Todd, brother of Amos Todd, lo- 
cated on a farm lying directly south of Mr. 
Beebc's. It is now known as the Bedell 
farm. Titus Stebbins settled immediately 
south of Amos Todd prior to the year 1800, 
and Chester Boies located to the north of 
Stebbins, where he was succeeded by Bildad 
Hotchkiss. The latter was succeeded on 
this farm by Samuel Bunn ; it is at present 
owned b}- his widow and children. Mr. Bunn 
gained the reputation of being an honest, 
upright and respected member of the com- 
munity. A short distance to the east and 
adjoining his farm was that of Pliny Polly, 
the first settler on that farm. One of his 
daughters became the wife of Charles Todd, 
son of Daniel Todd ; another the wife of A. 
Harris, of Little York, and another married 
a son of Dr. Carpenter, of East River ; he 
removed to the west. 

Asa White and Caleb Keep came from 
Monson, Mass., before 1798. The former 
located on lot 45, within the present limits 
of the village, and built his house on the 
grounds so long occupied in subsequent 
years by the residence of Jedediah Barber. 
He was the father of Horace and Hamilton 
White, afterwards bankers in Syracuse. He, 
in company with John Keep and Solomon 
Hubbard, built the first grist-mill in the 
county, in 1798, on the site of the present 
mill near the northern end of the village. 

Other considerable accessions were made 
to the population during the year 1798, 
many of whom settled along the two 
branches of the river. Stephen Knapp came 
in with his brother-in-law from Goshen, 
Orange Co., N. Y., to make explorations. 
Knapp's father had been killed in the War 
of the Revolution, leaving him to make his 
own way in the world ; for this laudable 
purpose he sought the wilderness country 
and purchased a large tract of land. Re- 
turning to Goshen he made preparations to 
permanently remove to his new possessions ; 



but he was delayed until the year 1798. He 
came in by the way of Poughkeepsie, Kings- 
ton, the head waters of Schoharie county; 
followed down the river to Prattsville ; 
thence to Harpersfield, crossing at Wattles's 
ferry ; thence to Oxford ; thence to Solon, 
w here he took the Salt Road about two miles 
to 'Squire Bingham's ; thence over the hills 
to Judge Keep's and thence to the house of 
John Ballard, where he remained some time. 
One hundred acres of the land bought by 
Mr. Knapp, which afterward constituted the 
homestead, was a portion of what is now 
the cemetery grounds. His house, a simple 
log cabin, stood where the "tool house" 
of the cemeter}' is now located. Two hun- 
dred acres were below the village and within 
the present boundaries of Cortlandville (on 
lot 55) on both sides of the river, and two 
hundred acres on lot 85, also in the town of 
Cortlandville. During the following winter 
after Mr. Knapp's location his mother, Hes- 
ter Knapp, with her family consisting of Ste- 
phen, Daniel, James, Nathaniel and two 
daughters, Polly and Sally, came in over the 
route as above given. Stephen Knapp be- 
came a man of prominence and energy ; one 
whose influence in bringing the wilderness 
under civilizing influence was permanent and 
important. During the earlier years of his 
life in Homer the broad valley of the Ti- 
oughnioga was covered with a dense forest, 
and it was easier for him to reach the lands 
on his lower tracts by following down the 
bed of the stream, than by making a jour- 
ney through the wood. Mr. Knapp mar- 
ried Abigail Treat, and was the grandfather 
of William O. Bunn, late editor of the Ho- 
mer Republican, and deputy U. S. Internal 
Revenue collector, with headquarters at 
Syracuse. Mr. Knapp lived to the vener- 
able age of eighty-four years, sixty-six of 
which were passed in the town of Homer. 

Daniel Knapp, older brother of Stephen, 
erected a dwelling house on the north part 



192 



History of Cortland County. 



of the farm aiul iiL-ar tlic four corners of the 
road at the cemetery, which he opened af- 
terward as a tavern and kept it as such for 
several years. The succeeding residents of 
this farm were Chauncey Keep, Mr. Dick- 
son, and General Martin Keep, who bought 
the property about 1824 and resided there 
ten years, removing to Tompkins county. 
The farm has since been owned by Walter 
Jewett, and by Paris Barber, who sold the 
grounds of the cemetery to the association. 
With the exception of twenty acres on the 
east side of the road, the farm is now and 
has been for some time owned by Henry 
Dennison. 

A short distance up the river on the op- 
posite side of the stream and near the foot 
of the hill is the location where Stephen 
Knapp resided for some years, now owned 
by Andrew Kingsbury. Aaron Knapp 
settled south of his brother Daniel, on the 
farm now owned by Allen Smith. 

Enos Stimson was from Monson, Mass., 
and settled on the site of the well known 
Schermerhorn residence in Homer village. 
He built a small house and hung out a tav- 
ern sign ; but he was compelled to send his 
wife and children away the following spring, 
on account of the ravages of the small-pox. 
They sojourned at the house of Aaron 
Knapp, where they were vaccinated. An 
incident occurred during the absence of 
Mrs. Stimson, which shows what a strong 
appetite the Indian had acquired for the 
white man's "fire-water." Twelve Onon- 
daga Indians called one evening at Mr. 
Stimson 's inn, where they drank freely, and 
became exceedingly hilarious. Demanding 
more liquor, it was refused by the landlord ; 
but they were not at all disposed to depart 
until their now raging desires were grat- 
ified. They became threatening in their at- 
titude, and prepared to attack Mr. Stimson, 
who was compelled to seek safety up the 
the stairs, pulling the ladder after him. 



The field was now clear, and it was but a 
few moments before the bottles and decant- 
ers were emptied of their contents down 
the capacious throats of the red drunkards. 
A bacchanalian revel followed. In the 
midst of it, and after vainly searching for 
more jugs to empty, an old sachem found 
a bottle half filled with " picra," from which 
he took a liberal drink ; passing it on to a 
young chief, he swallowed the whole of its 
contents. The effect was pitiful and at the 
same time decidedly comical. The two 
sickened Indians felt sure they were pois- 
oned to death ; and, indeed, there was dan- 
ger of such a result. At this juncture, while 
some of the party were guarding the hole 
through which Mr. Stimson had disappeared 
into the upper regions, and others were 
bending over the supposed dying Indians, 
another one, who was in that glorious con- 
dition of uncertainty which might be ex- 
pected under the circumstances, rushed 
hurriedly out of the door, and, mistaking 
the side of the well curb for a yard fence, 
gave a leap, and the next instant was at the 
bottom of the well. This method of dilut- 
ing the spirits he had swallowed did not 
please the old warrior, and he yelled and 
cursed with all the ardor and variations of 
which the language was capable ; but there 
was too much of similar amusement going 
on in-doors to make it possible for his com- 
panions to hear him for some time. When 
assistance finally came he was drawn out of 
the well with blankets, a wetter and a 
wiser savage. With the coming of morn- 
ing, and the disappearance of the entire 
stock of liquor, the Indians regained their 
reason, and the besieged landlord was per- 
mitted to descend to his proper sphere. 

The Hobart family, consisting of the two 
brothers, Daniel and Samuel, were from 
Monson, Mass.; Daniel located on lot 43, 
west of the village ; Samuel on lots 1 5 and 
16, between the village and Little York. 



Town of Homer. 



193 



Gideon settled witli his father, and remained 
on the same farm until his death in 1857. 

Titus Stebbins came from the same town 
and settled on lot 43. It is now occupied 
by his son-in-law. Lyman Hubbard. 

Samuel Hotchkiss came from New Haven, 
Conn., in ijyS ; located on lot 44. He be 
came a prominent citizen, attainintj a most 
enviable position in the community. He 
was county clerk several terms between 
1822 and 1843, and was given other posi- 
tions of trust. George Eldridge now occu- 
pies this farm. 

Noah Hitchcock, before mentioned, came 
in from Brimfield, and located on lot 25, 
north of the \-illage. He became one of 
the leading farmers of the count}', and a 
respected citizen. 

Zenas Lilly was an early resident whose 
life was closely identified with the growth 
of the town. He was also from Brimfield, 
and first located on lot 33, where he re- 
mained about twelve years, when he sold 
out and settled on "Factory Hill." Some 
years later he disposed of his property and 
settled in Lenox, but he subsequently re- 
turned to Homer and located on lots 34—5. 

Timothy Treat was from Berkshire, Mass., 
and settled about eighty rods north of the 
later residence of John Barker, subsequent- 
ly owned by Mr. Bowen. He had a family 
of eight children, one daughter becoming 
the wife of Stephen Knapp. 

William Lucas and Asahel Miner were 
from Woodbury, Conn. The former locat- 
ed on lot 35, and became a prominent and 
valuable citizen. His children removed to 
the State of Ohio. Mr. Miner settled on 
the farm afterward occupied by Lucas 
Welch, and was the first sheriff of the coun- 
ty. His son, Martin Miner, was long a 
prominent citizen of Cortland village. 

Colonel Benajah Tubbs came from Wash- 
ington county, and located on the site where 
George W. Phillips's store afterward stood. 



He was one of the early merchants, and 
continued in business for many years. 

Dr. Lewis S. Owen came from Alban\-, 
and located on lot 66. After remaining 
there three years he removed to Homer 
village, and erecteil a house on tlie site 
of the present residence of George Murra\', 
where Dr. Robert Owen li\'cd for some 
years. 

After the year 1800 the town began to 
fill up with settlers at a more rapid rate. 
Those who had already made homes for 
themselves were gradually clearing their 
farms and homesteads, and surrounding 
themselves with such evidences of civiliza- 
tion and comfort as were available, making 
it more attractive to future prospectors. 
It is manifestly impossible, even if it were 
desirable, to name and locate all the set- 
tlers of the town from the beginning of the 
century down ; a few of the more prom- 
inent may, however, be briefly referred to. 

E]3hraim P. Sumner came in from Con- 
necticut in 1800, and located on lot 47, 
where his son of the same name now lives. 
He purchased two hundred acres, and died 
in 1843. His wife died in 1840. 

Noah Carpenter came in from Pomfret, 
Windham county, Connecticut, and located 
on lot 16, north of the village. His son, 
Asaph H. Carpenter, was born during the 
journey of his parents from the East. He 
lived on the parental homestead until his 
death recently. Francis B. Carpenter, one 
of the eminent artists of the country, and a 
resident of New York city, is a son of A. 
H. Carpenter. 

Thomas, Nathan and Samuel Stone were 
from Brimfield, and located on lot 46. 

Levi Phillips came in with his brother 
Waterman (who settled in the town of Cort- 
landvillc), and located on lot 16; he came 
with an ox team from Connecticut, bought 
fifty acres, and subsequently added ninety- 
seven more. He died in 1845 and his 

13 



194 



History of Cortj.and County. 



witidw in 1850; Iiis son, Orcii, long occu- 
pied tile homestead. 

In the \xar 1801 several additional set- 
tlements were made. Among them was 
that of Seth Keep, who came from Massa- 
chusetts originalh', but migrated to Homer 
from Vermont, locating on the northeast 
corner of lot ^^. 

Gad Hitchcock was from Monson, Mass.; 
his son, Horace Hitchcock, was for many 
years a respected citizen of the village. 

John Coats located near the site of the 
Congregational Church in 1802. 

In the same year Thomas ChoUar came 
frcjm Windham, Conn., and remained in the 
town about three years, during which time 
he made explorations in various parts of the 
surrounding country, informing himself 
thoroughh- upon the soil and other pecul- 
iarities of the region. In the latter part of 
1804 he selected a location on lot 17, upon 
which he settled in 1809. Mr. Chollar was 
a prominent citizen; he was the father of 
Thomas D. Chollar, who now lives in Ho- 
mer village. 

Rev. Alfred Bennett came into the town 
in 1803, and settled on the farm now owned 
by Nicholas Starr ; he soon after entered 
the ministr\', and became a noted and suc- 
cessful divine. His church work will be 
referred to hereafter. 

In this )'ear, also, Jacob Sanders, Levi 
Howen and Klijah Pierce settled in the town. 
Mr. Sanders was from Swansey, Mass., 
and located on lot 56 (now Cortlandville). 
Levi Bowen settled on lot 7, near Little 
York, coming here from Wiiodstock, Conn. 
He died in 1832, lea\'ing eight chiklren. 
Mr. Pierce was from Brimfield. 

Moses Butterfield came from Canterbury, 
Conn., in 1803, and located about a half mile 
in a northeasterly direction from the Miller 
farm at East River, and on the same side of 
the stream ; it was on lot 47, and where 
Charles Kingsbury now resides. In the 



s])ring of that \-ear he built a house on the 
lot, and planted a small piece of corn on a 
s])ot which was supposed to have been cut 
and cleared of timber by the Indians. Mr. 
Butterfield returned to Connecticut, and in 
October of the same \-ear returned again to 
Homer, bringing his family. They passed 
their first night at Deacon Miller's, and he 
accompanied them to their home the next 
morning. On going to the doorway (the 
door itself was not yet in existence, and the 
gables were open) Mrs. Butterfield looked 
in, turned around, and with a look of home- 
sickness and despair, said to her hus- 
band : — 

"Mr. Butterfield, is this my home?" 

By dint of hard labor, however, Mr. But- 
terfield soon had a respectable floor antl 
roof for his house, splitting the "puncheons" 
out of logs, and smoothing them down with 
his axe. 

Adjoining the farm of Mr. Butterfield on 
the east is the one on which his brother, 
Parker Butterfield, first located in 1806; he 
resided there until 1822, when he sold to 
Ward Woodward, who came here from New 
Hampshire. Mr. Woodward became a re- 
spected citizen of the highest moral charac- 
ter, and was long a consistent member of 
the Congregational Church. 

About a mile from Mr. Butterfield John 
Frazier settled on a small farm on lot 36, 
in 1803. He was born in i 749 in I-^ngland, 
entered the country's service, or, rather, 
was dragged from his bed and forced to en- 
list under the banner of King George, and 
served in the arni\- of General Burgoyne ; 
he remained in the same division until the 
battle of Stillwater, and the surrender of 
his army to General Gates, in October, 
1777. At that time he escaped from the 
service, and subsequently reached Pomfret, 
Connecticut, where he was employed by 
General Putnam. There he was married 
in 1799, and removed to Homer, as stated. 



Town of Homer. 



195 



Mc thought to make sure of a valid title to 
his land by paying for it ; but he failed in 
this, and paid for it a second time, and his 
title being disputed, he actually paid for a 
portion of it the third time, and exen then 
was forced to abandon it altogether ; he 
died in the alms house in .1839. This inci- 
dent will give the reader an idea of the 
trouble arising out of earh' land titles on 
the military tract, as narrated in the pre- 
ceding history of that tract. 

When Mr. Frazier came in from Fomfret 
he drove seven cows for Samuel Griggs, 
who came at the same time and located on 
lot 38. He was a prominent farmer; was 
president of the first agricultural society in 
1822, and very active in the construction 
of the Alban\- turnpike through Cortland 
count}^ He removed to Cayuga count}' 
in 1829 or 1830, where he died. 

Zebadiah Abbott migrated from Brim- 
field in 1803 and settled on the eastern 
. part of lot 42, one-half of which he pur- 
chased, and resided there until 1820, when 
he died. His wife survived him about twenty 
years, and though she was totalh- blind and 
partially deaf, manifested the patience and 
resignation born of a Christian character. 
Their sons were Asa, Joseph and Nathan, 
who became valuable citizens. 

Adjoining Mr. Abbott's farm on the east 
is the one on which EH Sherman located ; 
he also came from Brimfield, Mass., in 1804, 
and lived on this farm and greatly improved 
it, until 1866, when he died at the age of 
87 years. The farm is now occupied by 
Philander Manchester. 

Adjoining the farm of Mr. Sherman is 
that where Frederick Partridge settled in 
1803, or '04; he purchased land of Mr. 
^ Abbott, on lot 47. He lived here about 
ten years, and was noted for his strict so- 
briety and temperance principles — some- 
thing of an exception in those days. He 
was succeeded on the farm by Samuel Sher- 



man, who also came from Brimfield, and 
settled on the Partridge farm in 18 14. He 
became pecuniarily involved, and for the 
purpose of meeting his obligations, hauled 
cherr\- lumber from Homer to Boston, Mass. 
He also drew wheat to Albany, where, after 
discharging his load, would return with a 
cargo of merchant's goods, or stock for me- 
chanics. 

James Horton also lived on a lot that 
was taken from Mr. Abbott's farm ; but at 
preciseh- what period is not now known. 
He engaged in the tanning and currying 
business and was a skillful mechanic. 

Benjamin Knight, a native of Monson, 
Mass., first came to Homer in 1801, in the 
month of February, having probably made 
the journey on foot in ten days, and at an 
inclement season of the )-ear. In January, 
1802, he returned to Massachusetts, accom- 
plishing the journey in twelve days. The 
next month he returned to Homer, again 
being twelve days on the road. He located 
on the southern part of the lot originally 
purchased by Judge Keep and subsequently 
again returned to Connecticut where, on 
the I ith day of September, 1803, he mar- 
ried Susan Goodell, of Pomfret ; she was a 
sister of the wife of Judge Keep and also of 
the wife of Darius Kinney. Thus the three 
sisters came from Connecticut and settled 
within the radius of a mile. On this farm 
Mr. Knight resided during the remainder of 
his life. He united with the Congregational 
Church in 1806 and died in 1843, at the age 
of 66 years. 

Capt. Zephaniah Hicks, originally of 
Rhode Island, migrated from Connecticut 
in 1805, and located on the southeast corner 
of the State's hundred, on lot 17. He has 
been described as an active, energetic, high- 
minded man ; generous, humane and cour- 
teous. His prompt and manly greeting 
gained him the good-will of his neighbors 
and gave him much influence in all pioneer 



196 



History of Coktiand County. 



gatherings. He removed in 1835 to Ing- 
ham, Michigan. Jacob Hicks was his son, 
who was two years old when he came to 
I lomer. He afterward settled on lot 27, and 
is now deatl. Capt. Hicks's da\iL;IitLr mar- 
ried Silas l{Ibridge Mann, afterward a [)rom- 
inent merchant in Jordan, N. V. 

In 1806 Col. Da\'id Cove, from Ri))al- 
ton, X'ermont, and Lemuel I?ates, from Cin- 
cinnati, came into tiie town. The former 
located on lot 45, where he lived many years. 
He purchased the first acre sold as a vil- 
lage lot, and followed his trade as a joiner. 
In 181 5 he bought one hundred acres on 
lot 44. His shop stood on the site after- 
ward occupied by C. O. Newton's store, on 
IVIain street, now occupied by Higbce's 
store. Mr. Coye filled several county offices, 
among which was that of sheritT in 1825. 
He was the father of eleven children. Mr. 
Bates settled on lot 26 ; his sons were Joseph 
and Ransford Bates. 

William Shearer came from Washington 
county in 1807 and located on lot ^6. 
Stephen and Joel R. Briggs, Arial Tickner 
and Erastus Hayes were from Otsego county 
and also came into the town in 1807, locat- 
ing on lot 50, in the southeast corner of 
the town. Joel R. Briggs afterward lived 
on lot 38. 

Deacon Ira Brown came from Brimfield 
in 1808 and located on lot 34, but subse- 
quently removed to Cortland. 

Joseph Bean settled in the town in 1809; 
his sons were Jeremiah, who lived in Cin- 
cinnatus, and Samuel, of Homer. In the 
same year Noah R. Smith and Matthias 
Cook came in. The former located on lot 
45, in the village ; he was from Middletown, 
and became a prominent and useful citizen; 
he was sheriff of the county in 18 19. Mr. 
Cook was from Albany and engaged in the 
hatting business, which he continued for 
many years; his partner at one time was 
Col, Benajah Tubbs. Mr, Cook was hon- 



ored with the appointment of county clerk 
in 1 82 1 ; was elected to the LegislaUiic in 
1824, and was also justice of the ]3eace. 

Deacon Jesse Ives and Andrew Burr 
came in in the }car 1810. Mr. I\'es was 
from Litchfield, Conn., and located on lot 
16, where he originally purchased ninety 
acres. He was an industrious and enter- 
prising farmer and uni\ersally respected. 
He died November 27th, 1857, at the age of 
81 years. He was the father of Frederick 
Ives, one of the prominent citizens of Cort- 
land village. Mr. Burr was from Sharon, 
Conn. He located on the lands afterward 
owned and occupied by William Kingsbury, 
and now by Augustus Kingsbury. He 
was early engaged in the tanning business, 
but subsequently sold out to Mr. Kings- 
bury, and engaged in the saddlery and har- 
ness business, which he followed for thirty 
years. He made his influence felt on the 
growth of the village, erected several dwell- 
ings and otherwise labored for the good 
of the community. 

Richard Graham and Henry Corl came 
in and located, the former on lot 28, in 
181 I ; he was from Herkimer county. Mr. 
Corl came from Schenectady originally, but 
came here from Locke, Cayuga county, and 
settletl on lot 8. A few years afterward he 
settled on his farm on "the hill," which was 
given his name. 

During the progress of the war, from 
1812 to 181 5, settlement was greatly inter- 
rupted in all parts of the county. Down to 
this period we have noted most of the more 
prominent persons who came into the town 
— making a list that is much more com- 
plete than can now be given in any other 
town in the count}'. 

A noteworthy arri\al in 18 I 2 was that of 
George W. Samson, 1 who came here from 

' Mr. Samson was originally a seafaring man. His 
first voyage was to Charleston, S. C, at the time of the 
great fire in 1796. In 1800 he sailed for England, at the 



Town of Homer. 



197 



Plympton, Mass., and settled first on lot 19, 
near the place since occupied by Joshua Pratt 
and his son David and still later by Harry 
Lathrop. Mr. Samson removed to lot 29, 
where close to the Tru.xtLHi turnpike he ex- 
pended much labor in excavating the hill- 
side for tiie purpose of making the founda- 
tions of a building. He erected his house 
in 1 8 14, moved into it and the following 
year opened it as a hotel, giving the place 
the name of Mt. Etam.' This was for many 
years a popular and well known stopping 
place on the turnpike. At this time there 
were but four families in the East Homer 
school district. Mr. Samson sold his tavern 
to Peter Westerman and engaged in the 
same business in Preble, and later in Homer 
village, where his son long kept the "Tem- 
perance House." 

William Wood, a nati\'e of Hinsdale, Ver- 
mont, migrated to Herkimer, N. Y., and in 
1814 came to Homer, at first locating on 
the road leading from the valley on the east 
branch of the river to Enon Phelps's, on lot 
48. He lived there two years and removed 
southward on lot 58, and in 1 8 19 to lot 39, 
on the hill and adjoining the farm of Capt. 
Crandall. After planting an orchard and 
otherwise extensively improving the place, 
he was forced to leave it for want of a valid 
title. He removed into the valley and sub- 
sequently to the hill on the northwestern 
side of the river, where he died in 1 850. His 
farm on lot 58 is now embraced in the town 
of Cortlandville. 

John Burnham purchased of Mr. Hilliiud 
300 acres of land on lot 30, adjoining the 

time of the war between that country and France ; the 
vessel was captured by a French cruiser in the channel 
and the crew taken into the port of Brest. Mr. Samson 
was taken from there under an escort and afterward saw 
the inside of thirteen different prisons. Upon his arrival 
at Nantes the American Consul procured his release. In 
1803 he sailed as mate of the brig Apollo and visited 
m.any of the southern ports. His death occurred in Ho- 
mer in February, iS68, at the age of 86 years, 
t Named from the llible history of Samson. 



town of Tru.xton, cleared it of the forest and 
in 1S18 erected a saw-mill; he afterward 
bought land on lot 20, adjoining his first 
purchase on the north and annexed it to his 
farm, where he li\ed until 1864 and died. 
A portion of his first purchase was made 
of John B. Henry, who settled on lot 30 in 
1804. 

Erastus Goodell, father of C. B. and Eras- 
tus, jr., located on the State's hundred, lot 
7, in 1816; they were from Sturbridge, 
Mass. He became a prominent farmer. 

William Andrews came in from Fabius, 
Onondaga county, in 1817. He secured 
the confidence of his fellow-citizens to such 
a degree that he was honored with several 
offices ; he was constable and under-sherifif 
from 1820 to 1843 and in 1831 was elected 
sheriff on a Union ticket. He was one of 
the well known men of the county for many 
3'ears. 

Daniel Josling located in 1818 on lot 17; 
he was from Windham, Conn. Kenneth 
Scudder, from Monmouth, N. J., settled in 
Herkimer county in 181 3, but subsequently 
came to Homer, locating on lot 18; he died 
in 1843. 

From this date on to the year 1825, the 
progress of settlement in the town of Homer 
was uninterrupted. What was almost an 
unbroken wilderness a quarter of a century 
before was rapidly becoming a rich and 
prosperous farming country, while the \-il- 
lage was already the leading place of busi- 
ness in the county — a prestige it retained 
for many years. The town suffered long, in 
common with other parts of the county, for 
want of railroad communication; the busi- 
ness of teaming for the transportation of the 
products of the town to Syracuse, while an 
important industry in itself, was at the same 
time a discouraging sign of the helplessness 
of the community in this respect. When 
the charter of the first proposed railroad 
was obtained in 1836 the hearts of the 



198 



History of Cortland County. 



residents of tlic town beat high witli antici- 
pation of speedy reHef from their isolation ; 
but they wore doomed to disappointment, 
and two more decades passed before the 
consummation of tlicir liopes was reached 
in the construction and opening of the Syr- 
acuse and J-iingliamton railroad. In this 
important enterprise the people of the town 
of Homer took a prominent and active in- 
terest, realizing that much of the future 
prosperity of the town depended upon it. 
It would be invidious at this time to single 
out those men who devoted their means and 
energies directly to the work, while all did 
whatever they were able towards the com- 
pletion of the road ; and when it was finally 
opened, there was an era of rejoicing on 
every hand. The disappointments and ap- 
parent losses which subsequentl)' fell upon 
the town through the sale of the road, 
although grievous at the time, are now all 
forgotten in the general prosperity of the 
community — a prosperity that could never 
have been attained without railroad com- 
munication with distant points. 

From about the )-ear 1850, the dairying- 
interest of this town has kept pace, at least, 
with that of other portions of the county 
and vicinity ; the quantity and quality of 
the product has increased and ad\anced ; 
cheese factories have been erected and the 
housewives of Homer have gained a repu- 
tation for their work in the dairj' of which 
they may well feel "proud. The Homer 
cheese factory, so-called, is situated a mile- 
and a half north of Homer village, on the 
farm of Frederick G. Williams. It was 
erected in 1864, is two stories high and 32 
by 175 feet in extent. A large business is 
done there, which is now controlled by a 
stock company. 

TOWN organization. 

Having given the early settlements of the 
town to as recent a date as is practicable, 



we will now revert to the first organization 
of the town of Homer. This event oc- 
curred on the 5th of March, 1794, when 
the county of Onondaga was erected, of 
which Homer was then a part. The town 
officers were not, however, drawn entirely 
from within the present town limits ; Virgil 
and Solon, then a part of Homer, and each 
embracing towns since formed, as detailed 
in the general history, were permitted to 
share in the political honors and emolu- 
ments of that earl}' da\-. Political ambition 
and activity was then at a low ebb, if we 
may judge by the following record from the 
town book : — 

" State of New York, | 

/ ss 
Onondaga County, ) 

'•]]7ieiras, The town of Homer, in said coun- 
ty, on the 5th day of April, did neglect to ap- 
point the necessary town officers for the year 
one tliousand seven hundred and ninety-five, 
and, 

" W/irrcas, By a law passed on the ylh day 
of March, one thousand seven hundred and 
eighty-eight, directing three justices of the peace 
of said county to nominate, and under their 
hand and seals, appoint such officers as under 
said act is necessary — therefore, we, Asa Dan- 
forth, Hezekiah Scott and Daniel Keeler, three 
of the justices of the peace, appointed in and for 
said county, nominate, and by these presents do 
appoint : — 

" For Supervisor — John Miller. 

■'Town Clerk — Peter IngersoU. 

" Assessors — Thomas L. Bishop, Moses Hop- 
kins, Joseph Beebe, Daniel Miner, Roderick 
Beebe. 

" Commissioners of Highways — Samuel Ben- 
edict, David Russell, Moses Hopkins. 

"Overseers of the Poor — Joseph Beebe, 
Christopher \Vhitney. 

"Constable and Collector — John House. 
" Signed, " Asa. D.\nforth, 

" Hezekiah Scott, 
" Daniel Keeler." 

The meeting at which these appointments 
were made was held at the house of 
" 'Squire " Miller, on the 9th of April, 



Town of Homer. 



199 



1795. The first annual town meeting for 
the election of officers was held at Mr. Mil- 
ler's house, on the 8th of April, 1796, when 
the following were elected : — 

Supervisor — John Miller. 

Town clerk — Peter Ingersoll. 

Assessors — Ezra Rockwell, l^illy Trow- 
bridge, Daniel Miner, Francis Strong, Da\id 
Russell, Jacob Bishop. 

Collectors — Roderick Beebe, Barzilla 
Russell. 

Overseers of the poor — Zera Beebe, 
Thomas L. Bishop, Oliver Tuthill. 

Constables — Barzilla Russell, Roderick 
Beebe. 

Overseers yf highwaj's — William Tut- 
hill, Ebcnezer Jones, Zera Beebe, Samuel 
C. Benedict, Joseph Beebe, Solomon Hub- 
bard, John Morse. 

Fence viewers — Elnathan Baker, George 
Trowbridge, John Bingham, David Jack- 
son, John House, Moses Hopkins. 

These early elections were carried on in 
a different spirit from that which character- 
izes the political contests of the present 
time. There was seldom much rivalry, and 
none of the bitterness of later days. In the 
year 1800, however, there was quite a 
spirited contest. 

At the town meeting in 1796 it was 
agreed by vote, "That e\'ery man should 
make his own pound ; and that hogs run 
at large without yokes or rings ; that fences 
be made four and a half feet high, and not 
to e.xceed four inches between logs or 
poles." 

In the following year (1797) it was agreed 
by a unanimous vote, "That every man in 
the town may provide his own pound for 
every creature that does him damage, and 
yet be entitled to damage the same as at 
the town pound ; that hogs be free com- 
moners; that three feet of sound fence 
shall not be more than fi\e inches between 
earth, logs or erass." 



The special meeting that year was held 
at the house of Daniel Knapp, at which the 
following were a portion of the proceedings, 
c|uoted verbatim : — 

" Voted, ist, That the inhabitants of the town 
build a bridge across the river at the nulls. 

'• 2(1, That the Ijridge be built by a lax on 
tlie inhabitants of the town of Homer, as filed in 
the secretary's office of this State. 

" 3d, That Martin Keep, Aaron Knapp and 
Solomon Hubbard be a committee to report 
what plan said bridge he built upon." 

Such were the problems that engrossed 
the chief portion of the official attention of 
our forefathers. 

The town was divided into highway dis- 
tricts in 1797. In 1798 a wolf scalp com- 
manded a premium of from five to ten dol- 
lars, according to size ; bear's, five dollars ; 
panther's, ten dollars, and fo.x's, fifty cents. 

Following is a list of the supervisors and 
town clerks of the town of Homer, the su- 
pervisor's name being given first in each 
instance : — 

1795, John Miller, Peter Ingersoll; 1796, 
John Miller, John Keep; 1797-98, Joshua 
Atwater, Thomas L. Bishop; 1799, James 
Knapp, Thomas L. Bishop; 1800, Caleb 
Keep, Joshua Ballard; 1801, John Ballard, 
Joshua Ballard; 1 802-03, Joshua Ballard, 
Joshua Atwater; 1804 to 1806 inclusive, 
John Ballard, Joshua Ballard; 1807-08, 
Asahel Miner, Joshua Ballard; 1809, Mead 
Merrill, Adin Webb; 1 8 lO-i i, Daniel Mil- 
ler, Adin Webb; 181 2-13, William Lucas, 
Adin W'ebb; 18 14, Moses Kinney, Adin 
Webb; 1815 to 181 8 inclusive, Wm. Lucas, 
Adin Webb; 1819-20, Levi Bowen, Adin 
Webb; 1821 to 1829 inclusive, Martin 
Keep, Adin Webb; 1 830-3 i, Martin Keep, 
Orin Stimpson; 1832-33, Noah R. Smith, 
Orin Stimpson; 1834, Chauncey Keep, 
John Sherman; 1835, Horace White, John 
Sherman; 1836, Wm. Walter, John Sher- 
man; 1837-38, Wm. Weaker, G. J. J. Bar- 
ber; 1839, John Keep, Erasmus Bowen; 



200 



History of Cortland County. 



1840 to 1S42 inclusive, Cliaunccy Keep, 
Erasmus Bowen; 1843, Lemuel D. New- 
ton, Erasmus Bowen; 1844, Noah Hitch- 
cock, jr., Loammi Kinney; 1845, Joseph 
L. Clapp, Loaniini Kinney; 1846, Lemuel 
D. Newton, Loammi Kinney; 1847, Geo. 
J. J. Barber, Horace Pierce; 1848, Fred- 
erick Ives, Horace Pierce; 1849, Frederick 
Ives, Rufus A. Reed; 1850, Samuel Sher- 
man, Horace S. Babcock; 1851, Giles 
Chittenden, Horace S. Babcock; 1852-53, 
Manly Hobart, Horace S. Babcock; 1854, 
Jacob M. Schcrmerhorn, Nathaniel Jones; 
1855, Peter Walrad, B. D. Benedict; 1856, 
Peter Walrad, Uri H. Patterson; 1857, 
Peter Walrad, Edwin Miles; 1858, Giles 
Chittenden, Edwin Miles; 1859-60, Giles 
Chittenden, C. O. Newton; 1861-62, Geo. 
W. Phillips, Wm. H. Burnham; 1863, Geo. 
W. Phillips, John H. Munger; 1864-65, 
Geo. W. Phillips, Martin Miner; 1866-67, 
Alphonzo Stone, Martin Miner; 1868 to 
1870 inclusive, Geo. W. Phillips, Martin 
Miner; 1 87 1, Manly Hobart, Martin Miner; 
1872-73, Vernon T. Stone, Martin Miner; 
1874-75, John H. Hicok, Martin Miner; 
1876-77, S. McClellan Barber, William A. 
Kellogg; 1878, S. McC. Barber, J. Clayton 
Atwater; 1879-80, Wm. O, Bunn, J. Clay- 
ton Atwater; 1881, John J. Murray, J. 
Clayton Atwater; 1882, H. Wilson Blash- 
field, J. Clayton Atwater; 1S83, Wm. H. 
Crane, J. Clayton Atwater. 

At the annual town meeting held in the 
town hall in Homer, on the 20th of Feb- 
ruary, 1883, the following officers were 
elected : — 

Supervisor — Wm. H. Crane. 

Town Clerk — J. Clayton Atwater. 

Justices of the Peace — Melvin J. Pratt, A. 
J. Kneeland, Stephen Klock, Elliot L. Stone. 

Assessors — A. Dwight Kingsbury, C. 
H. Sherman, James H. Clark. 

Commissioner of Highways — Harrison 
W. Southwick. 



Collector — John York. 

Inspectors of Election, District No. i — 
Irving Alexander, Abram Griffith; ap- 
pointed, PLllis Briggs. 

District No. 2 — Frank Galluss, Ossian 
B. Andrews; appointed, Wm. A. Coon. 

District No. 3 — Harlan P. Hull, Vernon 
T. Stone; appointed, Andrew P. Hender- 
son. 

Town Auditors — A. W. Hobart, Chas. 
B. Goodell ; appointed, Frank D. Carpenter. 
' E.xcise Commissioners — Warren Salis- 
bury, H. W. Southwick, W. B. Beach. 

Overseers of the Poor — Augustus W. 
Kingsbury, Stephen P. Hoag. 

Constables — Wm. A. Shirley, Alfred B. 
Raymond, Elisha W'iUiams, John Bennett, 
Wm. T. Sanders. 

Game Constable — Henr>' L. Carpenter. 

HOMER TN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 

No town came forward with more readi- 
ness to aid in putting down the gigantic re- 
bellion which threatened the life of the gov- 
ernment than did old Homer. Enlistments 
were made from the town at the very first 
call for soldiers, which were followed as long 
as there was opportunity, by the most pa- 
triotic offers of service and life, and gener- 
ous outlay of money, in aid of the govern- 
ment. A special meeting of the town offi- 
cers was held at the town hall on the 6th 
of July, 1 862, pursuant to a call of the free- 
holders, for the purpose of taking into con- 
sideration the propriety of raising mone)' 
for soldiers' bounties, to encourage enlist- 
ments to meet the call of the government 
for troops. The names of the freeholders 
signed to the call for the meeting were : 
George Murray, S. S. Day, Charles Tower, 
G. S. Simmons, D. S. Totman, S. Plumb, 
B. W. Payne, Thomas Holbrook, E. Stim- 
son, M. C. Darby, R. F. Smith, W. T. 
Hicok, Joseph R. Di.xon, G. W. Bradford, 
D. D. R. Ormsb}-, Josiah Stone, J. Sanders, 



Town of Homer. 



20 1 



C. O. Newton, Samuel Babcock, L. Darb\', 
Ira Green and H. S. Babcock. The meet- 
ing passed the following : — 

" Resolved, That the electors proceed to vote 
upon the question of raising hy tax fifty dollars 
to be paid to each person who shall volunteer 
from the town of Homer, from July 2d, 1862, 
until the whole number of the quota shall be 
raised." 

The limit of the period during which en- 
listments might be made under this resolu- 
tion was from July 2d to the 3d day of the 
following September, or until the time of a 
draft which might be ordered by the author- 
ities ; the number of such volunteers not to 
exceed that of the quota for the town under 
the two previous calls for soldiers. 

Under this resolution three hundred and 
sixty-three persons voted, three hundred and 
sixty of whom were in favor of it. The 
finance committee, whose duty it was to 
receive and disburse the money raised un- 
der the resolution, to procure from the next 
Legislature legal sanction of the proceed- 
ings, and to co-operate with the town au- 
thorities in carrying out the measure, were 
Geo. W. Bradford, N. Randall, J. RI. Scher- 
merhorn, G. J. J. Barber, George Cook, W. 
T. Hicok and A. W. Kingsbury. This fifty 
dollar bounty was paid by the town outside 
of the State or county ; but thereafter the 
town made the amount of its bounties to 
correspond with the suggestions and regu- 
lations of the Board of Supervisors of the 
county, thus preventing unnecessary com- 
petition among the different towns in filling 
their quotas. Whenever calls were made 
for troops, and the quotas of the towns were 
established, with the amount of bounties to 
be paid throughout the county, the free- 
holders of Homer never failed to call special 
meetings for the consideration of the mat- 
ters involved. Thus, when the president 
issued a call for 500,000 men in 1864, an- 
other special town meeting was called un- 
der date of July 2 1st, wliich was signed by J. 



Murray, P. C. Kingsbury, I. W. Brown, W'm. 
Coggshall, Geo. W. Bradford, C. M. Clark, 
Geo. J. J. Barber, Thomas D. Chollar, D. 
D. R. Ormsby, W. T. Hicok, C. A. Collins, 
J. M. Pierce, O. Bowen, Samuel Babcock, 
George Murray, Lorenzo Bennett and Luke 
Babcock. The meeting was held on the 
30th of Jul\% pursuant to the call, and the 
following was offered for consideration : — 

" Whereas, On the 27th day of July, 1864, 
the Board of Supervisors of Cortland county in 
special session, at the court-house in Cortland 
village, in said county, recommended to the 
electors of the several towns to hold special 
meetings in their respective towns and adopt the 
following resolution : — 

" Resolreii, That the town of Homer hereby 
offers bounty to each volunteer of $150 for all 
who enlist for one year, and the sum of $250 to 
each volunteer who may enlist for two years, or 
for a longer term, and who shall be accepted and 
mustered into the service of the United States 
and credited to said town, under the last call of 
the president of the United States for 500,000 
troops; and in case other counties offer larger 
bounties than those above named, these offers be 
correspondingly raised, if deemed expedient by 
the committee, — therefore, 

^^ Resolved, That this meeting does now pro- 
ceed to vote on the above resolution, by the town 
clerk recording the ayes and noes of each elector 
who may desire to vote on said resolution." 

The certificate of the clerk showed that 
the whole number of votes cast was one 
hundred and forty-seven, of which one 
hundred and forty-two were in favor of it. 

On the 30th of August, 1864, the free- 
holders of the town again met to consider 
the propriety of raising the bounty of sol- 
diers ; this meeting terminated in a request 
to the town clerk to call a special town 
meeting of the electors of the town, to be 
held on the 7th day of September, 1864. 
The meeting was held and the following 
resolution adopted : — 

" Resolved, I'hat the town of Homer will en- 
dorse the resolution of the war committee of the 



202 



History of Cortland County. 



Board of Supervisors, given on the 3d day of Sep- 
tember, increasing the bounty to volunteers and 
substitutes to one thousand dollars ; and that we 
hereby instruct our supervisor to endorse the same 
to date from the 3d day of September, 1864, and 
for all volunteers who have enlisted and have 
been credited to the town under the president's 
last call for 500,000 men, except tiie thirteen men 
previously credited." 

At a meeting of the board of town audi- 
tors of the town of Homer on the lOth day 
of November, 1 864, the following resolution 
was adopted : — 

" Jieso/vfi/, That the supervisor of the town 
of Homer be directed to levy upon said town at 
the next meeting of the Board of Supervisors of 
the county, the sum of eight hundred dollars, for 
the purpose of paying additional bounty and in- 
cidental expenses incurred in filling the quotas 
of this town under the call of the president of 
July, 1864." 

The following resolution was also passed 
at that meeting : — 

" Resolved, That the sum of fifty-eight dollars 
and eighty-five cents be raised in like manner, 
for roads and bridges in said town." 

Another special town meeting was held, 
pursuant to call, on the 10th of January, 
1S65, at which the electors of the town voted 
to offer a bounty of $400 to each volunteer, 
or substitute who should enlist for one year; 
$500 for two years, and $600 for three 
years. The number of votes cast at this 
meeting was one hundred and twenty-six, 
of which one hundred and fifteen were in 
favor of the measure. It was also further 
resolved that Chester RI. Clark, Nathan 
Randall and J. H. Munger be a town com- 
mittee for the purpose of procuring enlist- 
ments to fill the quota of the town, under 
the last call of the president for 300,000 
men. 

At a town meeting held on the 21st of 
February, 1865, it was resolved to pay a 
bounty in addition to that offered pursuant 
to the action of the Board of Supervisors, 
sufficient to make the whole amount $1,000. 



We have thus given at considerable 
length all of the important proceedings by 
the town authorities in the matter of filling 
the different quotas of soldiers, the pay- 
ment of bounties, etc. It will be seen that 
the proceedings conformed in all essential 
particulars to those of the Board of Super- 
visors of the count}-, as detailed in the 
chapter of the general history devoted to 
this subject ; and as the meetings in the 
different towns held for the same purpose, 
and the proceedings of the same were, in 
their main features similar to those above 
described, we shall not deem it necessary 
to occup)' our space with their iletails in 
the separate town histories in subsequent 
pages. 

The names of all the \-olunteers of the 
town of Homer are given in the following 
list, except those of the first thirteen enlist- 
ments. Of those we have only the names 
of George Snyder and Eugene R. Rawson, 
his brother-in-law, who was promoted to 
lieutenant-colonel, and killed in Jul}', 1865, 
and Joseph Hotchkiss : — 

Call of October 17th, 1863. Bounty 
paid, $300. Total, $15,000. — Oscar El- 
mer, Charles A. Ford, William A. Wilcox, 
Hiram Burt, Ezra P. Haight, Lester H. 
Benedict, William H. Tubbs, Alonzo Miller, 
Deloss Sperry, William A. Benedict, Beman 
Crosby, Arden Haight, Albert Dyde, Icha- 
bod Chapman, Burdin H. Barrett, Albert 
G. Sheffield, Charles J. Earle, Oliver Scher- 
merhorn, William H. Gillett, Richard S. 
Valentine, Rensselaer Mills, John Reys, 
Dwight Chapman, Franz Dick, Franklin B. 
Corl, E. Washburn Moore, John G. Sim- 
mons, Jay J. Salisbury, Joseph Bushby, 
James M. D. Pierce, Edwin B. Swift, Frank- 
lin Winslow, Luman S. Hicks, Charles 
Doole, George W. Burdick, John G. John- 
son, William Connell, Robert S. Howard, 
Martin Darling, William Reese, Benjamin 
Wilson, James Oakly, Nathaniel Butler, 



Town of Homer. 



203 



Benjamin F. Biirch, Thomas Dunn, William 
Sears, William H. Brotherton, Lavvison 
Stebbins, Theodore De Bar, Thomas Jones. 

Call of Jul}- 1 8th, 1864. Bount\- paid 
$1,000, except $500 to three, and $700 to 
four. Total bounty, $52,300. Brokerage, 
$'.375- — Michael O'Brien, sub. for P. C. 
Kingsbury, William Morehead, sub. for 
Charles E. Bates, Lewis V. Huttleson, Al- 
bert J. Donaldson, Daniel A. Berry, sub. for 
S. M. Barber, Daniel Hands, sub. for J. H. 
Price, Lewis W. Shorinder, sub. for Levi 
Klock, John Smith, sub. for C. A. Persons, 
James Mongovan, sub. for Stephen Klock, 
Simon Fox, sub. for M. M. Hibbard, John 
Ripley, William W. Briggs, Robert P. Bush, 
Peter Conine, Philo Conine, Philip Conine, 
Washington Dayton, Leroj- Galpin, Chris- 
topher H. Gettey, Theron Geutcheous, 
Frederick H. Goodell, James W. Henry, 
Earl A. Hill, William Howe, Henry D. 
Keeling, James R. Mann, Charles M. Ma- 
cumber, John R. Miller, Asahel P. Nott, Asa 
Palmer, Earlman R. Palmer, Henry M. Phil- 
lips, Elijah B. Pender, Martin L. Rose, Ruel 
H. Rose, Jeremiah Starkey, George W. 
Stebbins, Olivier H. Topping, Charles H. 
Weaver, William M. Whiting, Peter York, 
Chas. H. Gould, sub. for Jed. Barber, 2d., 
William E. Kerby, Thomas Baldin, Abra- 
ham Wolf, John Williams,' sub. for D. N. 
Hitchcock, Jacob Stickle, John Brown, sub. 
for H. P. Hull, William Bliss, sub. for J. D. 
Hull, William T. Reed, William O'Conner, 
Thomas Green, sub. S. H. Hibbard, Edwin 
M. Seaver, Beverly Johnson, Archie Taylor. 

Call of December 19th, 1864. Bounty 
paid, $300. Total, $15,500. Brokerage, 
$390.00. — John Blanch, James Williams, 
Eugene Collins, James Kelly, Patrick Foley, 
Patrick Mansfield, Jeptha W. Owen, Rob- 
ert W. Leach, William B. Kimball, James 
Hall, John Cameron, William Garwood, 
Louis Zenloich, Joseph Lewis, John Sum- 
mons, Renna Wearanger, David Williams, 



Elisha S. Lawrence, James Francis, William 
L. Stickney, Nathan Givens, Richard Epps, 
Joseph Dunger, John Cane, Frederick Roj-, 
Samuel Rand. 

Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
calls October 17th, 1863, February and 
March, 1864, $15,000; paid for filling 
quota, call July i8th, 1864, $53,675 ; paid 
for filling quota, call December 19th, 1864, 
$15,890. Grand total, $84,565. 

HOMER VII.L.VGE. 

What is now the pleasant and prosperous 
village of Homer was once, of course, but 
a mere collection of houses, around which 
the insignificant business of early days grad- 
ually collected ; there was then more busi- 
ness in the surrounding vicinity of what is 
now the center of the village, than directly 
among the dwellings that constituted the 
nucleus of the place. Every new settle- 
ment shows more or less hesitancy about 
selecting its business center. Here springs 
up a small industry ; there is built what be- 
comes a popular public house, and yonder 
is located a store by a man who shows a 
capacity for success, and the mind of the 
little public vacillates until some, perhaps, 
trivial event decides the question of the site 
of a village in favor of some particular lo- 
cality. Of tlie scattering industries referred 
to we will speak, before entering upon the 
business history of the village proper; they 
were w^hat gave early life and energy to the 
young settlement, and are thus worthj- of 
particular mention. 

The Wright Hotel. — On the northward 
of Amos Beebe's farm, and separated from 
it, is the farm on which James Wright was 
quite an early settler. Whence he came, 
or just how long he remained, is not now 
known ; but he cleared his land of the for- 
est, placed it under cultivation, and, after a 
few years' residence in a log cabin, erected 
a frame dwelling of larjfer dimensions than 



204 



History of Cortland County. 



characterized most of the earl)- dwellings, 
and eventually opened it as a hotel. It 
may seem singular to many at the present 
day that a public house should be opened 
in a locality apparently secluded ; but this 
was on one of the main thoroughfares 
through Central New York, then denom- 
inated the Cooperstown Turnpike, which di- 
verged from the Great Western Turnpike at 
Cherry Valley, and came westward through 
the central portion of the State. This road 
was heavily traveled for man)- years by 
teams hauling produce, etc., and especially 
wheat to .\lbany. It was prior to the con- 
struction of railroads or canals, and conse- 
quently a tavern for the accommodation of 
the teamsters and other travelers, if not an 
actual necessity, would be a great conven- 
ience, and sure to command considerable 
business. Such turnpike inns were thickly 
scattered throughout the State in early 
days. 

Mr. Wright kept his hotel for many years, 
and spent the remainder of his life on the 
same farm, which is now owned by the 
heirs of Edmund Butler, to whom it was 
deeded by Wright, 

A little northward from Mr. Wright's 
lived a Mr. Tanner, who was one of the 
first (if not the ver)- first) weaver in the 
town. He made a specialt)' of weaving 
coarse hair cloth for use in sieves. He died 
at that place. 

The first tailor in the vicinity of Homer 
village was Hooker Ballard, who came here 
in 1803. He is remembered as a worthy 
man and a good workman, who lived a quiet 
and retiring life. 

Nathan Stone came to the \icinit)- of Ho- 
mer village in 1800, and for man)- )-ears 
worked at his trade of brick and stone mason. 
He located upon the farm now occupied by 
Erastus Jones. His brother, David Stone, 
the youngest of five brothers, also came 
here and worked at the trade of carpenter. 



We have already referred to the arrival 
of Daniel Crandall in 1798, and his work- 
ing at shoe mending, and finally at shoe 
making, in the house of Judge Keep, at 
East River. He was undoubtedly the first 
shoemaker in the town, and perhaps in the 
count)-. 

Samuel Hotchkiss, who came in 1798, 
was originally a shipbuilder; he located a 
little east of Mr. Todd's farm, and worked 
as a carpenter. He built the house now- 
occupied b)- Thomas Fisher, in which he 
lived for a time. He had charge of the 
erection of the frames of many of the houses 
in this vicinity at an earl)- day. 

During the earlier years of the history of 
the town the manufacture of whisky was 
one of the leading industries ; it probably 
stood at the head in this respect. It was a 
practical and profitable method of dispos- 
ing of surplus grain at home, instead of 
transporting it many miles to other mar- 
kets. The liquor was then used with a 
freedom that would at the present time 
cause a general sentiment of horror in any 
conmiunity ; but at the same time, the 
knowledge of chemistry was not .so pro- 
found among the distillers as it is to-day, 
and their products consequently were of a 
much purer and more wholesome character 
than a great deal of the spirits sold at present. 
As late as the year 1829, as we are informed 
on good authority, there were ten distil- 
leries in the town, at least si.x of which w-ere 
within the present boundaries of Homer, 
and four within the limits of Cortland\ille. 
It is probable that there were more ; but per- 
haps it is well to not push the investigation 
any farther. Orrin Utley had one at East 
River; Samuel Griggs one "on the turn- 
pike," and Ira Bowen one where the Homer 
cheese factory now stands ; Benajah Tubbs 
one on " Brewery Hill ; " Dr. Lynde one 
where Amos Hobart now lives, and Jede- 
diah Barber one in the villa"e. The lover 



Town of Homkr. 



205 



of ardent spirits in those days could go to 
a distillery, buy his gallon of whisky for 
twenty- five cents, and be presented with a 
jug in which to carrj- it home. Yet it is 
said that, while there was undoubtedly 
much more liquor consumed to the number 
of the population than there is now, still 
there was no more of what ma)- be called in- 
toxication than there is at the present day. 

The business of tanning leather was one 
of the prominent early industries, also. 
Hitchcock & Bennett, two skillful boot and 
shoe manufacturers, erected a tannery on 
the summit of the hill near David Han- 
num's farm, at an early day, and continued 
the business there for many years. Andrew 
Burr, who came to Homer village in 1809, 
in compan\- with a man by the name of 
Coats, erected a tanner}-, in addition to other 
buildings which he had built ; but it appears 
that the business did not prosper under 
their management, as Mr. Burr sold out his 
interest in 1816, and not long afterward Mr. 
Coats disposed of his share in it and re- 
moved from the town. 

Homer village is delightfully situated on 
the west branch of the Tioughnioga river, 
on the southern boundary of the town, and 
nearly central from east to west. It is three 
miles north of the village of Cortland, on 
the Syracuse, Binghamton and New York 
Railroad. For a number of years in the 
early history of the place it was the most 
important village in Cortland county; it 
now contains four churches, an academy, 
a newspaper, a bank, two hotels, several 
manufactories, numerous stores, and about 
2,500 inhabitants. The streets and walks 
of the village are broad and ornamented 
with beautiful and thrifty shade trees, and 
lighted with gas. There arc many tasteful 
residences and several fine business blocks. 
Main street is about a mile in length ex- 
tending north and ,':outh and embraces 
most of the business part of the village. 



Near the center of the village is a beau- 
tiful park, along the west side and facing 
which stand the Baptist, Congregational, 
Methodst and Episcopal Churches, and the 
Cortland Academy. The village contains 
two public halls — Keator (formerly Bar- 
ber) and Wheadon Hall ; the former is 
finished and furnished in good style and 
has a seating capacity of one thousand ; 
the latter is forty by fifty feet in size. 

The family that first settled on any part 
of the ground now occupied by Homer 
village, was, from the best information now 
available, that of John House, who located 
in the northeastern part of the village, near 
what is now known as the upper bridge, and 
probably on the site of the present residence 
of Erastus Goodell; but there is some dif- 
ference of opinion in the minds of the pres- 
ent generation as to the exact site of the 
dwelling. But little is now known of Mr. 
House — whence he came, the length of 
time he remained, or whither he went. He 
was succeeded on his place of residence by 
Stephen Knapp, who had previously lived 
in a house at the foot of the hill, on the 
farm now owned by Andrew Kingsbury. 
Mr. Knapp was succeeded on the farm near 
the bridge by William Cummins, and he by 
Henr}' Woodward. 

Asahel Miner came to Homer about the 
year 1797 and located first on the road 
north of the old factory building. In 1803 
he removed to the village and occupied the 
house where his son, Martin Miner, subse- 
quently li\-ed for many years. Asahel 
Miner resided on this place until his death 
in 18 17. It has been said of him that dur- 
ing his residence in Homer (which was 
about twenty years) he was called to fill 
more positions of responsibility and trust 
than any other man in the town. Among 
the early settlers of Homer village were the 
five brothers by the name of Ballard, who 
came here from Brimfield, Mass., and 



206 



History of Cortland County. 



located upon grt)und now occupied b\' tlic 
village and its immediate vicinity. Their 
names were John, Hooker, Slicrebiah, Jon- 
athan and Joshua. John and Hooker Bal- 
lard came to Homer in 1803. The former 
purchased a farm on the west side of Main 
street, locating his first dwelling on the site 
of Mr. Schermerhorn's house. This dwell- 
ing was used by him as a tavern and was 
the one in which he was succeeded by Enos 
Stimson, and where the Indian orgie oc- 
curred, as before narrated. In 1804 John 
Ballard was elected a member of the Legis- 
lature and in 1807 was elected to the State 
Senate. He was clerk of the county in 
1808-09 and 1811-12. Joshua, who ar- 
rived here in 1797-98, bought a farm on 
the east side of the river, being a part of 
the farm since occupied by E. Kingsbury. 
He subsequently purchased land lying be- 
tween Main street and the river, and erected 
buildings on or near the corner of Albany 
and Main streets. 

Hooker Ballard purchased a farm adjoin- 
ing that of John on the south and extend- 
ing to the south line of lot 45, which now 
forms the boundary line between the towns 
of Homer and Cortlandville. Jonathan 
Ballard located on lot 54, adjoining the 
farm of Mr. Knapp. The two farms owned 
by Daniel Knapp, and those of Hooker 
and Jonathan Ballard, were situated in the 
corners of four different lots — 44, 45, 54 
and 55 — one corner of each farm meeting 
at the same point. 

The original house, now occupied by Mr. 
Schermerhorn, was erected by Caleb Bal- 
lard. He died in 1836 and his brother, 
Marsena Ballard, married his widow, re- 
moving from the town a few years later. 
In 1830 the property passed into possession 
of Andrew Dickson, by whom important 
additions were made. Marsena Ballard 
bought it of him ; it then became the resi- 
dence of Col. Williams and Robert Ellis be- 



came its nc.Nt owner ; he refitted antl im- 
proved it. The premises subsequently passed 
into the hands of the present owner, who in 
the course of time made the additions and 
improvements which gave the place its pres- 
ent magnificent appearance. 

Joshua Ballard, before 1820, erected the 
house afterwards owned and occupied by I. 
M. Samson. The eastern part of this build- 
ing was fitted up for a store. In 1822 it 
was kept as a hotel and was afterwards 
owned and occupied by Col. Benajah Tubbs. 
In 1 8 19 Mr. Ballard removed to Cortland 
village. 

A little northward of the cabin built by 
John Ballard, Hezekiah Roberts erected a 
house on the southeast corner of the lot now 
occupied by A. T. Ney. He also built the 
house now occupied b}' James P. Sher- 
man ; but the dates when these buildings 
were erected are not now known. The lat- 
ter named house was, subsequent to the year 
1840, owned by Townsend Ross, and then 
by Oliver M. Shedd. It is stated that Rev. 
John Keep, who came to Homer in 1821 or 
1822, also resided here for several years, 
being succeeded by Chas. W. Lynde. Al- 
bert Sherman now owns and occupies the 
premises. 

The two houses on Main street, one at 
present owned by Miss Emily Ormsby and 
the other by G. Frazier, were evidently 
built at an early day ; they were formerly 
owned by E. and C. Shirley, who came to 
Homer about 1825. 

Andrew Burr, who occupied the house 
situated on the east side of Main street, 
directly south of the building erected on the 
corner of Albany street by Joshua Ballard, 
came to Homer from Connecticut in 1809. 
Who built the house occupied by him is 
uncertain. It was at first three stories in 
height and was used for a time as a hotel. 
Mr. Burr purchased the building and re- 
duced its height to two stories. 



( 



Town of Homer. 



207 



Jared Babcock came to the town at an 
early day and erected the building on the 
north side of Albany street, second house 
from the corner. He, in company with J. 
T. Clapp, also erected the building long 
known as the old brewery and were engaged 
ill the brewing of strong beer for many 
years. The business was disposed of to 
Almus Stebbins, who continued it mitil the 
building was burned. 

The residence next to that of Mr. Bab- 
cock on the east appears to have been built 
at an early day, but by whom is not known. 
Almus Stebbins began his residence there 
prior to 1830 and lived there a number of 
years. It was afterwards occupied by Mosely 
Clark, who was succeeded by Col. Eleazer 
May, both of whom died there at upwards of 
ninety years of age. Calvin Bosworth and 
family removed to the house next and re- 
mained for a time. 

Just east of the residence of Mr. Babcock 
and across the river at the stone bridge is a 
dwelling occupied by Charles Mead, the 
front portion of which was built by Clement 
Hayden in 181 5. The house on the oppo- 
site corner, occupied by George Martin, was 
also built at a very early day. A little north 
of this on what is now a vacant lot was the 
house of Isaac Chaffy, who was an early 
settler. He was a house joiner, was a 
member of the Congregational Church and 
of the choir, and for several years their or- 
ganist. 

Going northward from the present resi- 
dence of A. K. Hibbard we come to the 
site formerly occupied by Seth Shaw, where 
his dwelling stood at a very early day. The 
front of his house was two stories high, the 
rear but one, as it stood on the side hill. 
Mr. Shaw was a wheelwright and manufac- 
tured the wheels used in those days for 
spinning wool and flax. He was a brother- 
in-law of Titus Stebbins and died about 
1825 or 1826. 



In 1808 Adin Webb erected a dwelling 
house on the site now occupied by the 
Barber Block, but a few years afterward 
disposed of it and purchased a lot of Capt. 
Hezekiah Roberts, now occupied by the 
Baptist Church, where he built a house. 
He subsequently sold this to Chauncey 
Keep, and lived two years in the southern 
part of the village. In J 823 he removed 
to Cortland. 

Daniel Glover, an enterprising mechanic, 
occupied the first residence south of Mr. 
Clark's. He came to Homer in 1825, or 
1826. He, in company with others, erected 
"Mechanics' Hall" a few years afterward 
and subsequently purchased the house on 
North Main street of M. B. Butterfield, 
where he remained until he went to live 
with his son-in-law, where he died. His 
house in the soutli part of the village was 
for several years owned and occupied by 
Judah Pierce, sen., who died there. 

The oldest house now standing in the 
village of Homer was erected by Andrew 
Burr and is now owned by Miles Van Hoe- 
sen, it being a wing of the house in which 
he resides. It was used as a meeting-house 
for a time. 

In the year 1800 there were but six 
houses within the present corporation limits; 
these have been noticed in connection with 
the many others above referred to. In 
1798 the first school-house was erected; it 
stood about twelve rods bej'ond where the 
railroad crosses the road leading to Little 
York. The first grist-mill was also erected 
in that year, where the Darby mill now 
stands; there religious meetings were first 
held ; but there seems not to hav'e been any 
trading carried on up to this time. 

MERCANTILE INTERESTS. 

The first store in Homer village stood a 
little north of the present residence of J. A. 
Sherman ; it was, as was customary in early 



2o8 



History oi-' Curtland County. 



times, filled with a miscellaneous stock of 
goods for the retail trade, adapted to the 
wants of pioneers. The building was 
erected b\' Iliv.ekiah Roberts, who also 
built the house now occupied by Mr. Sher- 
man, prior to 1809. It is not known how 
long Mr. Roberts remained in the \'illage, 
or where he went. He appears to have 
been a man of some prominence in the 
community; was made the commander of 
an indei)endent company of light grenadiers 
which became famous for the excellence of 
its drill and discipline. In 1821 or 1822 
the Rev. John Keep took possession of the 
house erected by Mr. Roberts and resided 
in it several years. The house and store 
subsequently became the property of Chas. 
W. Lynde, who continued mercantile busi- 
ness for several years and resided in the 
house several years after closing his business. 
He accumulated considerable property, be- 
ing considered one of the wealthiest men 
in the place at the time he left. He was 
surrogate of the county from 1828 to 1831 
inclusive, and State Senator from 1831 to 
1 834 inclusive. He resided in Homer about 
twenty years and removed to New York, 
or Brooklyn, about the year 1840. The 
old store was occupied subsequent to Mr. 
L)-nde's period of trade by Giles Chittenden, 
and later by G. W. Sturtevant & Co., but 
was several years ago removed to the west 
part of the village, on Cayuga street, re- 
paired and fitted up for a dwelling. Hiram 
Herrick lived in it for a time and afterwards 
Oliver Arnold, whose heirs now own it. 

Some of the older residents of Homer 
believe that Reuben Washburne was the 
first merchant in the village; but if this is 
true, it cannot be definitely settled at this 
time. The old building he occupied was a 
frame structure and is now owned by Justin 
Pierce. It formerly stood between the 
Windsor House and William Sherman's 
" Homer Exchange, " and now stands just 



back of the latter building. Mr. Washburne 
died just before Mr. Sherman built his store, 
and upon the erection of the Exchange, the 
old .store was removed to its present position. 
Mr. Washburne raised a respectable 
family, one son becoming a ilistinguished 
physician. During the war he was surgeon 
of a New York regiment and died during 
that period. His widow, a daughter of ex- 
congressman Reed, formerly of Homer, is 
now in California. 

Goodwin states in his History that the 
first merchant in Homer was John Coats and 
that "his store stood on the ground near 
Harrop's sign post " (the Mansion House), 
but if so, it could not have been so early; 
as it was after he and Andrew Burr sold 
out their tannery before referred to and not 
much before 18 16, when Coats left town; 
nor could Coats and Burr, who erected 
their tannery in 1809 have been early 
enough to have afterwards established the 
pioneer store in the place. 

Jedediah Barber was the first permanent 
merchant who settled in the place. He 
came to the village in i8i i, but did not en- 
gage in the mercantile trade until 1813. 
The original part of his store, long known 
as the "Great Western," was erected about 
that time. He entered into business with 
limited means, but was very successful and 
eventually became the heaviest dealer in 
the Tioughnioga valley, establishing a finan- 
cial reputation unrivaled in the county.' 

The "Great Western" stood where the 
Keator block (former!)- called the Barber 
block) is now located and was known by 
that name up to the time it was burned. 
The Keator block was built on these 
grounds some ten years afterwards, the lot 

1 A wager was iiiacie between two men at one time rel- 
ative to the stock of goods Mr. Barliej- carried. One bet 
that any article of commercial value needed in the county 
could be found in his store. The other taking the bet, 
they called for a goose yoke. Upon inquiry it was 
found in stock and the bet was paid. 



Town of Homek. 



309 



being idle during tlie interim. Mr. Barber 
did more to improve and beautifs- the vil- 
lage of Homer than an)- other man and 
left a name identified with the history of 
the count)-. 

Benjamin Roberts hauled the first stock 
of goods sold by Mr. Barber from Albany 
in a four-horse wagon. He also moved 
Horace Wilson from Massachusetts to Ho- 
mer in 1824 or 1825, it taking three weeks 
to make the trip. 

William Sherman, the second pioneer 
merchant, came to Homer during the sum- 
mer of 18 1 5, and first engaged in the man- 
ufacture of nails. In 1827 he erected the 
"Homer Exchange," corner of Mill and 
Main streets, and for nearh' thirty years 
thereafter conducted a heav\' mercantile 
trade. 

About the year 1 8 19 Colonel Benajah 
Tubbs erected the building on the corner 
of Albany street, at present occupied by 
G. Chittenden. Mr. Tubbs was succeeded 
in the store b}' Thaddeus Archer, following 
whom came Horace White, Marsena Bal- 
lard and Amos Graves. The cost of the 
brick part of the structure was $4,000. 

Caleb Ballard, son of John Ballard, en- 
gaged in trade a few }-ears before his death 
in 1830. His brother, Marsena, succeeded, 
[nirchasing the goods left by his brother, 
but after a few years left the town. 

In 1853-54 Mr. Sherman built his new- 
brick structure to the south and adjoining 
the " Exchange." His brother, John Sher- 
man, and William E., now deceased, were 
at one time actively engaged in the mer- 
cantile business with him. John subse- 
quently left the firm and established the 
store on the corner of Main and Clinton 
streets, where W. A. Keilogg's residence 
is now, and continued there some time. 

George J.J. Barber succeeded his father, 
Jedediah, as a merchant, and afterwards 
formed a partnership with C. O. Newton, 



who has been engaged in mercantile busi- 
ness in the village for more than thirt\- 
years. George J. J. Barbtr is now a resi- 
dent of Syracuse. 

George W. Phillips is well-known in the 
county as an enterprising merchant of over 
thirty years' standing. Mr. Phillips has 
been nine years supervisor of the town and 
was assemblyman two years. 

Giles Chittenden was one of the success- 
ful earl)- merchants of the place. He com- 
menced business in Hezekiah Roberts's 
store, as before stated, and afterwards built 
the store now occupied by Geo. W. Phil- 
lips. He has been for fifty years a money 
lender and has accumulated a large fortune. 

Prior to the year 1849 the stores of the 
village were general in character, each car- 
rying a full line of all kinds of goods; but 
about the time mentioned business began 
to be divided, difterent merchants dealing 
in special lines. 

About 1854 Danziger Brothers began 
the manufacture of clothing on Main and 
James streets, where they carried on an ex- 
tensixe business for eight years, both whole- 
sale and retail. They are now located in 
Syracuse in the same business. O. H. Short, 
son of the well known Hammond Short, also 
carried on dr)- goods business tor a few years. 
He was succeeded by Kingsbur)- & Walrad 
in I 86 1, who traded in the Wheadon block 
until 1866, when W. H. Haines formed a 
partnership with Mr. Kingsbury, and under 
the name of Haines & Kingsbury did busi- 
ness in the Keator block (formerly the Bar- 
ber block) until 1869, when G. D. Daniels 
succeeded Mr. Haines, the firm name being 
Kingsbury & Daniels. In 1875 C. A, Skin- 
ner was taken into the firm, which is now 
known as Kingsbury, Daniels & Co. 

Arnold, Woodruff & Pierce formed their 
partnership in 1877. J. D. Hebard engaged 
in the trade of fancy goods and notions a 
year or so afterward, and is now- carrying a 



2IO 



History ok Cortland County. 



special line. In 1877 Miss E. S. Dresser & 
Co. established the millinery business and 
are still engaged in it. In 1880 Mrs. G. \V. 
Cottrell also began this trade, and in 1832 
Mrs. Baldwin, who was succeeded by Miss 
Libbie Fisher in the spring of 1883. Each 
of these ladies carries on a successful busi- 
ness. 

Grocers. — The general store of former 
times excluded special lines, and especially 
in the grocerj' business. The following short | 
sketch relates particularly to that branch of 
trade : The general store of early days sup- 
plied the inhabitants with all their family 
groceries ; this w as the case down to a com- 
paratively recent period. Not far from the 
year 1832, when "Mechanics' Hall" was j 
built, Benjamin Roberts kept a small gro- < 
eery in the east part of that building. Wm. 
Smith probably kept the next grocery store 
in the village. It was in the building now- 
occupied by ^Ir. Simmons as a meat market. 
Mr. Smith traded there a number of )'ears. 
Tiie special line of groceries was carried a 
number of years before the war by Horace 
Storr, and some time afterward b\' G. K. 
Farrington, who was succeeded in 1865 by 
P. F. Smith & Co. The firm soon changed 
to Riggs & Smith (1866) and remained such 
until 1877, when Smith sold out to Riggs. 
but in 1878 Mr. Smith bought out Mr. 
Riggs and now conducts the business. His 
store is well stocked and his trade is good. 
Mr. Smith's store was burned down on the 
1 6th of December, 1883. He immediately 
rebuilt and moved into his new and com- 
modious quarters during the month of Sep- 
tember following. 

L. P. Babcock began the grocery busi- 
ness in 1862. In 1868 he sold to his son, 
O. A. Babcock, who took in Geo. H. Daniels 
and traded with him until 1872, when Ljtle 
F'erguson bought Daniels out and remained 
until 1875. Wm. Gilkerson took his place 
in 1876 and sold out to John Gilkerson in 



1877, and was succeeded by Joseph Mapie- 
thorpe in 1878, but in 1879 Mr. Babcock 
took the store alone. His store was burned 
Deceml)cr 4tli, 1879. 

The firm of I'Vederick & Hovey was es- 
tablished in 1882, in the building erected by 
Henry Watrous, who had been in the gro- 
cer)- business some years previous. The 
business carried on bj- Andrews Brothers, 
grocers, was established by O. B. and Ho- 
mer Andrews in September, 1882. The 
present store building of Newcomb & 
Churchill was erected by F. T. Newcomb 
in 1878. Mr. O. C. Churchill bought out 
Mr. New comb in 1879 aiul in 1882 tlie pres- 
ent partnership was formed. 

Druggists. — The drug business was first 
conducted in Homer b\- Geo. Cook, who 
kept his stock on one side of his hat store. 
His establishment was on the corner of Main 
and Pine streets. He sold his stock to Ed- 
win Miles, who was succeeded bj- J. H. 
Munger and he b}' W. C. Coggeshall, who 
continued the business until December, 
1 87 1, when J. C. Atwater bought an inter- 
est. .\ few months later W. H. Kellogg 
became a member of the firm and they have 
since carried on the business together. Dr. 
Loomis kept a drug store for some years, 
and about the \-ear 1 86 1 John Watson put 
a line of drugs in his store; he was suc- 
ceeded in I 880 by C. .A. Watson. 

Confectioners. — The pioneer fruit and 
confectioner}- store of Homer was estab- 
lished b\' H. A. Kendall in 1846. He did a 
good business for a number of \'ears. Geo. 
W. Cottrell afterwards carried on the busi- 
ness and has been very successful. Jolinston 
Brothers established their store in 1877. In 
1880 H. H. Johnston took the business and 
has continued it to the present time. 

Manufactures, Milling, etc. — Clement 
Hayden began the business of cabinet ma- 
ker in Homer as early as 181 5, and for a 
time carried on quite an extensive business ; 



Town of Homer. 



21 I 



but, owing to the influence of some bad 
habits, became bankrupt. His house was 
the one at present occupied by Cliarles 
Mead, the largest portion of which was used 
as a cabinet shop. The house was subse- 
quently owned by Philip Putnam, and after- 
wards by Joseph Clapp, who erected one of 
the additions on the rear. Cabinet and fiu'- 
niture manufacture was next carried on in 
Homer by two brothers, E. and C. Shirk-)-, 
natives of New Hampshire, who came to 
Homer about 1825. The)- continued the 
trade for several years and became the own- 
ers of a lot on the west side of Main street 
(the north corner of what is now James 
street), where the)- erected a large addition 
to the building already on the lot. This 
building was consumed b)- fire some )'ears 
afterward. The Shirley brothers eventually 
dissolved partnership ; C. Shirley went to 
Syracuse and the other brother carried on 
business for some years in a shop on James 
street, w-ith sale rooms on Main street. 

William N. Brockwa)' began furniture 
manufacture in 1852. His large wareroom 
was kept filled with a variety of finel}- made 
and finished goods ; he employed a number 
of skilled hands and built up a very large 
trade. His place of business was first lo- 
cated on the corner of Cayuga and Main 
streets, where he also carried on the busi- 
ness of undertaking. In 1855 he removed 
into the handsome warerooms now occu- 
pied by Tripp & Williams, where he con- 
tinued until 1882, when the above named 
firm succeeded him. Injanuar)-, 1884, Mr. 
Tripp went out of the firm, leaving Mr. 
Williams sole proprietor. 

The first saddle and harness business in 
Homer was probably carried on by An- 
drew Burr, who began the enterprise prior 
to 1 8 16, while he was yet engaged in the 
tannery business. For man)- )-ears there- 
after he followed this trade very success- 
fully. Eight or ten years later Mr. Burr 



formed a partnership with Hammond Short, 
who came to Homer from De Ruyter, Mad- 
ison county; they continued together for 
several )-ears. In the mean time Mr. Short 
erected the house south of Mr. Burr's resi- 
dence, now occupied by Thomas S. Ran- 
ne)- ; he also built another structure on the 
same lot which he occupied as a harness 
shop, in w-hich he continued the business 
several )'ears succeeding the dissolution of 
the firm, and until the erection of Mechan- 
ics' Hall, in 1833, when he removed his 
business into that building, taking forty feet 
of the eastern front. This building, for 
man)- )-ears the most pretentious in the \-il- 
lage, was erected by a compan)- consisting 
of Horace Babcock, Hammond Short, Dan- 
iel Glover and a Mr. Bliss. Mr. Burr pur- 
chased the building previously occupied by 
Mr. Short, and removed it to the opposite 
side of the street, where he continued the 
harness business for some \-ears. He died 
in 1872. Both Mr. Short and Mr. Burr 
had the reputation of being reliable me- 
chanics and enterprising business men. 

C. H. Wheadon w-as long engaged in 
this branch of manufacture and trade, be- 
ing at first associated with Mr. Short, and 
continuing alone during a period of more 
than thirty years in all. Ira Tubbs was 
was also a harness maker for sexeral years, 

I occup)'ing a shop in the Mechanics' Hall. 

! R. B. Newcomb began the business in 
1869, and in 1878 sold out to his son, W. 

j B. Newcomb, who still continues it. C. A. 

! Ford & Co. ha\e been engaged in the trade 

\ since 1872, at w-hich time the)- bought out 
Mr. Wheadon. 

George Murra)- established the hardware 
trade and tin and copper manufacturing in 
Homer in 1842. His store was the pioneer 
in the village in that line ; he continued for 
many )-ears, until succeeded b)- his sons, 
G. & J. Murra)-, in 1869, who enlarged the 
stock, extetided the scope of the business 



212 



History of Cokti.and County. 



and built u[) a \'cr\' lart^c trailc. J. J. Mur- 
ray is now the sole proprietor ; it is tlie 
only hardware store in Homer. 

Samuel H. Hitchcock came tu the tovvii 
at an earl)- tia\-. ills father, Peter Hitch- 
cock, who lonj; resided with his son, was 
elected one of the deacons of the first church 
of Homer upon its organization. Mr. 
Hitchcock settled first upon the land re- 
cently owned by David Hannum, near the 
summit of the hill ; his brother-in-law, John 
I5ement, also settled near him. Thoc two 
men erected a tanner)-, but how long thc)- 
continued the business we have been unable 
to learn. The)- were both practical boot 
and shoe makers, and subseijuently moved 
to the village, where Mr. Hitchcock carried 
on the latter business in a building owned 
by Mr. Rowen, on Main street. It is stated 
on good authority that Hitchcock & Bc- 
ment obtained from the government the 
first patent for securing the soles of boots 
and shoes to the uppers with w-ooden pegs. 

Daniel Glover removed to Homer from 
De Ruyter, Madison county, about the )-ear 
1825 or 1826. He was a thrift)' mechanic, 
and followed boi)t and shoe making for many 
years. He was one of the company that 
erected Mechanics' Hall, and continued his 
business in that building for several years. 

Lorenzo Bennett was an early boot and 
shoe maker, and was succeedeil by Bene- 
dict & Corey. In 1845 Asa Core)- was 
succeeded by David B. Corey, and contin- 
ued until 1 86 1, when A. H. Bennett suc- 
ceeded Mr. Benedict. In 1877 Mr. Corey 
died, and since that time Mr. Bennett has 
successfully carried on the business. 

Messrs. Chollar & Jones kept a prosper- 
ous boot and shoe store in the place for a 
number of years, beginning in 1849. They 
were practical business men, well c|ualified 
for their work, and secured a liberal patron- 
age. After a partnershij) of seven years 
Mr. Chollar continuetl the business alone 



until 1879, wlicii he was succeeded by Al- 
len & Shattuck, who still continue it. In 
1874 C. I-",. Wills began this trade in a small 
wa)-, and, with considerable increase in his 
stock, is now engaged in it. 

The first silversmith in the \illage of 
Homer, who made a permanent location, 
was John Osborne. He erected a building 
directly east of the one on the corner of 
Main street, north of (iiles Chittenden's 
present residence, and w hich \\ as used for a 
long time as the post-office. Mr. Osborne 
came to Homer about the year 1826, and 
followed his calling until somewhat ad- 
vanced in age, when he sold his business 
and spent the remainder of his life in retire- 
ment ; he died many years since. He was 
succeeded in this line by I). U. R. Ormsby, 
whiise honorable business career extended 
over many years. George Dana traded after 
this for a time, but left the village in 1881. 
J. J. Reider began the business in 1879, and 
is now the onl)' jeweler in the village. 

Matthias Cook came to Homer about the 
year 1809, and began the manufacture of 
hats — the first establishment of the kind 
in Homer. He erected a building suitable 
for his purpose, which is still standing near 
the river. Mr. Cook was a young man 
possesseil nf industr)' ,uul integrit)-, and 
built up a successful trade. He was made 
county clerk in 1821 ; Member of Assem- 
bl)- in 1824, antl received a second nom- 
ination in 1831. but was defeated by An- 
drew Dickson. This e\ent produced sucli 
a depressing efifect u])on .Mr. Cook's mind 
as to partiall)- unsettle his reason, in which 
condition he committed suicide in No\'em- 
ber, 1831. .After Mr. Cook's death his 
son, B. K. Cook, succeeded to his father's 
business; but his death about the year 
1832 transferred the establishment to his 
brother, George Cook, who continued it for 
many years, graduall)- relinquishing the 
manufacturing branch. 



Town of Homer. 



213 



C. A. Collins, hatter and clothier, began 
business in 1850, and still carries a stock of 
hats, though his principal trade is in ready- 
made clothing. I'. Higbee is also engaged 
in the same business. He was associated 
with Mr. Babcock from 1877 to iiS7g, and 
witli Mr. Darb\- until recently. The mer- 
chant taik)ring business in Homer, formerly- 
conducted by C. A. Collins, has been since 
1S82 in the competent hands of Mr. D. B. 
Quick. 

In 1798 the first grist-mill in the town, as 
it was also the first in the count}', was 
erected by John Keep, Solomon Hubbard 
and Asa White. It was biu-ned in 1840 and 
at once rebuilt as the present Uarby mill. 
The first stones were procured from the 
bank east of Lyman Hubbard's. The bolts 
were purchased by Mr. White in Utica. 
The mill in its original condition produced 
flour of a ver}' ordinary' character; but it 
being the onI\' one in the county, the in- 
habitants were not disposed to be very par- 
ticular as to the fineness or qualitx' of their 
flour. Mr. White subsec]uentl)- jjurchased 
the interests of his partners and refitted and 
greatly improved the mill. The structure 
was at that time probably the most preten- 
tious and imposing building in the place; 
for there religious meetings, public gather- 
ings, social parties and balls were held. At 
one of the early social parties the managers 
were placed in a rather unpleasant predica- 
ment, as neither rum nor molasses was to be 
found in town. The lack of these necessa- 
ries at a ball in those days would luu-e been 
considered almost an unpardonable breach 
of gallantr}' on the part of the gentlemen, 
so a special messenger was dispatched post 
haste a distance of thirty miles to Manlius 
Square, for a gallon of rum and half as much 
molasses, with which "black strap" was 
made for the company. The grist-mill 
passed through many hands. Messrs. Bowen 
& Goodell owned it in 1855. Tovvnsend 



Ross and Noah R. Smith each owned it for 
a time. In 1863 Darby & Wilcox sold ft to 
L. & L. Darby, who transferred it to Stone 
& Sheldon in 1865. In 1871 Darby & Son 
bought it and in 1871 Darby & Huntington 
were the owners. In 1875 L. &W. H. Darby 
took it and in 1880 the present owner, W. 
H. Darby, became the proprietor. The mill 
has four run of stone and grinds 15,000 
bushels of wheat annuall}-. 

Adjoining the old mill built b)- Keep, 
Hubbard and White, was a wool carding 
and cloth dressing mill built by Analgias 
Jenks at a very early day. It was a great 
convenience to the people and did a large 
business. There were a number of proprie- 
tors, among whom were Henry Devoe, Jus- 
tin Pierce and Simeon S. Bradford. The 
mill was burned in 1841 and was not re- 
built. 

Aaron Benedict built the original grist- 
mill on the site of the present stone mill, 
south of the village, having bought the site 
of Daniel Knapp ; it was a frame building 
and gave place to the stone structure, built 
by Dr. Lewis Riggs in 1837 ; he sold it to 
Mr. Westcott. J. A. Tisdale is the present 
owner and has recently converted it to a 
roller mill. A saw-mill was connected with 
this grist-mill for many years. 

The original cotton factory that stood op- 
posite the present stone structure, now used 
as a grist-mill by Geo. W. Southwick, was 
built soon after the beginning of the cent- 
ury by Asa White. It was a profitable en- 
terprise until it was burned soon after the 
War of 181 2. A grist-mill was then built 
on or near that site, but that was torn down 
to give place to the present stone structure, 
which was erected by a stock company in 
1834. In the company were Jedediah Bar- 
ber, Wm. Sherman, Colonel Williams, Judge 
Berry and others. Its use was abandoned 
for quite a period. J. O. Pierce & Co. bought 
it in 1S51 and kept it eight years. In 1859 



214 



History of Cortland County. 



it was sold to J. B. Kent, now a merchant 
in Syracuse. In 1862 John L. Boorum & 
Co. purchased it, dismantled it of the cot- 
ton machinerj- and arranged it for flax- 
breaking purposes. It then was idle a few 
years previous to its being changed to a 
grist-mill by its present owner in 1875. 
Barney Payne was a member of the firm of 
J. O. Pierce & Ci). During their proprietor- 
ship tiiere were 5 i looms and 2,400 spindles 
in the factory. They manufactured wide 
cloths, sheeting, batting and flour sacks. 
Steam power was added in 1852, and the 
basement was used as a machine shop for 
building and repairing. On the second floor 
was the carding and spinning and on the 
third weaving, while the fourth was devoted 
to spinning and dressing. The cotton was 
bought in New York and the manufactured 
goods returned there for sale. Belonsine 
to the factory were thirty or forty acres of 
land on which stood thirteen or fourteen 
tenement houses for the employees. Labor 
was then very cheap. W'eavers worked b\- 
the rut and could earn but from $2.50 to 
$5.00 a week. Skillful spinners received 
twent}- shillings and board ; mule spinners 
$9.00 a week and other hands about $2 a 
week. They were paid off every three 
months, but in the mean time credit was 
given them at the general store on the prem- 
ises and belonging to the firm. Cotton was 
then worth from seven and a half to eleven 
cents a pound and although wages were low 
this industry, with its large number of em- 
ployees, served to keep up a good degree of 
activity in the village. 

William Sherman came to Homer village 
in the summer of 1815 and located near the 
cooper shop. He soon after erected a ma- 
chine shop for the manufacture of nails — 
the first factory of the kind in the State. 
The machinery was adapted to feed, cut and 
head the nails, without manual assistance. 
On the liead of each nail was stamped the 



letter "S." Four-penny nails were then 
worth twenty-five cents a pound. Mr. Sher- 
man and Mr. Barber were aLso engaged in 
the manufacture of oil at an early period. 

The first cooperage was done in the \il- 
lage b)- Benjamin S\-monds at an early day ; 
he was located between the residence of Mr. 
Cook and the river, and continued the busi- 
ness until late in his life, when he was fol- 
lowed by his sons. They finally sold out 
and went to Katon, Madison county. 

The tannery now owned by Abel Gere 
was originally established by Chester Col- 
lins and p;iijah Pierce. It was built for them 
b}- Hosea Sprague, who removed a build- 
ing from near the site which had been used 
as a pottery. The building was erected in 
' 1825 and was burned in 1878, when the 
present structure was built. Twent)--fi\-c 
years ago Thomas Boland owned the prop- 
; erty, continuing it for eight years. Wm. 
Coggeshall succeeded him for eight j^ears, 
and in 1875 the present owner took it. 

Jacob Sanders, jr., located in Homer \il- 
lage in the fall of 1825, erected buildings 
and began the foundr}- business on a very 
limited scale at first. His bellows used to 
raise the heat for melting ore was moved 
by horse-power. This foundry was on the 
east side of Main street at the southern end 
of the village. The iron plow had been in- 
vented not long previous and Mr. Sanders 
entered quite largely into the manufacture 
of this necessary farm tool. His business 
constantly increased and in 1838 he erected 
the building on the opposite side of the 
street, enlarged his plant and put in a ma- 
chine shop. This structure was burned on 
the night before elecfion in 1 844, but the 
steam-engine was saved. Mr. Sanders im- 
mediately rebuilt and continued the busi- 
ness until 1853, when he transferred the 
property to J. W. & A. Stone, who have 
for the long period since that time con- 
ducted the establishment. The\- no\\- manu- 




''__,/:7 -^-Y/^C/:^- 



'U 



^a^^^e^'. 



Town of Homer. 



215 



facture circular saw-mills, mill and general 
machinery, farming machinery, etc. 

The edge tool manufactory of R. Hlan- 
shan & Co. stood on the cast bank of the 
river and was run by steam, for the manu- 
facture of a.xes and other edge tools. The 
building was erected b)' William Heberd, a 
brother-in-law of Jedediah Barber. The 
business wasoriginally begun prior to 181 2. 

Messrs. Gross & Robinson began the 
manufacture of writing ink in Homer in 
1853, on a rather limited scale. They 
made the American chemical writing fluid, 
which attained a large sale. The business 
is now abandoned. 

The planing-mill and carpenter shop of 
George W. Almy was erected in 1853. Tiie 
building was thirt}- b_\' si.vty feet and a 
fifteen horse-power engine drove the ma- 
chiner\-. A turning shop was afterward 
built for the manufacture of tool handles. 
A large business was carried on for a num- 
ber of years. A shoe- peg factor}- was 
afterwards placed in the same building. 
The mill was run b}' Hicok, Barber & Co., 
until their failure a few years since. 

The great cutter manufactory of Gage, 
Hitchcock & Co. was first established by 
Gage & Bishop in 1868. The firm manu- 
factured during their first year 105 cutters 
and emplo\ed but one man. The original 
firm continuetl until 1879, when it was 
changed to its present composition. In 
that year 3,000 cutters were made; in 
1880, 8,000; in 1 88 1, 14,000; in 1882, 
15,000, and in 1883, 15,000. About 100 
men are employed and their product is 
shipped to all parts of the Northern States. 

The butter firkin factor)- of S. M. Clark 
was established in 1873, and is now- manu- 
facturing about 15,000 tubs and 10,000 
pails annually, giving employment during 
the bus)- season to twelve to fifteen men. 

Westcott's foundr)- and machine shop 
was established by George N. Westcott, in 



1877. It is a successfully managed estab- 
lishment, doing an exclusive jobbing busi- 
ness, and is well supplied with machiner)- 
and tools for general custom work. 

The Hon-ier oil cloth manufacturing com- 
pany is becoming one of the leading in- 
dustries of the place. The compan)- was 
organized in 1882, since w'hich time the 
business has increased beyond the anticipa- 
tions of the managers. Under the efincient 
immediate direction of George Murray, jr., 
another large building is soon to be erected 
to meet the demands of the business. The 
capital stock of the company' was made 
$100,000, which will undoubtedl)' be in- 
creased. The product of the factor)- is 
carriage and floor oil-cloths, with a present 
capacity of 600 yards per da)-. The pres- 
ent officers of the compan)- are : Coleman 
Hitchcock, president; Charles O. Newton, 
vice-president; George Murray, jr., secre- 
tary and treasurer. The board of directors 
consists of Coleman Hitchcock, C. O. New- 
ton, George Murra)-, jr., Byron Ma.xson 
and W. F. Hitchcock. 

A manufacturing interest of importance 
was established in Homer in July, 1874, by 
Willett Fisher, for the production of the 
celebrated Fisher platform spring wagon 
gears. Only four or five men were em- 
ployed at the first, which number has in- 
creased to twenty-one. About 3,500 gears 
are manufactured annual!)-, which find a 
market in all parts of the countr)-. 

In the year 1875 \V. N. Brockw-a\- began 
the manufacture of platform spring wagons 
in Homer, in a building opposite the found- 
r)- at the southern end of the \illage. The 
first )-ear about fift)- wagons were turned 
out and an equal number of -buggies. Un- 
der good management the business rapidl)- 
increased, until it is one of the most prom- 
inent industries of the place. Several large 
new- buildings have been erected, nearer the 
center of the village, and a fifty horse 



2l6 



History of Cortland County. 



power cn^nnc funiislics motive ])o\ver for 
the cstablishiiieiit. Tlic blacksniitli shop luis 
twelve fires, is i6ob)- 30 feet and employs 
40 men in ironing the wajjons. About 150 
men arc employed and 2,500 excellent 
\ehicles are turned out aniuiall}'. 

The banking; business of Homer is now 
transacted b_\- the I'"irst National Hank w hicli 
was organized on the 7th of September, 
1878, with a cash capital of $100,000. 
lousiness was begun in this institution on 
the 8th of October of the year mentioned. 
The executive officers have remained un- 
changed since the organization, with one 
exception. They are G. N. Cojieland, presi- 
dent ; George Murray, xice-president ; W. 
H. Crane, cashier. The directors arc J. M. 
Schermerhorn, J. P. Cottrell, George Con- 
able, G. W. Phillips, A. W. II. .hart, Nathan 
l\.inne\-, P. C. Kingsbur)-, A. P'rancisco, 
with the president, \ice-president and 
cashier. 'Phc bank has been \ery success- 
ful and its credit is high. 

it will be inferred from the foregoing rc- 
\iew of the manufacturing and mercantile 
interests of Homer village that rapid strides 
in those directions have been made since 
the incorporation of the place ; indeed, a 
good deal had been accomplished in this 
respect previous to that event. The popu- 
lation had reached about one thousand, and 
it was generally belie\'ed that the \'illage 
would be the leading one of the county. 
But better facilities for communication with 
distant markets were sadly needed. All 
hopes of making the Tioughnioga river per- 
manently available as a commercial high- 
way had been gi\en up, and reliance placed 
upon State roads, teams, stage coaches and 
ordinary wagons. Prior to the opening of 
the Erie canal in 1825, the merchants' 
goods were brought up to Albany, then 
conve\-ed by land to Utica and thence to 
Homer; or, were sent through Wood creek, 
Oneida lake, Onondaga river and down the 



Tioughnioga. Wheat, potash and other 
products were either shipped on rafts and 
boats down the Tioughnioga and Susque- 
hanna rivers to Baltimore, or were trans- 
pt)rted to distant markets by teams. This 
unpromising state of affairs led to frequent 
and an.xious discussion of railroad connec- 
tiiiii with the outer world, resulting finall}' 
in the building of the Syracuse and Bingham- 
ton Railroad. The charter was first secured 
in 1836, but the road was not built antl 
opened for business until 1S54. iJeacon 
Amos Rice, Jedediah Barber and Israel 
Boies, of Plomer, were very prominent in 
forwartling this enterprise, which was des- 
tined to be of such vast importance to the 
tow 11. Further details of the construction 
and opening of this railroad will be found 
elsewhere in these pages. 

Incorporation. — By the year 1821 Ho- 
mer village had reached an important posi- 
tion in the count}'. There was not \'er\' 
nuich wealth in the place, but a good deal 
of business was done, princif)all)- in the 
way of exchange. Jedediah Barber, Cap- 
tain Tubbs, Hezekiah Roberts, Giles Chit- 
tenden, Keep & Dickson and Andrew Burr 
each had a store. The cotton factory and 
grist-mill were doing a prosperous business; 
numerous asheries and distilleries were in 
operation; travel was considerable, stages 
running north and south through the val- 
le\', from S\"racuse to Binghamton and Owe- 
go, and to De Ruyter. Goods were 
transported from Albany to Homer at one 
dollar per hundred pounds, and hotel pat- 
ronage was good. There were then (1821) 
but three brick houses in the village — that 
of Dr. Owen, where George Murray now 
resides, and those of Newell Jones and Cap- 
tain Tubbs. 

Mr. William O. Bunn came to the village 
in 1834 and has given us a brief description 
of the place at that time. The number of 
stores had considerabh' increased. Russell 



Town of Homer. 



217 



Williams carried on a general trade in a 
wooden bnilding where \\'. Kellogg's resi- 
dence is now located, and William and John 
Sherman where John Arnold is now. Dea- 
con Loammi Kinney, now more than eighty 
years old, cut and made clothing for the 
gentry in a little shop standing on ground 
now occujiied b\- the Homer bank. Har- 
din Slocum was located near by in a gun 
shop, where he repaired and made guns for 
many years. Mr. Barber's store stood where 
the Keator block now is. Coye & Stone 
had a wagon shop where the Wheadon block 
stands. Joel Heberd was near by in a gen- 
eral store and just south of him Dr. Lewis 
Riggs was located. Harr\' Coburn sold 
groceries, and Mr. Southwick was conduct- 
ing the cotton factory. Cahin Slocum 
kept the hotel which is now the Hotel 
Windsor. Wm. Heberd was offering cast 
steel axes (work done by Stephen \'ail) at 
$1.75 ; old axes jumped and ground for 
seven shillings, as we learn from the Cort- 
land Observer. Giles Chittenden was deal- 
ing in dry goods. Miles Morgan and E. & 
C. Shirle)^ were in the cabinet business. 

Such was the general business aspect of 
the village when steps were taken for its 
incorporation. P"or this purpose a meeting 
of the inhabitants was called in the base- 
ment of the old Calvary Church, which was 
long used as a town hall, on the first Tues- 
day in June, 1835, under and in pursuance 
of the act of Legislature, entitled an act to 
incorporate the village of Homer, passed 
May iith, 1835. Augustus Donnell\- and 
Lewis B. Canfield presided as inspectors of 
the election of trustees directed to be chosen. 
Candidates were voted for separately, re- 
sulting as follows : Augustus Donnelly, 
David Coye, Russell Williams, Hammond 
Short, Lewis S. Owen, Geo. J. J. Barber. 
Jonathan Hubbard was chosen clerk. 

These trustees held a meeting at the office 
of Augustus Donnelly on the i8th of June, 



at which Mr. Donnelly was elected presi- 
dent of the board. The board again con- 
vened on the 25th of June, and their first 
enactment was as follows : — 

"It is hereby ordained by the trustees of the 
village of Homer, that from and after the first 
day of July next, all firingof crackers and squibs 
be prohibited at all time; that all firing of can- 
non, guns and pistols, ringing of bells, making 
any noise so as to disturb the quiet of the inhab- 
itants within the corporation between the hours 
often o'clock in the evening and four o'clock in 
the morning, be prohibited, under the penalty 
of five dollars for each offence." 

The following arc the present officers of 
the village : — 

. Trustees — Coleman Hitchcock, Joseph 
W^atson, Frank T. Newcomb. Philip Zim- 
mer and James A. Sherman. 

Clerk — John M. Coats. 

Treasurer — Charles O. Newton.' 

Police Justice — A. Judson Kneeland. 

Police Constable — Wm. A. Shirley. 

At the meeting of the village board on 
June 25th, above referred to, they resolved to 
take into consideration the expediency of rais- 
ing money for the purpose of building a fire 
engine house, procuring hooks, ladders and 
" for such other business as shall be deemed 
necessary." For this purpose a special 
meeting was called for Friday, the 3d day 
of July. It was there decided to build a 
suitable house, large enough to contain two 
engines, the building to be located in the 
center of the public green ; the cost to be 
$150. A small hand engine was subse- 
quently bought, which is still in use and 
sustaining the reputation it has always 
borne for efficienc)' in extinguishing fires, 
in spite of its insignificant size. The little 
engine-house is also still standing. 

These were the facilities for extinguishing 
fires until in March, 1873, when steps were 
taken towards the purchase of a steam fire 

1 Mr. Newton failing to qu.ilify, the board appointed 
W. TI. Crane, who now fills tlie ofhce. 



2l8 



History of Cortland County. 



engine. This was accomplished at a cost 
of $5,600, including hose cart, 1,000 feet 
of hose and other appurtenances. Hoel 
Pierce was the first engineer, at a salary of 
$125 a year. .\ W. Hobart, C. Collins 
and John Van Hoescn were made a com- 
mittee to purchase a lot for the engine 
house. This resulted in the purchase from 
T. D. Chollar of a lot 28 feet front and 
43^ feet deep on James street, for which 
$285 was paid. The engine house was 
built in 1873 b\- -A. H. Pcrr\- at a cost of 
$2,100. 

Post-Office. — Townsend Ross was the 
first postmaster in the \'illage of Homer. 
The office was first located in a building 
near the store of George W. Phillips. John 
Osborne was the second official in the office, 
and he was followed b\- Dr. Lewis Riggs, 
who came to Homer 1818. Then there 
were successively in the office, George Ross, 
J. P. Stone, G. J. J. Barber, A. \\'. Kings- 
bur}' and the present incimibent, Newell 
Jones. Each of the last three mentionetl 
held the position eight years. I-"ivc mails 
are received and distributed daih- from the 
post-oflice at the present time. 

Hotels. — The first tavern established in 
Homer village was kept by John Ballard; 
it was opened to the little public soon after 
Mr. Ballard came in, in 1803. He pur- 
chased his farm on the west side of Main 
street and built his log cabin on the ground 
now occupied b\^ the residence of J. M. 
Schermerhorn ; to this he added a room 
inclosed with boards and hung out his sign 
of entertainment. It is probable that this 
pioneer hotel was not kept open more than 
a short time. 

The first permanent hotel in the village, 
was what is now the Hotel Windsor, which 
was built by Major Stimson, who conducted 
it for many years. In 1829 he was suc- 
ceeded by Calvin Slocun>, who continued it 
until 1850. Thomas Harrop was the ne.xt 



proprietor of the house ; he gave it his own 
name, but retired five years later and was 
followed by L. Van Anden ; the house en- 
joyed a prosperous career as Van Anden's 
Hotel. He was followetl b\- John Patten, 
who kept it for several years, since which 
time there have been numerous changes in 
the management, which need not be special- 
ly alluded to. The present proprietors, 
Thomas White & Son, took the house in 
1883, and under their experienced direction 
it has become a popular one. 

The Mansion House was erected about 
the same time as the other house. The 
The e.xact dates in either case are not 
1 available, but it is generally believed both 
houses in their original form, were built as 
early as the War of 1812. Judge Bowen 
was probabl}- the first landlord of the Man- 
sion House, and afterwards his son, Oren 
Bowen, kept it down to 1853, when it was 
sold to Amos Graves. T. D. Chollar was 
the next owner (1859) but three years later 
he sold it to Richard Beck, of New York, 
whose heirs still own it. The house was 
leased to Thomas \\'hite in i860, he suc- 
ceeding Thomas Harrop, who had con- 
ducted it as a temperance house under Mr. 
Chollar's ownership. In 1868 Ingles & 
Mills took the house for three years. A 
Mr. Tripp then occupied it ; then Thomas 
White until 1877; John Klock until 1879; 
George Crane until 1881; Thomas White 
again until 1883. In April of that year 
the property passed under the management 
of John R)'an, the present proprietor. 

The third hotel in the village was the 
building at present occupied and owned as 
a dwelling house by Miles Van Hoesen. 
It was not open to the public ver\' long. 

The fourth public house was built in 
1 8 16 by Joshua Ballard, and is at present 
used as a store and dwelling by I. M. Sam- 
son. Peter Westerman kept it for a time 
about 1824. He was followed by Benajah 



Town of Homer. 



219 



Tubbs, who was there in 1832. Jud^e 
Harris, a son-in-law of Mr. Tubbs, then 
kept it for a time and was followed bj' Geo. 
W. Samson, 1838-39; Hiram Bishop, 
1848-50; George VV. Samson to 1853; 
I. M. Samson, his son, from 1853 to 1873, 
when it was closed to the public. 

A glimpse over the local newspapers 
twenty years after the incorporation of the 
village (1855) will give us an indication of 
its growth and its business status at that 
time. Here we find notice of a meeting 
of the stockholders of the American Chem- 
ical Ink Company, of which H. H. Gross 
was president. Babcock & Kinney an- 
nounced a great rush at the Homer clothing 
store. Wm. Sherman & Son were in the dr\- 
goods trade and made announcement indi- 
cating a thrivingbusiness. Mrs. Preston dec- 
orated the heads of the ladies, and Chester A. 
Collins was then doing a successful business 
as a merchant tailor. George W. Phillips 
offered to make hafd times easier by selling 
his dr)- goods cheaper than the cheapest. 
C. O. Newton, grocer\'man, advertised a 
large stock of goods, but during the follow- 
ing year formed a copartnership with Geo. 
J. J. Barber and V. T. Stone, in the "Great 
Western." Paris Barber was engaged in 
the lime, plaster and sand trade. ChoUar 
& Jones were in a shoe store in the north 
half of the Bank block, doing a business 
of $10,000 a year. E. F. Phillips carried 
a stock of gloves, etc., and Lorenzo Ben- 
nett of boots and shoes. E. H. Osborne, 
and Geo.W. Bradford were selling books, and 
Hepry B. Burr was in the insurance busi- 
ness. Ray-mond Smith was manufacturing 
wagons near the southern ri\'er bridge and 
Wm. N. Brockway had just entered his new 
furniture warerooms. Chas. W. Wheadon 
announced the removal of his stock of new 
harness, saddlery, etc., a few doors south 
of J. Barber's store. D. D. R. Ormsby 
was in the jewelry business, while L. P. 



Wood sold the heavier metals in the shape 
of iron and copper ware at No. 8 Sherman 
Building. Bennett & Woodruff sold cloths 
and clotliing. W. P. Beck was the well known 
daguerrean artist. A. Roberts, who had 
purchased the grocery store of Wm. R. 
Smith, advertised ice for sale. What is now 
the Hotel Windsor was then \'an .\nden's 
Hotel, while the Mansion House was then 
occupied b\- Thomas Harrop, for many 
years a popular landlord. W. L. & C. A. 
Morgan kept a restaurant under Wheadon's 
Hall. R. D. Cornwell & Co. had a liverj' 
stable and ran a daily line of stages to Glen 
Haven. J. C. Terry also was in the livery- 
business. J. Ball, G. W, Bradford, Josiah 
Patterson, C. Green and W. R. Brown were 
the physicians of the place. 

Schools. — The first school-house erected 
in the village of Homer was located about 
twelve rods beyond where the railroad 
crosses the wagon road leading to Little 
York. The second school building stood on 
the public green ; it was a small, rude aftair 
and was built prior to i8oi. The third build- 
ing for school purposes was also erected on 
the green ; it was a two-story structure in 
which were employed two teachers. This 
building stood until the y-ear 1839, when it 
was sold at auction and bid off by " Squire " 
Canfield for the Methodist Church society. 
In it the first court in the county was held 
prior to 1809. The building' is at present 
owned by Pembroke Pierce and stands on 
the corner of ICagle and Cayuga streets In 
the year 1 8 19 the first academy building 
was erected. It was originally two stories 
high and of wood, 54 by 32 feet in dimen- 
sions ; subsequent additions were made until 
it was 54 by lOO feet. It was used until 1 869, 
when the present handsome structure was 
erected. 

Joshua Ballard was the first teacher in the 
town of Homer ; but it is not now known 
how long he presided in either of the early 



220 



History of Cortland County. 



school-houses. The next teacher of ])ronii- 
nence was Adin Webb, who is described as 
"a tall, straight, sprightly young man, dig- 
nified in deiiieanor and with a good educa- 
tion." With but <Mie year as an exception 
Mr. Webb taught seventeen successive 
j'ears. He was a native of Windham county. 
Conn. ; his father was one of tile heroes of 
the Revolution and served in that portion 
of the army that was engaged in the battle 
of Bennington and the capture of Burgoync. 
In 1800 Mr. Webb was married to Deborah 
Carter, and the\- came with his parents to 
this State, locating near Cazenovia lake. 
In 1805 he was solicited b\- friends to come 
to Homer and teach the village school for a 
term of ten months. Being a capable singer 
he taught singing school at the same time, 
and being successful in both \ocations, he 
decided to remain and make his permanent 
home in Homer. During the whole period 
of his residence here he was leader of the 
choir in the Congregational Church.' 

In this connection mention should be 
made of the name of Stephen W. Clark, 
who for a number of )-ears was principal of 
the Academy. He was a man of varied at- 
tainments and was the author of an analysis 
of the English language, an etymological 
chart and a practical grammar, in which 
words and phrases are classified according 
to their offices and their various relations to 
one another, all of which works met with 
general recognition. Mr. Clark was the third 
son of Joseph and Mary Clark, and younger 
brother of M}Mon H. Clark, e.x-governor of 
New York. He was born at Naples, N. Y., 
April 24th, 1 8 10. After spending his earlier 
years in agricultural pursuits in his native 
town and as a mercantile clerk in Canan- 
daigua, he finished his preparatory studies 
in Franklin Academy, Prattsburg, N. Y., 
and entered Amherst College in 1833. Here 

1 Further reference to Mr. Webb'.s life will be found 

in the liisl()r\' of the town of C\)rtlan(l. 



he devoted himself especially to the study 
of natural sciences, graduating with honor 
in 1837. He soon entered upon his chosen 
profession and followed teaching almost 
withotit interruption for man}- years. He 
was at different times principal of Croton 
Academy, the Monroe Collegiate Institute, 
East Bloomficld .\cadem_\' and Cortlantl 
Academy. 

From the common school which was so 
long and so successfully taught by Adin 
Webb on the sj^aciotis "green" grew the 
Cortland Academy, which has for si.xt)--five 
years nestled among the chtirches, gradu- 
ally and siux'U' earning a rc])titation and 
making for itself a history honorable to its 
conductors and to the county. The academy 
was chartered under its present name on the 
2d of Eebruar)-, 1819. Among its original 
trustees were Rev. l^lnathan Walker, Dr. 
Lewis S. Owen, Dr. John Miller, John Os- 
borne, Chaimcey Keep, David Coye, Noah 
R. Smith and Rufus Boies. Revs. Alfred 
Bennett, John Keep and Hon. E. C. Reed 
were soon after elected to fill vacancies in 
the board. Prosperit}- attended the school 
almost from its first opening. The inhab- 
itants of Homer and surrounding towns took 
a deep and abiding interest in the institu- 
tion, patronized the school liberallj- and 

I aided its success in man\' other ways. It 
soon became the most popular and widely- 

' known institution of learning within a cir- 
cuit of man}' miles. The only endowment 
ever possessed by the academy, other than 
the good will of the people, was the use of 
a county school lot, which was sold in 1835 
for $3,733. The prosperit}' of the academ}- 
continued until the breaking out of the Re- 
bellion, which partiall}' paralyzed its work 
for a time. 

In 1873, an unsuccessful cftbrt having 
been made to secure an endowment, and 
the condition of educational matters in the 
village demanding the prox'ision of better 



Town of Homer. 



221 



facilities fisr free instruction, fi\e districts 
were mainly consolidated in Union District 
No. I , of Homer, the trustees of the acad- 
emy resigned their trusts, according to law, 
to a board of education, the district as- 
sumed all the indebtedness of the academy, 
and guaranteed to maintain a first-class 
classical and academic tlcpartment, and the 
school was reorganized under the present 
system and name. Each year since this 
change was effected has increasingh- shown 
its wisdom and witnessed the growing pros- 
perity and success of the institution. 

It is impossible in this brief sketch to 
name the subordinate teachers who, during 
all these \'ears, have helped forward the 
good work of the school ; much less can the 
man\' noble names enrolled among the grad- 
uates of Homer be here recorded. The first 
principal of the academy was Prof Catlin. 
He was shortly succeeded by Prof Noble 
D. Strong. Then came Prof A\'er\', now 
of Hamilton College ; Prof Franklin Sher- 
rill, and Dr. Taylor, now of Auburn. In 
1830, Dr. Samuel H. W'oolworth, now Sec- 
retary of Board of Regents, accepted the 
principalship, which position he held for 
twenty-two years. To him the school was 
greatly indebted for its prosperity' and com- 
manding influence during this period and 
for years succeeding. He was followed b\' 
Prof Stephen W . Clark, who remained for 
twelve years. Then, during the trying days 
of the academy's history, came successively 
Profs. Nichols, Sanford and Manley. The 
first year following the reorganization the 
school was under the charge of Prof C. W. 
Verrill, since which time (1871) it has been 
under the care of Prof Kzra J. Peck, A. M. 

A substantial fund is in trust for the acad- 
em\-, through the bequest of Zebadiah Co- 
burn, tiie avails of which are used in pay- 
ment of tuition for Christian _\-oung men of 
all denominations who stud)- here in prep- 
aration for the university. 



The present instructors of the academy 
are: E.J. Peck, A. M., principal; Latin 
and Greek. Miss C. E. Hutchings, A. B., 
preceptress ; Higher English, French and 
German. H. Frank Miner, A. B., mathe- 
matics and natural science. Charles V. 
Coon, preparatory. William A. Coon, first 
intermediate department. Mrs. H. M. Shel- 
don, second intermediate department. Miss 
F"lora Copeland and Miss Kmily C. Ormsby, 
third intermediate department. Mrs. S. C. 
Webb, first primary department. Miss 
Elma L. Williams, second primary depart- 
ment. 

The board of education consists of Wm. 
A. Robinson, president, Thomas D. Chol- 
lar, Edward J. Bockes ; terms e.Kpire 1885. 
Vernon T. Stone, George Murra)-, jr., 
Sumner C. Webb, M. D. : terms expire 
1883. J. Clayton Atwater, Caleb Green, 
M. D., George W. Phillips; terms expire 
1884. 

CHURCHE.S. 

The First Baptist Church. — The three 
Baptist Churches, namely, in Homer, Cort- 
land and McGrawville, having had a com- 
mon origin in the original Baptist Church 
of the old town of Homer, it is proper that 
a preliminary sketch should be made in this 
place, beginning in the spring of 1793, 
after four or five families had moved in and 
made a permanent settlement, and reaching 
up to the organization of the present socie- 
ty in 1827. 

The first inhabitants of Homer, irrespec- 
tive of creed, met in common on the Sab- 
bath for worship, until the )-ear 1 80 1, when 
circumstances occurred which led the Bap- 
tist members of the little community to 
make provision for their divine worship. 
On the 3d day of October, 1801, sixteen 
persons united and were publicl\- recognized 
as a Baptist Church. The council consisted 
of Rev. James Bacon, New Woodstock ; 



222 



History of Cortland County. 



Rev. Natliaii liaker, De Ruyter. witli one 
la)- brotlicr, and Rev. Joseph Cornell, a 
missionary wlio was providentially present. 
This was the first church of an)' denomina- 
tion formed within the limits of Cortland 
county; but it was only nine da)'S earlier 
than the organization of the Congregational 
Clnirch. The names of the first members 
of the Baptist society were John Keep, 
Joseph Beebe, Daniel Crandall, Peleg Bab- 
cock, Cornish Messenger, Roderick Beebe, 
James H. Wheeler, Frances Keep, Rhoda 
Beebe, Submit Keep, Rhoda Miner, Martha 
Messenger, Mary Bishop, Susannah^ Cran- 
dall, Esther Wilcox and Moll)' Wheeler. 
John Keep was appointed clerk of the 
church, which office he held for twent)- 
seven years. Joseph Beebe was appointed 
deacon, but he died about se\'en months 
later, and Prince Freeman, of \'irgil, was 
appointed to the office. 

No regular pastor was stationed in the 
hamlet for some time ; but an ordained 
minister named Leisure preached for the 
church once in two months until Re\'. Ru- 
fus Freeman was called to preach once a 
month for one year. Prior to this time 
they had occasional sermons from Rew 
Joseph Cornell, James Bacon and P. P. 
Root. 

The first effort to raise mone)- to support 
the Gospel was an a\'erage assessment upon 
each member, which amounted to seven 
dollars and two cents. The highest amount 
paid was two dollars and si.x cents and the 
lowest thirteen cents. 

Rev. Alfred Bennett subsequently be- 
came pastor of the clurrch. He was a re- 
markabl)' gifted man and became known 
throughout the country as such. He 
served this church twenty years, having 
come to the town in 1803 and united with 
the church in 1804. He began preaching 
in 1805. In April, 1806, the church rec- 
ord shows the following : — 



■•*\'otcil, that Brother .Mfred IV-nnctt have 
liberty to improve his gifts where (Jod, in His 
Providence, shall oi)en a door." 

A resolution was recorded in Februar)-, 
1807, calling him to ordination, which e\'ent 
occurred on the i8th of June of that year, 
in Judge Keep's barn, which is still stand- 
ing. At the same meeting whicii passed 
this resolution for the ordination, the fol- 
owing was passed : — 

"Voted, that Dr. .^sa Bennett be on trial for 
a deacon." 

It appears he united with the church by 
letter in 1806. Thomas ChoUar united 
with the church by letter in iSio, and was 
made a deacon in 1812; he filled that office 
for about thirty years. His son. Deacon 
T. D. Chollar, was called to the same office 
forty-two years ago and has ever since 
maintained the same high Christian stand- 
ard of character of which he had an exam- 
ple in his father. 

The increase and changes in the pioneer 
church during the first ten years of its life 
were as follows: Added by baptism, 67; 
b)' letter. 65 ; dismissed b)- letter, 47 ; 
seven were excluded and fi\e died. Dur- 
ing this period the meetings were held al- 
ternately in Homer, Cortland village, Port 
Watson, on the East river; and finall)', b\- 
the united energies of the denomination, a 
site was secured on the road from Homer 
to Cortland, at the point wliere it turns 
northward, now within the boundaries of 
Cortland village; there a comfortable church 
building was erected; it was 52 by 36 feet, 
with galler\- on three sides, and without 
steeple. This church was erected in 181 1 
and was consecrated to the worship of God 
in June, 18 1 2. In the building of the 
church a debt was incurred of about $i,ooo, 
or nearly one- half its cost, and they were 
without means to pay it; but before a year 
had passed the society had doubled its 
membership, the debt was paid off and the 



Town ok Homer. 



223 



regular congregations were large and de- 
vout. In the revivals of that period, forty- 
nine heads of families were converted and 
brought into the ciiurch. 

As early as 1808 the societj- voted to 
meet on a given day to improve themselves 
in singing : from that time forward a few of 
the members devoted their indefatigable ef- 
forts to raising the standard of the church 
music. From 181 1 to 1821 was a period 
of remaikable prosperity to the church, the 
nimiber of members increasing from si.xty- 
eight to over four hundred. In 1820 there 
was a revival which added to the number 
largely; but towards the close of the year 
the little communit)- suffered irreparable 
loss to its Christian workers in the death of 
Rev. EInatlian Walker, of the Presb}-terian 
Church, and not long after, the death of 
Deacons Jacob Hobart and Asa Bennett, 
and John Keep. 

In 1820 Moses Curtis and Oliver Sted- 
man were elected deacons of the church. 
During this second decade of its existence 
there were added to the church b_\- baptism 
],^;^, and by letter 107 ; there were dis- 
missed by letter seventy-nine; twenty-one 
were excluded and twent\'-tuo died. In 
the year 1827 the church contained nearl\- 
500 members, and the little edifice had be- 
come far too small to contain the congre- 
gations who assembled from .S.ibbath to 
Sabbath, The result was the establishment 
of three Baptist Churches — one in Homer 
village, one in Cortland \'illage, and one in 
McGrawx'ille. New buildings were erected 
in these places, leaving the mother church 
in the center, which was, however, soon 
abandoned, and a new structure erected in 
Cortland, as stated in the history of that 
village. After these changes the pastor 
continued his labors in Homer village until 
1832, when lie was succeeded in the Cort- 
land church by Rev. I'eleg Card, and he 
by Rev. Alfred Gates ; in the McGraw- 



ville church b)' Abner Sylvester. The 
number of members added to the church 
from 1820 to the time of its division in 1827 
was about 122 by baptism and fift>--two b)- 
letter. 

The great popularity of Rev. ^Alfred J3en- 
nett led to his being offered and solicitetl 
to take the nomination for Assemblyman 
against Samuel Nelson. The latter was a 
candidate who could be defeated only by 
one whose popularity would draw the en- 
tire strength of the Republicans, and the 
approaching convention for the revision of 
the State constitution made the election 
one of the greatest importance. But Mr. 
Bennett demurred to allowing the use of 
his name for political office, and finally pos- 
itivel}- declined ; he was, however, made 
the candidate against his wishes, and was 
defeated only b\' a few votes from members 
of his church, who voted against him from 
Christian principle. 

As the church became larger, and the 
community advanced in culture and refine- 
ment, Mr. Bennett's innate modesty and 
distrust of his own power led him to urge 
the society to accept his resignation, and 
put in his place a man with broader educa- 
tion. With much reluctance these requests 
were finally acceded to, and after securing 
the services of Rev. W. R. Whiting, Mr. 
Bennett resigned and accepted the office of 
agent of the foreign missionary board of 
the Baptist Church in the United States, 
which place he filled for twent}' years. 
Rev. Mr. Whiting remained with the church 
about two years, and then became con- 
nected with the American Union Baptist 
Bible Societies, and for the next forty years 
labored on translations of the Bible, in 
which work he became eminent. 

The next pastor was the Rev. Edward 
Bright, D. D., now editor of the Examitier, 
the most extensively circulated Baptist 
journal in the world. Following him came 



224 



History ok Cortland County. 



Revs. Reuben Morey, Hezekiali Harvey, 
Mr. Clark, G. W. Brighani, and some oth- 
ers, for short periods, until 1880, when 
Rev. S. E. Wilco.x became pastor. He 
has recently resigned (1884). The mem- 
bership is now two hundred and si.xty. T. 
D. ChoUar, M. A. Radway, M. M. Newton, 
Joel (^ates are the deacons. C. 1.. Bene- 
dict is superintendent of the Sunday-school. 
The Congregational Church.' — This has 
often been styled a church with a history, 
not onl\- as one of the oldest churches of 
this denomination in tiiis \icinity, but es- 
pecially because of its eventful record, and 
its prominence and influential position 
among the churches of Central New York, 
is this designation appropriate. The early 
settlers of the town often impress their 
characteristics upon the subsequent history 
of that town in a marked degree. If they 
are pious and God-fearing men, the insti- 
tutions they found and the prevalent tone 
of society they give will long manifest the 
effects of their godly and self-sacrificing 
character. Homer was peculiar!}' blessed 
in this respect. Of the two men, Amos 
Todd and Joseph Beebe, who made the 
first settlement here in 1791, the first named 
was a constituent member of the Congre- 
gational Church, and the other a member 
and office-bearer in the Baptist Church. 
As soon as si.x families had settled here, in 
'793. religious worship was in.stituted upon 1 
the Sabbath, and it has been steadily main- [ 
tained from that day to this. Well may 
"Father" Keep e.xclaim in his historical 
sermon, preached in 1824, "Memorable 
was the day and mighty in its influence 
upon the character of this town when these \ 
six families erected a public altar for the 
honor of God." Such was the character of 
these pioneers of society here that it passed 
into an adage that it would not do for any 
but " go-to-meeting folks " to settle in Ho- 

1 Prepared by Rev. William A. Ro1)insoii. 



mer. At the first the Sabbath services were 
held in the houses or barns of the settlers, 
and most frequently near the present Glen- 
wood Cemetery. The first school-house — 
a rude log structure, built in 1795, which 
stood a little north of the present site of the 
village, was sometimes used as a meeting- 
place. In the fall of 1798 a grist-mill was 
built upon the site still occupied for like 
purpose near Mill street, in this village. 
This structure was used as a place for Sab- 
bath worshijj when the cold was not too in- 
tense. During these }-ears the inhabitants 
themselves conducted their public services 
on the Lord's day. From the spring of 
1798, however, there were occasional visits 
to the town by missionaries sent out by the 
Connecticut Missionar)- Society and the 
Presb}'terian (jeneral Assembly. 

The first sermon preached in town was 
by Rev. Asa Hillyer, D. D., of New Jersey, 
in the early summer of 1798. Not long 
after Rev. Seth Williston, of blessed mem- 
ory in all this region, spent some weeks in 
special labors here, and a number were 
hopefully con\erted to God. September 
lOth, 1799, the first religious society of 
Homer was organized, and duly incorpor- 
ated on the 25th of November following. 
This society still maintains a vigorous ex- 
istence, supporting the institutions of the 
Congregational Church.' 

1 In the society's record book, following the preamble 
and articles of this organization, is the following cove- 
nant : " Know all men by these presents. That we whose 
names are hereunder written, for the consideration of 
twelve cents, received of the Board of Trustees of the 
first religious society of Homer, etc., do covenant, prom- 
ise and agree to pay the sums set to our names, to be aj)- 
propriatcd to the maintenance of the preaching of the 
Clospel," etc.. with a proviso that any ])ersons removing 
to a greater distance than four miles from the jjlace of 
worship should be discharged from their obligations un- 
til their return. Various sums are subscribed, as $150, 
$100. fifty cents, etc., down to twelve and a half cents. 
( If the latter there is a large proportion. Xe.vt on the 
book appears a record of the election of two trustees, Ue- 
cember 6th, 1799. In the record it is staled — ''There 
being no elders, church warden or vestry belonging to 



Town of Homer. 



225 



A few days after the incorporation of tliis 
society, viz.: December 1st, 1799, a build- 
ing, designed to serve the double purpose 
of a school-house and place for public wor- 
ship, was dedicated, the sermon, from I. 
Kings, VIII chapter, 38th verse, being 
preached by Rev. Mr. Lindsley. This pe- 
culiar edifice was divided within by an im- 
mense swing partition, and stood near the 
northeast corner of the present village 
green. Prior to the organization of the 
first religious society, the formation of a 
church had been proposed, and at a meet- 
ing held in the fall of 1798 twenty persons 
presented themselves for that purpose ; but 
questions of church polity and denomina- 
tional preference arose, and though dis- 
cussed temperately, and in a Christian 
spirit, caused the postponement of any 
church organization, all continuing to wor- 
ship together and to sustain the first relig- 
ious society. A satisfactory adjustment of 
the questions about polity was made in the 
fall of 1 80 1, and on October 12th fourteen 
persons entered into solemn covenant with 
God and with each other, as "The Congre- 
gational Church of Homer." The follow- 
ing were the constituent members in this 
important organization : Eliphalet Rice, 
elected the first deacon of the church, April 
2ist, 1803, and his wife, Mary; Samuel 
Hoar and his wife, Dorothy ; Timothy 
Treat and his wife, Beulah ; Darius Kinney 
and his wife, Lydia, who was the last sur- 
vivor of the original fourteen, dying in 1845 ; 
Peter Hitchcock, the second deacon, elected 
December 13th, 1804; John Ballard, Thom- 
as L. Bishop, John Baker, Daniel Miner 
and Amos Todd, already mentioned as one 
of the two pioneers of the settlement of the 
town. 

At the time of the formation of the 

said society, the members do agree, nominate and ap- 
point that the said society shall be hereafter distinguished 
by and tal^en for tire first religious society in the town of 
Homer." 



church, Mr. Abial Jones, who is styled in 
the records "a candidate preacher," was 
chosen as the moderator and served in the 
ministry of the word till the following year. 
In the fall of 1802 Rev. Nathan Darrow 
came to Homer and December loth he 
was called to the pastorate of the church. 
Accepting their invitation he was ordained 
and installed February 3d, 1803, by a 
council of representatives of the churches 
in Manlius, Geneva, Owasco, Lisle, Pom- 
pey, Clinton and Cazenovia. This was a 
marked e\'ent in the history of this church 
and of religious progress in Central New 
York. Less than a year after this, " the 
middle association " was formed at Marcel- 
lus, this church being one of the constitu- 
ent churches and being represented by its 
pastor and Deacon Rice. Rev. Mr. Darrow 
is described as a man of medium size, with 
brown hair, a light hazel eye, endowed with 
good natural talent, but without extensive 
culture ; somewhat austere in his manner, 
but full of energy and decision, and faithful 
in the discharge of his duties. He filled 
the ofifice of pastor till 1808, and the 
church, which numbered about twenty 
when he came, had received ninety-three 
additions under his ministry, nearly half of 
them the fruit of a revival enjoyed in 1806. 
During his pastorate the church took efficient 
action in looking after the education of the 
children and youth of the town, instituted 
"the standing committee," to attend to ex- 
ecutive affairs of the church, and established 
"the Thursday p. m. meeting," which has 
been sustained with remarkable vigor to the 
present time. In 1805 a church edifice, 
50 by 72 feet in size, was erected upon the 
site now occupied by the present church 
edifice, six acres of land, including the pres- 
ent village green, having been given to the 
society for this purpose and for public uses. 
It was a great undertaking for that day, to 
build so commodious and elegant a struct- 

"5 



226 



History of Cortland County. 



ure ; and with subsequent repairs and en- 
largements, it served the uses of the con- 
gregation till replaced by the present 
edifice. 

Rev. Mr. Darrow was succeeded in the 
pastorate by Rev. Elnathan Walker, who 
was ordained and installed October 24th, 
1809. ^''■- Walker was a person of digni- 
fied bearing and fine personal presence. He 
was tall and erect in carriage, easy and 
graceful in speech and gesture, of fair com- 
plexion and clear gray eyes, looking out 
through the spectacles which he constantly 
wore. He was a native of Taunton, Mass., 
and a graduate of Brown University. He 
is the only pastor who has died in town. 
His death occurred June 4th, 1S20, and 
occasioned universal sorrow. A plain marble 
shaft in the cemetery bears this inscription 
to his memor)' : — 

"This monument is erected by an affectionate 
people, as the last testimony of respect to their 
beloved pastor." 

The pastorate of Mr. Walker covered 
what was a determining period in the growth 
and prosperity of this church and society. 
The church, which numbered 99 members 
when he came, had increased to 427 at the 
time of his death. Especially did the three 
marked revivals enjoyed during this time 
contribute to this result. The memorable 
one of 1812-13 added 188 persons to the 
church in a single year. That of 18 16 was 
also one of especial power, while the one 
that immediately preceded Mr. Walker's 
death was inaugurated by a peculiar victory 
of divine grace over personal estrange- 
ments and animosities. Some members of 
the church had become alienated from the 
pastor and at length a council was called to 
consider and act in reference to these griev- 
ances; but being debarred by the rules of 
the Presbytery (with which the church had 
become associated in 181 1) from acting 
oflScially, the members of the council set 



themselves at work to effect a reconciliation. 
In this they were remarkably successful and 
the records say, " Mutual concession and 
forgiveness commenced and after a most 
tender and melting season of two days, all 
their difficulties were amicably settled." 

The successor of Mr. Walker in the pas- 
torate was Rev. John Keep, who was in- 
stalled November 7th, 1 82 i. Mr. Keep was 
a man of sterling good sense, strong in his 
convictions and interested in all matters of 
public welfare. He, with the church, took 
pronounced position upon temperance, and 
were foremost in every good work. In 1824 
the meeting house was thoroughl)' repaired 
and re-dedicated November 23d. The fol- 
lowing year the Presbyterian Church at 
Cortland was formed, several members be- 
ing dismissed from Homer to co-operate in 
its organization. In 1826 the church was 
blessed with a revival and fiftj'-seven addi- 
tions. In July, 1827, the present Baptist 
Church of Homer was established. The fol- 
lowing year the town of Homer was divided 
by act of Legislature and the town of Cort- 
land organized. The academy, which had 
been incorporated in 18 19, found in Mr. 
Keep a wise counselor and staunch sup- 
porter. Under Mr. Keep's leadership the 
church inaugurated the holding of so-called 
"protracted meetings" in 1831, and six 
such seasons were held within three years 
and large accessions made to the member- 
ship of the church. In the last of these 
meetings held in June, 1833, Rev. Jed. 
Burchard labored in his own eccentric way 
and with mixed results of good and evil for 
the church ; as one effect, the pastor re- 
signed his charge and was dismissed the 3d 
of October, 1833. 

In December of the same year Rev. Den- 
nis Piatt was called to the pastorate and was 
installed March 12th, 1834. Mr. Piatt was 
a decided and positive man and held a firm 
hand in the discipline of the church. He 



Town of Homer. 



227 



was a good sermonizer and possessed of no 
ordinary executive ability. The year 1835 
was a year of in- gathering, eighty-two be- 
ing added to the church. Mr. Piatt resigned 
his pastorate and was dismissed April 7th, 
, 1842, His death occurred in Norwalk, 
Conn., in 1878. All of his successors in 
the pastoral office are yet living at the time 
of this writing, and therefore no reference 
will be made to their personal characteris- 
tics. The immediate successor to Mr. Piatt 
was Rev. Thomas K. Fessenden, who. was 
called by the church December ist, 1842, 
and installed early the next year. The year 
of his installation was also a year of revival, 
si.xty-three being added to the church. 
The chapel was erected in 1843 and dedi- 
cated with appropriate services January 
1 2th, 1844. Another revival was enjoyed 
in 1850. During Mr. Fessenden's pastor- 
ate, W'hich was terminated at his request, in 
1853, 276 persons were added to the church. 
Throughout this period the benevolent con- 
tributions, which were faithfully watched 
over for many years by Dr. Geo. W. 
Bradford, steadily increased. For a year 
after Mr. Fessenden's dismissal the pulpit 
was ably supplied by Rev. Thomas Louns- 
bury, D. D. March 6th, 1855, Rev. J. A. 
Priest w^as invited to the pastorate and soon 
after installed, and again a pastor's first year 
of service was gladdened with a precious 
revival and eighty-two added to the church. 
The pastoral relation with Mr. Priest was 
dissolved in May, 1858, at his urgent re- 
quest, on the ground of his health. Sep- 
tember 7th of the same year Rev. Albert 
Bigelow was called to the pastorate, soon 
after installed and continued in that ofl^ce 
till he resigned and was dismissed October 
1st, 1863. The 8th of the previous July 
the present commodious and elegant church 
edifice was publicly dedicated to the service 
of the Most High. The sermon on the in- 
teresting occasion was preached by Presi- 



dent Fisher, of Hamilton College, and Rev. 
John Keep was present and participated in 
the services. In addition to the generous 
and liberal efforts of the church and society 
in building its substantial house of worship, 
the later years of Mr. Bigelow's pastorate 
witnessed the inception of the War of the 
Rebellion, and pastor and people felt the 
urgent demands upon their patriotism and 
nobly responded with earnest efforts to 
provide men for the army, and generous 
contributions through the Sanitary and 
Christian Commissions to alleviate the hor- 
rors of war. 

February 23d, 1864, Rev. John C. Hol- 
brook, D. D., was called to the pastorate 
and was installed in July, 1865. In 1868 a 
very powerful revival was experienced and 
148 were added to the church. The same 
year the church withdrew from the presby- 
tery, with which it had been connected on 
the " plan of union, " and assisted in the 
formation of the " Central Association." 
In October of the same year the " State 
Association " met at Homer, Deacon S. 
Holmes serving as moderator, and L. \V. 
Bacon, D. D., preaching the sermon. In 
September, 1870, Dr. Holbrook accepted a 
call to Stockton, Cal., and was dismissed 
from his pastorate of this church. 

April l8th, 1871, Rev. Wm. A. Robinson 
received a unanimous call to the pastorate 
and began his labors here June 8th. He 
was installed by council on the 13th of the 
following December. In 1873 the State 
Association again met in Homer, H. M. 
Storrs, D. D., serving as moderator, and 
Wm. M. Taylor, D. D., preaching the ser- 
mon. The following year the chapel was 
thoroughly repaired and refurnished. In 
1S75 the church edifice was renovated and 
improved in its interior, at an expense of 
over$i,200. October 12, 1876, the church 
and congregation celebrated with great in- 
terest the 7Sth anniversary of the formation 



228 



History ok Cortland County. 



of the church. An historical sermon was 
preached b)' the pastor. Letters from for- 
mer members and from the sons of Homer 
in the ministry were read, su<^gestive trib- 
utes were paid to some of the earher pas- 
tors and deacons, and the work and influence 
of the church set forth in appropriate ad- 
dresses. The present pastorate has con- 
tinued at the time of tliis writing nearly 
thirteen years, being the longest upon the 
record of the church. It has covered a 
period of peculiar transition. Very many of 
the fathers and mothers who were conver- 
sant with the earlier history of the church 
have finished their earthly course during 
these years. Marked changes have also 
occurred in the business condition of the 
village and town, and in the character of 
the population. Reorganization of the 
academy, long the pride of the town, has 
also been effected during this time, and a 
school brought up to the efficiency and 
success of its palmiest days. The pastor of 
this church has been for nearly eleven years 
president of the board of education, and 
has helped to secure the results in the quality 
and work of the academy which have been 
accomplished. Amid all these changes this 
church has kept steadfastly on its way, 
doing a noble work and exerting an in- 
fluence that is widely recognized by an intel- 
ligent and genuine public spirit, by a ready 
and generous beneficence. By a staunch 
and evangelical faith, and by the endca\or 
to use those methods that tend to build up 
and strengthen true Christain character in 
young and old, it has been true to its for- 
mer history and able to maintain its honor- 
able position. 

The review of the record of this church, 
so closely and influentially identified with 
the history of the town, discloses several 
causes which, under God's blessing, have 
contributed to its notable strength and effi- 
ciency. It has been blessed with a succes- 



sion of able and consecrated officers. Its 

ministers have been faithful and ilevoted, 
and some of them men of rare ability and 
power. lis deacons have been earnest and 
capable, and not a few of them have been 
conspicuous examples of the truth that 
"they that have used the office of a deacon 
well, purchase to themselves a good degree 
and great boldness in the faith which is in 
Christ Jesus." The church has also enrolled 
upon the list of its members an unusual 
proportion of men and women, strong in 
their convictions, catholic in their spirit, 
devoted in their piety, generous in their 
giving, and consecrated in their life and ex- 
ample. It has from the first taken a wise 
and consistent interest in the right training 
of the young. Throughout the years it has 
watched over the home nurture and school 
instruction of the \-outh with sedulous care. 
It was foremost in the sacrifices which 
brought the academy into being, and which 
have accompanied its history. Its Sa,bbath- 
school was just about coeval in date of 
origin with the academy, and it has enjoyed 
the faithful labors of officers and teachers 
throughout these more than si.xty-five 
years. In benevolent contributions to car- 
ry forward the great evangelical movements 
at home and abroad, this church has an en- 
viable record. By its organization of young 
and old for this end, and by its stated gifts, 
it has fostered the missionary spirit, and 
tried to do its part in fulfilling our Lord's 
great commission to his followers. For 
man)- years there has been upon the whole 
a steady increase in the amount of such 
benefactions, till for the last decade, under 
the faithful care of Dr. S. C. Webb, they 
have averaged over $i,6oo per year. The 
social meetings have from the first been 
both the evidence and the aid of genuine 
spiritual life. The Thursday p. m. meet- 
ings, already spoken of, and the young peo- 
ples' meetings have contributed greatly to 



Town of Homer. 



229 



the efficiency and growth of the church. 
More than a score of the sons of the church 
have entered the ministry, and many of 
these in missionary fields at home and 
abroad, or in important pastorates, have 
wrought ably in the Master's name. About 
2,500 persons have been enrolled as mem- 
bers of the church. Its greatest numerical 
strength was during the pastorates of Mr. 
Fessenden and Dr. Priest. According to 
the report of 1883, its membership now 
numbers 405 persons. 

Reviewing the notable history of this 
church, who can fail to be impressed with 
the thought of the breadth, imjjortance and 
duration of its direct and indirect influence. 
From this quiet, rural town, by its aid, 
streams of blessing have flowed out and on, 
whose renewing and refreshing power has 
been felt near and far, and whose results for 
human good only eternity can disclose. If 
"they who direct an age's intellect are more 
potent than they who do its deeds," cer- 
tainly the work of a church like this, which 
has done so much to direct the intellect, 
inspire the faith, cultivate the character and 
shape the life of so man\', may claim an im- 
portance and grandeur which words cannot 
fulh* portray. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church. — Mem- 
oranda from which to make a history of this 
church is exceedingly meagre. The church 
records have been mislaid or lost, and but 
few facts are now attainable. The first organ- 
ization was formed at the comparativelj- re- 
cent date of 1833. The Methodists of 
Homer were formerly connected with the 
church in Cortland, and thirteen of the orig- 
inal members of the Homer church were 
from that society. To these were added six- 
teen others, making the first membership of 
the Homer church twenty-nine, a little band 
which has grown into a flou&ishing society. 
The first public services were held in the 
second story of the public school-house, 



which was afterward purchased, repaired, 
and transformed into a church. This was 
used until the year 1841, when a new church 
was built at a cost of about $2,400 ; Rev. 
George Parsons was the pastor at that time. 
In 1864 the church was enlarged and re- 
paired, during the pastorate of Albert L. 
York. Again, in the year 1881, an addi- 
tion was made to the church building by 
raising it and putting under it a basement. 
It was also refitted and furnished, at a cost 
of about $4,400 ; Rev. R. C. F'ox was then 
pastor. 

The first trustees of the church were 
Caleb Cook, David Baker and Samuel 
Lane. 

The successive pastors, with the years 
of their service, have been the follow- 
ing : — 

Nelson Rounds, 1834; Rufus Stoddard, 
1835-36; John Crickman, 1837; John E. 
Robie, 1838; E. L. Wadsworth, 1839; 
John Nason, 1840; George Parsons, 1841- 
42; William Bixby, 1843-44; John E. 
Robie, 1845; E. G. Bush, 1846; Z. D. 
Paddock, 1847-48; William N. Cobb, 
1849; J. Hartwell, 1850-51 ; S. H. Brown, 
1852-53; Isaac Foster, 1854; W. H. Wil- 
lis, 1855-56; H. Gee, 1857-58; H. S. 
Richardson, 1859-60; J. L. Wells, 1861- 
62 ; A. L. York, 1 863-64 ; Alexander 
Hale, 1865; D. R. Carrier, 1866-67; A. 
M. Lake, 1868-69; A. N. Damon, 1870- 
72; J. V. Benham, 1873-74; M. S. Leet, 
1875 ; S. Ball, 1876-78; R. C. Fox, 1879- 
81 ; M. S. Leet, 1882-84. 

Trustees — S. F. Salisbury, ¥. Pierce, J. 
Wilber, W. H. H. Blaney, E. J. Bockes, J. J. 
Woodruff, J. J. Arnold, Warren Salisbury, 
Charles Joslyn. 

Stewards — S. F. Salisburj-, J. J. Wood- 
ruff", Charles Joslyn, M. J. Pratt, J. J. Ar- 
nold, Warren Salisburj-, H. D. Allen, H. C. 
Wildey. 

Local elder — L. J. W'heelock. 



230 



History of Cortland County. 



Local preacher — E. D. Tcrpcnning. 

Class leaders — F. G. Williams, John 
Van Denberg, J. J. Woodruff, J. J. Arnold, 
G. N. Bryant, K. N. Warfield, 

The congregation, at present under the 
charge of Rev. M. S. Leet, is in a flourish- 
ing condition, and the membership is some- 
thing o\'cr two hundred. 

Calvary Church. — The first service of 
the Episcopal Church within the limits of 
the present town of Homer, was held in 
tiie Congregational meeting-house, bj- the 
Rev. Reuben Hubbard, rector of St. James's 
Church, Uanbury, Conn., in June, 1813. 
Mr. Hubbard was visiting relatives then 
living here and had many kinsfolk among 
the early settlers of the town, and on one 
or more Sundays in June, 18 13, was in- 
vited by the Rev. Mr. Walker, the pastor 
of the Congregational Church to officiate 
in his pulpit. While \isiting here Mr. 
Hubbard called on a family in the western 
part of the town by the name of Terrill, 
and baptized several children. This was 
probably the first time a sacrament of the 
Episcopal Church was ever administered in 
this county. 

The next ten years came and went with 
no record of visitation of any clergyman 
of this church, except that Bishop Hogarth 
passed through the county and preached, 
but whether at Homer or Cortland is not 
known. 

In 1823 Mr. Hubbard again visited Ho- 
mer and on the evening of February 23d 
preached in the Congregational Church, by 
invitation of Rev. Mr. Keep, then its pas- 
tor. In 1828 Mr. Hubbard again came to 
Homer and again on March 2d preached in 
the Congregational Church, b\- invitation 
of Rev. Mr. Keep. 

In February, 1831, Rev. Henry Gregory, 
then missionary at Moravia and Genoa, 
visited Homer and held service on Monday 
evening, February 14th, in the upper room 



of the old academy, and shortlj' afterward 
arrangements were made by which Mr. 
Gregory was to officiate at Homer one- 
third of the time. It was soon determined 
to organize a parish and due notice 
ha\ing been gi\'cn according to law, on 
Monday, June 6th, 1831, Calvary parish 
was regularly organized by the election of 
Daniel Glover and Augustus Donnelly, 
wardens ; Lyman Kendall, John C. Mar- 
vin, Asa Austin, Am'mi Beers, Hiram Bliss, 
Joel Hubbard, Marsena Ballard, Albert F. 
Boland, vestrj-men. On December 5th, 
1831, the first meeting of the vestry with 
reference to building a church was held, 
and on June 21st, 1832, the corner-stone of 
Calvary Church was laid ; on Advent Sun- 
day, December 2d, 1832, the church was 
occupied for the first time. The Rev. 
Thomas Meacham officiated for several 
months on the Sundays when Rev. Mr. 
Gregory was absent, and on February 14th, 
1 833, the Rev. Mr. Gregory, having resigned 
his charge at Moravia and Genoa, became 
rector of the parish and continued as such 
until November loth, 1835, when here- 
signed to become a missionary to the In- 
dians at Green Bay. The Rev. Charles 
Jones succeeded him and remained in charge 
of the parish till October 23d, 1836, when 
the Rev. Mr. Gregory was invited to take 
the rectorship again, at a salary of $500 
and expenses of his return. June 13th, 
1837, Mr. Gregory reached town and re- 
sumed his charge. In September, 1838, 
Mr. Gregory was granted leave of absence 
for one year, in order that he might go as 
missionary to the Indians at Fort Leaven- 
worth, Kansas. The Rev. Mr. Ogle acted 
as minister of the parish during the rector's 
absence. In November, 1 840, Mr. Gregory 
was c^^lled to the rectorship of St. Paul's 
Church, SyraQjse, and offered his resigna- 
tion to the vestry, which was regretfully 
accepted. In Januarj-, J 841, Re\'. E. B. 



Town of Homer. 



231 



Foote, of Newark College, Delaware, was 
invited to become the rector of the parish, 
and shortly after he accepted the charge, 
which, however, he retained but two years, 
when he was succeeded b)- Re\'. Samuel 
Goodale, who remained as rector until July 
I st, 1 846, when he was succeeded by Rev. 
G. M. Skinner, who remained until the fall 
of 1848, when the Rev. Charles E. Phelps 
became rector and continued as such until 
August, 185 I. He was succeeded b\^ the 
Rev. Reuben Hubbard, who remained three 
years and w as succeeded by the Revs. Geo. 
L. Foote and H. V. Gardner, as ministers 
in charge of Calvary Church and the out- 
lying parishes of Cortland, McLean and 
Tru.xton. In 1857 Rev. Peyton Gallagher 
became rector. He was followed b\' the 
Rev. C. S. Percival, who resigned in the 
spring of 1864. In the fall of 1865, after 
an interval of more than a year without a 
service, the church was opened and services 
were resumed. Lewis B. Henry, esq., of 
New York City, having returned to this vil- 
lage, acted for a time as lay reader, and 
through his influence among church people 
in New York, funds were raised by which 
the interior of the building was refitted, 
and in- April, 1866, Rev. A. W. Cornell, of 
Jamaica, L. I., was called to the rectorship. 
Mr. Cornell remained in charge of the par- 
ish until the sunmier of I 87 I. From that 
time until 1874 only occasional services 
were held by visiting clergymen. In the 
fall of 1874 Rev. J. W. H. Weibel was 
called to the rectorship and remained nearly 
two years, since which time services have 
been held at very infrequent intervals, until 
the present year, when Rev. A. D. Allen, 
missionary in charge, has established regular 
and stated services. 

LITTLE YORK. 

This hamlet is situated in the northern 
part of the town of Homer, on the line of 



the Syracuse and Binghamton railroad ; it 
is a small place containing one grist-mill, a 
store, hotel and about twenty houses. 

The early settlers on this lot (No. 6) 
where Jabez Cushman, who was one of the 
very first ; William and I. Blashfield, and 
Oren Cravath. Cushman was probably from 
Massachusetts, and erected the mills, the 
saw- mill being built first. This mill was in 
use in 1813, when Thomas Howard removed 
to Preble, and ma)' possibly have been the 
one in which the lumber was sawed for the 
first frame houses built in Preble before 
1806. Mr. Cushman also built the carding- 
mill at this place, in an early period. Daniel 
Radway probably purchased it of him. In 
the Cortland Observer of December 28th, 
1832, we find the following: — 

" The subscribers having taken the woolen fac- 
tory in Little York, of Mr. Daniel Radway, will 
manufacture cloths, cassimeres, satinets and flan- 
nels as low as any other establishment in the 
county. They will manufacture either on .shares 
or by the yard, all colors except indigo blue. 
Also carding and cloth-dressing at the usual 
prices. The best of machinery for manufactur- 
ing will be put into operation. Being all expe- 
rienced workmen, they flatter themselves that 
they will give general satisfaction. 

" Ralph Palin, 
" Joseph Bradley, 

" WiLLL'VM TaVLOR. 

" Homer, June 20, 1832." 

This business continued prosperous for 
many years, Jedediah Barber owning it at 
one time ; but it gradually declined, as was 
the case with all similar factories in the vi- 
cinity, and the building is now used as a 
general shop by B. J. Salisbury. 

The grist-mill was erected soon after the 
building of the factory ; but it changed 
hands a number of times. J. E. Gushing 
bought one-half of it in 1840 and contin- 
ued in it until i860; Gideon Curtis owned 
the other half Anthony Kenyon, Gustavus 
Lyman, whose name was changed at his 



232 



History of Cortland County. 



request by the legislature to Nathaniel Brad- 
ford, and others owned the mill. Mudgc 
& Son have owned it for about twelve years 
past and it now does a good class of cus- 
tom work only. Mr. Powers Mudge has the 
entire management of the mill. 

It is probable that the early trading at 
Little York was done by Jabez Cushman 
(but nothing very definite regarding it is 
known) until the arrival of Isaac Otis and 
Gideon Curtis in 1830. They had an in- 
terest in the mill property and probably 
had a small store in connection with their 
other interests. Curtis was an intelligent 
Quaker and was Member of the Assembly 
in 1829. Mr. Otis removed to the West. 
Mr. Curtis continued the store from 1834 
to 1846. In 1844 J. E. Cushing joined 
with Curtis in the store and in 1 846 bought 
out his partner ; since that time he has con- 
ducted the business alone. The post-office 
has always been kept in the store, the pro- 
prietors of which have been the postmasters. 

A public house has been kept in Little 
York from an early period. Mr. Cushing 
first kept a boarding-house during his stay 
in the place, and in 1833 John L. Wilcox 
built a private house which he afterwards 
transformed into a tavern ; this was subse- 
quently burned. The present hotel was 
erected in 1875, by Chas. Foster. Charles 
Gay took possession of the property in 1 883. 

The shop for the manufacture of churns 
and chopping knives was established in 1 883, 
by Isbell & Cushing. Their knives are 
made from the best Sheffield steel, are cor- 
rugated and reversible, and promise to at- 
tain a large sale. They also manufacture 
the celebrated rotary gang churn. 

Of the early settlers on this lot one of the 
most prominent was Oren Cravath, a noted 
abolitionist and one of the foremost sup- 
porters of the "underground railroad," an 
organization engaged in helping southern 
slaves to attain their freedom. 



In order to secure the stoppage of the 
railroad trains at Little York (which was at 
first refused by the companj) the citizens 
built a small frame depot, the use of which 
they gave to Frank Donegan, an industri- 
ous employee of the road. On the morn- 
ing of May 15th, 1877, while Mrs. Donegan 
was out milking her cow, the building 
caught fire ; it was a period of drought, and 
before assistance could be rendered the little 
structure was burned to the ground, and the 
lives of five children, the oldest of whom was 
but nine years, were sacrificed. The people 
of Little York rendered all possible assist- 
ance to the afflicted family and immediately 
rebuilt the present depot. 

EAST HOMER. 

This is a small hamlet situated on the east 
branch of the Tioughnioga river, and con- 
tains a hotel, Methodist church, a store, 
two blacksmith shops and a carpenter and 
wagon shop. 

The first settlement made on this site 
was in 1797, by John Albright, a Revolu- 
tionary soldier who, for his services in that 
struggle, was assigned a bounty lot, which 
he resolved to set out in search of, thinking 
he would dispose of it and return to New 
York. He had married and had four daugh- 
ters. Mrs. Albright had a different object in 
view, and, as sometimes happens, her plans 
were carried out. She resolved to accom- 
pany her husband on his expedition into 
the wilderness, and if they succeeded in lo- 
cating their lot, to settle upon it and make 
it their home. The family left New York 
with a span of horses and wagon and pro- 
ceeded as far as Johnstown, then in Mont- 
gomery county, where they left their wagon 
and children in the care of friends and pro- 
ceeded on horseback, arriving in Homer in 
the year above noted. 

They succeeded in finding their lot (No. 
29), built a log cabin on a small piece of 




SU.AS BLANCHARI). 



Town of Homer. 



233 



ground which they cleared, returned to 
Johnstown and brought their family and 
Httle outfit to their forest home. Upon 
this lot is situated the little village of East 
Homer. Mr. Albright's house stood a few 
rods distant from the site of the Methodist 
chapel. From Charles Kingsbury's pub- 
lished reminiscences of Homer, we copy the 
text of the original deed which secured to 
Mr. Albright his land : — 

"The deed 'grants and confirms unto John 
Albright all that tract of land lying and being in 
the county of Montgomery, and in the township 
of Homer, known as lot No. 29, containing si.x 
hundred acres, with all the rights and appur- 
tenances to the same belonging; excepting and 
reserving to ourselves all gold and silver mines, 
and also five acres of every one hundred acres 
of the said lot of land for highways ; on condi- 
tion that within the term of seven years from the 
first of January next ensuing the date thereof, 
there shall be one actual settlement made on the 
tract or lot of land hereby granted. Otherwise, 
these, our letters patent to the estate hereby 
granted shall become void.' " 

This deed is dated at the city of New 
York the eighth day of July, 1790, and 
passed the secretary's office on the 4th of 
the following September. It is quite a cu- 
riosity, and bears the old-fashioned heavy 
detached seal of the state, which is made of 
wax enclosed in paper and tied with a stout 
string to the parchment. 

After Mr. Albright's settlement in the 
wilderness he experienced some trouble and 
several narrow escapes from wild animals. 
On one occasion, after having killed and 
dressed a pig, he carried some of the pieces 
to a brook a few rods away, when a wolf, 
which had scented the blood, bounded on 
the scene. Mr. Albright placed himself in- 
side the fence surrounding the yard ; but 
none too soon, for the wolf was close to the 
fence on the other side. When Mr. Al- 
bright assumed the offensive from behind 
the fence the cowardly brute disappeared in 
the forest. 



On another occasion Mr. Albright started 
in search of his cows. He soon learned by 
the sound of their bell that they were in 
the woods on the opposite side of the river. 
He forded the river, but as night came on 
the sound of the bell ceased, the animals 
having lain down. As he stood under the 
branches of a tree, gun in hand, listening 
for some sound which would indicate the 
whereabouts of tiie cows, he heard a move- 
ment in the boughs of the tree directly over 
his head. Immediately a large bear de- 
scended the tree, reaching the ground near 
where Mr. Albright stood, and he shot him. 
Before he had finished reloading his gun a 
second bear came down from the same tree 
and escaped. The third bear then came 
down and was shot, and while Mr. Albright 
was reloading two more of the animals de- 
scended from the tree and disappeared in 
the woods; thus he killed two out of five 
bears, in the darkness. 

A Mr. Holford was probably the second 
inhabitant of east Homer ; he built his cabin 
for the tiiTie being on Mr. Albright's land. 
On one occasion when Mr. Albright was 
absent fropi home, Mrs. Holford heard a 
disturbance near the house, where a pig was 
shut in a pen. On going to the door she 
discovered a bear of such size and strength 
that he took the pig of 135 pounds weight 
and carried him bodily over the fence. 
Mrs. Holford comprehended the situation 
at a glance and hastening into the house, she 
grasped the loaded gun, ran out and fired at 
the bear with such excellent effect that he 
fell dead in his tracks. The pig was un- 
harmed. 

An early settler at east Homer was James 
Smith, who came to that localitj- in 1798 
and built a log cabin near the southwest 
corner of the lot, a few rods from the pres- 
ent road, on the southeast side and a short 
distance from Mt. Etam. Whence he came 
is not now known, but he spent se\'eral 



234 



History of Cortland County. 



years of his life here and liad two sons, one 
of whom, Cornelius Smith, lived to an ad- 
vanced age and passed his entire life in the 
town. 

The first tavern in the vicinity of East 
Homer (on lot 29) was built b}- George W. 
Samson, who removed to the place in 181 2. 
He erected his buildings on the steep hill- 
side, excavating for that purpose, and 
opened a hotel in 1825, to which premises 
he gave the name of Mt. Etam. From a 
spring on the side of the hill he brought ex- 
cellent water in a pipe, for domestic uses 
and to suppl}- a reservoir at the roadside 
for travelers. Near at hand he set up a post, 
on the side of which and protected from the 
weather by a glass, was posted a paper on 
which was inscribed, in one of Mr. Samson's 
poetic effusions, the invitation of the foun- 
tain, as follows : — 

" Come, traveler, slake thy parching thinst, 
And drive away dull care ; 
Thou needst not broach thy little purse, 
For I am free as air. 

" My source is on the mountain side. 
My course is to the sea ; 
Then drink till thou art satisfied, 
Yea, drink, for I am free." 

Mr. Samson resided at Mt. Etam for a 
number of years, but finally sold the prem- 
ises to Peter Westerman, and removed to a 
hotel in Preble. 

In the year i8o6, or 1807, Benjamin Goff, 
an industrious laboring man, came to East 
Homer from Vermont. He married the 
eldest daughter of John Albright and dur- 
ing the life of his first wife resided on the 
eastern side of Mr. Albright's lot. He af- 
terward married the youngest sister of his 
first wife; he kept the tavern from 1831 to 
1837, '■'' the same house now kept by Mrs. 
L. R. Rose, to which locality he removed 
when Mr. Albright made a division of his 
property. Luther R. Rose was Mr. Goff's 
son-in-law; he kept the hotel from 1840 



until his death in 1881, and it is continued 
by his widow.' Travel, however, has been 
comparatively light through this place since 
the completion of the Utica, Ithaca and El- 
mira railroad through the valley, as else- 
where described. Formerly the village and 
vicinity was given an appearance of thrift 
and business by the passing teams engaged 
in the transportation of goods, and by stages, 
all of which made East Homer a stopping 
place for rest or refreshment. Tavern-keep- 
ing at such points was then a profitable bus- 
iness ; but like many other small villages 
located between those of greater size, the 
building of the railroad carried awaj- the 
larger share of its trade to other points. 

Trade and Manufactures. — Benjamin 
Goff was the first citizen of East Homer to 
engage in a manufacturing industry. He 
began early in the manufacture of rakes and 
other minor agricultural implements and 
eventually carried on quite a profitable bus- 
iness. He subsequently built a saw-mill, 
which is now in the possession of his heirs. 

The present blacksmith and wagon shop 
was erected b\' Henry Meeker some years 
prior to the last war. The structure was 
originally built for a grist-mill and was used 
as such for a time. It was finally sold to 
Leroy Smith and others, and at last passed 
into possession of D. D. Locke, who changed 
it to a wagon shop about the year i860. 
S. B. Hoag took possession of the property 
in 1876, and is now manufacturing about 
forty wagons annually. 

Jabez Haight began blacksmithing in 
East Homer at a very early da)-, and fol- 
lowed the trade for over forty years. His 
son, George Haight is a skilled taxidermist 
and has become eminent in that \\ork. 

Physicians. — Dr. Sheldon Hinman came 
to this place in 1864 and is the only phy- 

' It is woilhy of remark that at one time Mr. GofTs 
father ami mother, ami liis wife's parents all resided with 
him, making four occupants of one dwelling all of whom 
were lietween the ages of 82 and 89 years. 



Town of Homer. 



235 



sician now in East Homer. He is of the 
homceopatliic school, a Ucentiate of the 
Cortland County Medical Society. He 
succeeded Dr. Barris, who was eclectic in his 
practice. He was the first physician here. 

Post-Office. — The post-office of East 
Homer was probably first kept by William 
Haight. He came to the village in the 
year 1809 and was for several years an em- 
inent preacher in the Methodist Church. 
He married the second daughter of Mr. 
Albright, became a drunkard, forfeited his 
license, but afterward reformed and did use- 
ful work for the church. William Bennett 
afterward took the post-office, and was the 
first to establish a store. Mrs. Bennett fol- 
lowed the trade until 1883, when it passed 
into the hands of the present proprietor, 
W. R. Woodward. Mrs. Melissa Haight 
now has charge of the post-office. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church. — This 
church had its beginning in the humble 
home of Mr. Albright, of which denomina- 
tion he was an exemplary member; his 
house was the place of worship for quite a 
period. The present church building is an 
old structure, the main part having been 
erected in 1841, since which time it has 
been somewhat improved and repaired. It 
was dedicated in 1842. Rev. H. Hawley 
was the first pastor. The present member- 
ship is between sixty and seventy. The 
Rev. T. F. Harris came here from Wood- 
stock in 1883 and assumed charge of the 
church; he is also superintendent of the 
Sabbath-school. The present trustees are 
Abram Grit'fith, Pardon Lyon, Levi Klock 
and Andrew Briggs. 

Hibbard's cheese and butter factory is 
situated about a mile and a half north of 
East Homer. The building was erected in 
1866, and is 30 by 120 feet, two stories 
high. Modern appliances have been put 
in for the perfect manufacture of butter 
and cheese, and a larwe business is done. 



EAST RIVER. 

This is a hamlet of a dozen houses on the 
line of the Utica, Ithaca and Elmira rail- 
road, about four miles from Cortland village. 
James Horton was an early resident at this 
place and carried on a tannery. He was 
thrifty in his business and secured a compe- 
tency. His tannery buildings were once 
burned ; but he rebuilt them and finally 
disposed of his real estate to Conrad Kleine, 
who continued the business for several 
}'ears on a much larger scale. The tannery 
was subsequenth' burned again and was not 
rebuilt. 

The first saw-mill erected at East River 
was located near the present P^ast River 
Mills, and was built by Daniel Crandall. He 
had purchased and moved to lot No. 38 in 
1800, and built for himself a house on the 
site now occupied by the mill. It was a 
characteristic pioneer structure, apparently 
not adapted for occupancy by human be- 
ings; but Mr. Crandall was a man of in- 
dustry, sound judgment and integrit}', and 
he prospered accordingly. In company 
with Saniuel Griggs he finally erected a 
grist-mill, which did a good business for a 
number of years. He also erected other 
buildings on his farm and at the time of his 
death (1857) had a large and excellent house 
there. 

The water power at this site is a very 
valuable one. In 18 16 Eli Carpenter came 
from Tolland, Conn., purchased a share in 
the water privilege and lands contiguous 
thereto and put up a fulling-mill and facili- 
ties for dyeing and dressing cloth, with 
carding machine, etc. This establishment 
was very prosperous for several years and 
the business was further extended by Mr. 
Carpenter in the manufacture of carpets of 
brilliant colors, d)-ed by himself In the 
mean time Mr. Crandall's mills had become 
somewhat impaired by age and about the 



236 



History of CoRXLANn County. 



year 1835 or 1836, he became the sole 
owner of the site and water power, and pro- 
ceeded to erect new mills. The business 
revived, but the domestic manufacture of 
cloth declined yearly and was eventually 
abandoned. The mills erected by Mr. Car- 
penter are still standin<^, but have been 
much enlar<^ed and changed to meet the 
growing needs of the vicinity. A large bus- 
iness is done in the manufacture of flour and 
feed and in the production of lumber. Al- 
fred Utley succeeded Mr. Carpenter in the 
mills, following whom came the present 
proprietors, the Holmes brothers in the 
saw-mill, and the Cortland Wagon Company 
in the grist-mills, which are managed for 
the company by Wm. H. Moore. Mr. Car- 
penter was a man of energy and business 
ability and prospered in whatever he under- 



took. He was justice of the peace a num- 
ber of times, and died in 1863. 

Hosea Sprague, a native of Brimfield, 
Mass., came to East River with his brother- 
in-law, Samuel Sherman, in I 82 I. He was 
a good mechanic, a carpenter and joiner, at 
which he worked until the year 1850, when 
he settled in Homer village and retired from 
business. Mr. Sprague was one of the pio- 
neer carpenters of the town and has helped 
to erect many of the early buildings in this 
part of the county. He still lives in Homer 
village and enjoys good health at the age of 
ninety-three years. 

The mill built by Asa Austin passed into 
the hands of Samuel Summers ; then to 
Isaac and Wm. Miller ; then to John Ham- 
mond, who sold it to Samuel Byram, the 
present owner. 



CHAPTER XX. 



HISTORY OF TIIK TOWN OF CORTLANDVILLF.. 



Tllh^ town of Cortlandville . was not 
formed until the iith day of April, 
1829, at which time it was set off from the 
old military township of Homer (No. 19) 
of which it comprises the southern half; 
two lots from the town of Virgil have been 
added to Cortlandville since its first forma- 
tion. It is bounded on the north by the 
town of Homer; on the east by Solon and 
Freetown; on the ' south by Virgil and 
Freetown, and on the west by Tompkins 
county. It is nearl}- centrally located be- 
tween the northern and southern county 
boundaries, and upon its western border. 
Its surface is sufficiently varied to give it a 
picturesque aspect, being made up of lofty 
hills in the eastern and southern portions, 
gentle eminences between the eastern and 
western branches of the Tioughnioga river 



and in the central and western portions, 
while along the river and in the vicinity of 
the junction of the two branches of the 
stream are broad level valleys that are not 
excelled for beauty and productiveness. 
Upon the broad plain which stretches away 
southward and westward from the locality 
where the waters of the two river branches 
start southward towards the sea, seven dif- 
ferent valleys of varying widths converge 
from as many different points of the com- 
pass. On this plain has grown the beautiful 
village of Cortland. The surrounding hills, 
broken by these numerous valleys; the 
broad plain cleft by the classic stream and 
its swiftly-flowing tributaries and stretching 
away to a distance of two miles in either 
direction, and the thriving village set in the 
midst, combine to form a scene of rare nat- 



Town of Coktlandville. 



237 



iiral beaut\- when viewed from any adjacent 
eminence, and a site worthy of a great city. 

The soil of the town of Cortlandville is 
composed of a rich alluvial deposit along 
the \alleys of the streams, while portions of 
the ]5lain in the central part of the town 
and the hilly regions are gravelly and ar- 
gillaceous loam. There is very little of the 
town that is not susceptible of cultivation, 
but the hilly portions are, perhaps, better 
adapted for grazing than for tillage. 

The town is well watered and drained; 
both the east and west branches of the 
Tioughnioga flow through it, forming a 
junction not far from the center, the main 
stream then continuing southward to the 
boundary. Into the river and its branches 
flow Otter creek from the west and Trout 
creek from the east, which are in turn fed by 
numerous clear springs that send their whole- 
some waters through all parts of the town. 

This region was originally heavily tim- 
bered, beech, maple, elm and hemlock being 
most abundant, and interspersed with ash, 
cherry and other woods. Much of the site 
of Cortland village was formerly covered 
with a forest of towering elms. 

Speaking with direct reference to the 
boundaries of the town, John Miller and his 
family were the first settlers within the 
present limits of the town of Cortlandville, 
outside of the extreme probability that 
Beebe and Todd built their first habitation 
in the town, as stated by Mr. Kingsbury, 
in the preceding history of the town of Ho- 
mer. Mr. Miller made his permanent set- 
tlement in the spring, 1792, having explored 
the valleys of the Tioughnioga branches the 
previous season, with Amos Todd and Jo- 
seph Beebe. He had two sons, of one of 
whom but little is known ; but he probably 
died at an early age. The other was Daniel 
Miller, afterwards well known throughout 
the county as " Deacon " and " General " 
Miller. 



The family settled on lot 56, where they 
erected a rude shanty at the junction of the 
two roads now leading from the villages of 
Homer and Cortland to Truxton, and just in 
front of the present residence of T. Mason 
Loring. Daniel Miller was about eighteen 
years old at the time of their arrival in town.' 
They paid for their land and began improv- 
ing it by clearing off the timber. Not long af- 
terward a young man appeared on the scene 
and laid claim to the land on the ground 
that he had been a soldier and had drawn 
the lot, and had not conveyed it away ; that 
if they had bought and paid for it they had 
been imposed upon ; furthermore that he 
himself was a minor and could not legally 
have conveyed the land to any one. Un- 
der these circumstances Mr. Miller made a 
bargain with him, by which he was to re- 
main with Mr. Miller until he was twenty- 
one years old, when he could give them a 
title to the land. When that time arrived, 
the Millers paid him for the land and he dis- 
appeared. It afterwards developed that he 
had deceived them in regard to his age, and 
that he was not twenty-one when he sold 
them the land. His friends, being dissatisfied 
with the terms on which he had settled with 
Mr. Miller, sent him away, circulated re- 
ports of his death, and then claimed the land 
as his heirs ; this scheme was not successful, 
however, and they then brought him to 
life and began anew. During several years 
Mr. Miller was harassed with threats, dis- 

1 When Mr. Miller came to the spot where he built his 
dwelling he thrust into the ground a willow twig which 
he had broken from a little tree in front of a settler's 
house on the way. The settler's wife was indignant and 
told her husband that the man who had just passed on 
horseback had ruined their tree, upon which the irate 
pioneer followed Mr. Miller, overtook him and berated 
him for breaking their tree ; but he returned crest-fallen 
when he saw that it was a mere whip which had been ap- 
propriated. This twig has grown into a great tree, the 
two branching trunks of which now measure respectively 
sixteen and twelve and a half feet in circumference. It 
is an old and well-known landmark at the junction of the 
two roads. 



23S 



History of Cortland County. 



putes and vexations of various kinds, until 
at length a final settlement was made and 
another deed obtained. He now supposed 
that all trouble about his farm was ended. 
But still later another stranger appeared and 
presented a claim to fifty acres on the north- 
east corner of the lot, which had been sold 
for non-payment of taxes. He claimed to 
be the purchaser and to hold a valid title 
to the land. This included the ground on 
which the Millers had made most of their 
improvements ; consequently there was no 
other course available but to settle ^\ ith the 
intruder, which they finally did by the pay- 
ment of four dollars an acre. Thus, after li\'- 
ing seven years in a log cabin, which would 
now be considered hardly good enough for 
a horse stable, and paying for their land 
twice and for a portion of it three times, 
they secured a valid title. 

John Miller died June iith, 1806, at the 
ageof 75 years ; his wife, Hannah, died Oc- 
tober 25th, 1818, aged 69 years. Daniel 
Miller became a man of prominence. The 
military organization of the State was then 
thoroughly maintained and in March, 1803, 
he received the commission of lieutenant in 
a company of infantry from George Clin- 
ton, then governor of the State. This was 
followed by a commission as captain in 
1806, and as lieutenant-colonel in 1808. In 
February, 181 2, he received his commission 
as brigadier-general, and was called with 
his brigade to the Niagara frontier. It is 
said of him that he persistently studied mil- 
itary evolutions with kernels of corn on a 
board, until he became a competent tacti- 
cian. He united with the Congregational 
Church in Homer in 1820 and from that 
time until his death was a prominent mem- 
ber and an office-holder in the society. He 
died in 1845. His wife was a sister of the 
Rev. John Keep, who was for twelve years 
pastor of that church. Mr. Miller left two 
sons, one of whom was Dr. Abram Miller. 



Gen. Miller is remembered as a man of con- 
templative cast of mind, of unswerving in- 
tegrity and habitual dignity of manner. He 
was an ardent lover of nature. 

Succeeding the Miller family the next 
settlers in the tow n were Jonathan Hubbard 
and Moses Hopkins, both of whom came in 
1794. Mr. Hubbard selected lands amid 
the stately elms on the site of Cortland vil- 
lage, much of which east of Main street he 
owned. His first dwelling stood about on 
the site of the National Bank of Cortland, 
corner of Main and Court streets. Mr. Hop- 
kins purchased a large tract of land west of 
the hill now known as " Monroe Heights," 
on lot 64. 

It was fortunate for the future town that 
such men as Jonathan Hubbard and Moses 
Hopkins were its pioneers. They came, as 
did a great majority of the early settlers in 
this region, from New England — that cra- 
dle of strong, resolute, active men. These 
two, as well as many of their early success- 
ors, were men of strongly marked charac- 
ters, possessed of sagacious foresight, clear 
minds and determined wills ; they came into 
the wilderness to accomplish something 
worthy of themselves, with no thought of 
obstacles and no dread of consequences. 
Well may it be said, then, that the county 
was fortunate in having the first inroads 
toward ci\-ilization made b\" such men. 

I\Ir. Hubbard was about twenty years old 
when he came into Cortland — young, vig- 
orous and filled with enthusiasm. He fore- 
saw (perhaps had already learned the fact 
from personal experience) that one of the 
first and most important necessities of pio- 
neer families was a grist-mill. There was 
already one in the county, built in Homer a 
year or two previous, but there was ample 
room for more. Choosing the most eligible 
site, therefore, Mr. Hubbard made the build- 
ing of a grist-mill his first occupation. It 
was located where now stands the mill of 




'■*W^^'iPS?pvS->' 



A. LEROY COLE. 



Town of Cortlandville. 



239 



Thomas F. Braj-ton, and was the first one in 
the town; it was long known as Hubbard's 
mill, and still later as "the Red Mill." As 
soon as the structure was far enough ad- 
vanced Mr. Hubbard and his joung wife, 
a sister of David McClure, occupied it 
as a residence until his dwelling was built. 
In just what year the mill was finished 
and put in operation appears to be in doubt. 
It has been given as early as 1797 and as 
late as 1803. It was between those dates 
and undoubtedly not long after the one first 
given. In any event his daughter Abigail, 
afterward the wife of Daniel Hawks, a prom- 
inent Cortland attorney and county judge, 
was born while the family lived in the mill ; 
her birth occurred in May, 1805. In the 
same year his wife died, and, in 18 10, he 
married Polly Trowbridge ; from this union 
was born in March, 1813, Jonathan Hub- 
bard, jr., who was, until his death in 1883, 
one of the prominent and respected citizens 
of Cortland village. In 1806 the first Jon- 
athan Hubbard joined with Loren Blodgett, 
son of Nathan Blodgett, whose settlement 
will be noted a little farther on, and erected a 
grist-mill at Blodgett's Mills, so named from 
Mr. Blodgett. This was the second mill 
built in the town, and its erection consti- 
tuted about the first settlement at that point. 
Jonathan Hubbard died on Christmas Day, 
in the year 18 14, at the comparatively early 
age of forty years ; but he filled his life with 
work which made an enduring impression 
upon the town, as will hereafter appear. 

Moses Hopkins was also a man of more 
than ordinary intelligence and force of char- 
acter, energy and enterprise. He built one 
of the early taverns in the village of Cort- 
land, on the corner near where the Ta}'lor 
Hall block now stands ; it was long a pop- 
ular house, where public meetings of all 
kinds were held. The building was quite a 
commodious wooden structure and was sub- 
sequently occupied as a young ladies' sem- 



inary. Mr. Hopkins held the offices of 
deputy sherifl" and sheriff of the county. 
His first dwelling stood about on the site 
occupied in later years by his son, Hiram 
Hopkins. 

John Keep made a permanent settlement 
in 1795 on lot 56, where he built the orig- 
inal part of the county poor-house. He was 
from Massachusetts. Mr. Keep and his wife, 
Miss Frances Goodell, were baptized by 
Rev. Daniel Irish, in September, 1798, be- 
ing the first administration of the rite in 
Cortland county. They were also among 
the sixteen who constituted the first Baptist 
church of Homer, in 1801, and gave libe- 
rally of their time, money and influence to 
the building up of that society and for the 
general good of the community. Judge 
Keep was made a justice of the peace as 
early as 1797, long before the organization 
of this county, and in 18 10 he was first 
judge of the Court of Common Pleas, the 
first officer of that character in the county, 
which position he filled with honor until 
1823. He was not bred to a profession, but 
his eminent integrity and sound judgment 
enabled him to fill his judicial office with 
satisfaction. 

An incident in the life of Judge Keep, 
which was related by a former inmate of 
the alms house, is worthy of passing notice. 
Just before the family of Judge Keep finally 
removed from his home on the banks of the 
river he made his accustomed prayer in 
which he entreated that "the house he was 
about to leave might ever remain in the fu- 
ture as it had been in the past, an asylum 
for the poor, the unfortunate and the dis- 
tressed." 

Not many years later the house and farm 
were sold to the county for an alms house, 
making it, indeed, for all time, " an asylum 
for the poor and distressed." 

From an old book containing a record of 
Judge Keep's official acts, we quote verba- 



240 



History of Cortland County. 



ti)ii the following which will be read with 

interest: — 

" County of Onondaga, ss. : 

"To-\vit: Beit remembered that on the 29th 
day of May, in the year of our Lord One Thou- 
sand Eight Hundred, Levi White was convicted 
before me, John Keep, one of the justices of the 
peace of said county of Onondaga, of doing ser- 
vile work on Sabbath day, the eighteenth day of 
this present instant, May, at the town of Solon. 
(}iven under my hand and seal, the day and year 
above said. 

"Fine, 75 cents; costs 37 cents 5 mills. 

"John Keep, Justice of the Peace. 
" Onondaga County, ss. : 

"Viz.: Be it remembered that on the 26th 
day of December in the year of our Lord One 
Thousand Eight Hundred, Elijah Hayden was 
convicted before me, John Keep, Esq., one of 
the justices of the peace in and for the said 
county, of swearing ten profane oaths, in the 
town of Homer, in the said county. Given un- 
der my hand and seal the day and the year 
above said. 

" Fine paid, $3.75." 

It would seem that the penalty for swear- 
ing one oath must have been thirty-seven 
and a half cents. This appears, when viewed 
from the stand-point of the present day, as 
a high penalty, and leads one to reflect 
upon the enormity of the income which 
might have been derived from this source 
if Judge Keep could have held his office 
until 1884 and had "let no guilty man es- 
cape." 

From among the records of various mar- 
riage ceremonies performed by Judge Keep, 
we select a few of people who will be re- 
membered by old residents as prominent in 
Cortland and Homer : — 

"Homer, 26th June, 1800. This day 
married Asa White, jr., to Clarissa Keep, 
both of Homer." Mr. White was the father 
of Horace and Hamilton White, the suc- 
cessful bankers, later of Syracuse. 

"March 14th, 1799. This day married 
Asahel Minor to Rhoda Keep, both of Ho- 



mer." Mr. Minor was the first clerk of Cort- 
land county, and held other positions of 
trust. 

"April 4th, 1799. This day married 
Wm. Lucas to Sallic Knapp, both of Ho- 
mer." Mr. Lucas was a prominent man 
and an office holder for about a quarter of 
a century. 

" Married at Homer, March 25th, 1802, 
Prosper Cravath to Miriam Kinne." Of this 
family Mr. Ballard wrote in his Reminiscences 
as follows: — "Whether we view this mar- 
ried couple with their daughters, 'like olive 
plants around their tabic,' in their Cortland 
home, remarkable for the beauty of the land- 
scape surrounding it, made up of plain, river 
and distant hill ; or in their new dwelling- 
place on the plains of Wisconsin, rising above 
all is the memory of that parental dignity and 
tenderness, that child-like simplicit)' of man- 
ner and integrity of heart, all consecrated 
by a Christian faith daily strengthened on 
the altar of devotion. Such were their shin- 
ing traits of character." 

The meetings preliminary to building the 
First Baptist church of Homer (which stood 
at the junction of Adams street with the 
road to Homer) were held at his house ; the 
first one in August, 1806, when John Keep, 
Asa Bennett and Benjamin Salisbury were 
chosen a committee to found a constitution. 

Previous to the year 1800 a large tract 
of land, bordering the river eastward of 
Cortland village, was owned by Elkanah 
Watson, a Massachusetts man, from whom 
Port Watson received its name. It may be 
that others were interested with him in the 
speculation which was intended as the foun- 
dation of a thri\ing village at that point ; 
but the sales of land are nearly all made in 
his name, or that of his attorney. The tract 
was surveyed by Harvey I. Stewart, prob- 
ably as early as 1800, and laid out in streets 
and lots, and the latter placed in market. 
The principal street was Washington street, 



Town of Cortlandville. 



241 



running north and south on the line of the 
present street ; but it is said to have been 
originally laid out much wider (eight or ten 
rods in width) and was intended for a mag- 
nificent avenue of a mile or more in length, 
directly through the center of the future 
village ; it was extended northward across 
the west branch of the Tioughnioga, which 
was to have been bridged at that point, 
about midway between Hubbard's mill and 
the confluence of the two branches of the 
river ; the bridge was never built, but streets 
were opened running from the road to- 
wards Truxton, north of the stone bridge, 
eastward to meet the main (\\'ashington) 
street. Running eastward from Washing- 
ton street were laid out and opened nar- 
rower avenues, reaching to the river, which 
were named from the numerals. 

There are records of land sales in this vi- 
cinity, made b)' Elkanah Watson prior to 
1800, and from that time to 18 12, scores of 
transfers of lands in and about Port Watson 
are on record. A few examples of these sales 
will be interesting : — 

In 1800 Watson sold to Charles Todd 
Hotchkiss, 100 acres on lot 41 (see map) for 
80 pounds. 

In 1805 Jonathan Hubbard bought lot 
142, of the Port Watson survey, for $50. 
In the same year Alfred Allen bought of 
Watson lot 149, "on town plot of Port Wat- 
son," for $45. 

In the next year Moses Hopkins bought 
of Watson lot 126, "on town plott of Port 
Watson," for $26.06. 

In 181 1, Watson sold to "Luman Rice, of 
the village of Port Watson, all that village lot 
lying in the village of Port Watson, known 
as lots 60 and 61, bounded by Washington 
street, containing each one-half acre," for 
$95 ; also the north half of lot 29 on " East 
Homer river," bounded "west by road ; east 
by lot 30, and south by a line through the 
middle of lot 29." 



In 1 8 1 2 Watson sold to Thomas Tillot- 
son for $2,000 one-fourth of lot 66, with 
saw-mill, hotel and store-houses. Tillotson 
is recorded as from Rhinebeck. This sale 
indicates that there was a saw-mill at or 
near the confluence of the river branches 
earlier than 181 2, and a hotel near by; but 
we have been unable to learn anything more 
definite of them. 

Jacob, well known as "Captain," Badgley, 
purchased "lot 120 of the town platt of 
Port Watson," in 18 12, for $50. Capt. 
Badgley was an uncle of Alonzo Blodgett. 

In October, 18 10, Thomas and Andrew- 
Stockholm bought of Watson land on the 
"east bank of East river, due east of the 
south line of 6th street, in the village of Port 
Watson, and at the northwest corner of lot 
15 ; thence east four chains; thence south 
ten chains, to north line of lot 21 ; thence 
east twenty-seven chains to the east bank of 
the river ; then up the river to the place of 
beginning — about five acres," for $200. 

Watson also sold to Nathan Blodgett, 
grandfather of Alonzo Blodgett, a part of 
lot 66, lying "immediately west of Port 
W'atson, on the south side of West Homer 
river — twenty acres, for $240." William 
Lowe joined in this sale, which was made 
in December, 1805. 

These transfers are given merely as ex- 
amples of many others, indicating the ac- 
tivity in the land traffic at that point; it is 
much to be regretted that the map of Port 
Watson village is not now available ; while 
we have found traces of such a map, our 
utmost efforts have failed to secure it. 

Sales of lots at Port Watson continued 

to be pushed with vigor ; the point was 

clearly the head of navigation on the river, 

and the site was in e\'ery wa\- so favorable 

for the location of a village that it was not 

until after the first decade of the century 

that the then hamlet of Cortland began to 

outstrip Port Watson in growth and prestige. 

16 



242 



History of Cortland County. 



During the year 1795 a few more settlers 
came into tlie town. Among these was 
Dr. Lewis S. Owen, who came from Albany 
and located on lot 66, where he subsequently 
erected the first frame house in the county. 
It stood a little east of where Russell Hub- 
bard lived in later years. Dr. Owen re- 
moved to Homer village after three years. 
In the same year Thomas Wilcox, from 
W'hitestown, settled on lot 64, and Reuben 
Doud, originally from New Haven, James 
Scott, John Morse and Levi Lee all located 
on lot 75. 

Considerable accession was made to the 
population of the town during the succeed- 
ing five years and prior to the beginning of 
the century. In 1796-97 Samuel Critten- 
den and Eber Stone came from Connecticut 
and located on lot 66. The}- bought one 
hundred and sixty acres, the tract belonging 
to them being divided by a line nearly par- 
allel with the present Main street. Mr. 
Crittenden afterward built a house a little 
east of the site of A. Mahan's store. He 
made the journey from Connecticut with an 
ox team, being twentj'-five days on the 
road. Mr. Crittenden removed to Tomp- 
kins county prior to 1858, where he held 
several judicial ofiices and represented the 
count)- in the Legislature three successive 
years. 

Aaron Knapp settled on lot 55 during 
the period under consideration, and Enoch 
Hotchkiss on lot 76. In the year 1798 
Samuel Ingalls and his son, Samuel, jr., 
migrated from Columbia county, N. Y., and 
located on lot 75, the former becoming 
the owner of much of the land on which 
the southwestern portion of the village is 
situated. He built and kept the first tavern 
in the town. 

During the first decade of the century, 
although the advancement of settlement 
was not remarkably rapid, many men and 
families located within the boundaries of the 



town who were destined to wield an influ- 
ence in the community and leave the per- 
manent impress of their toil and energy 
upon the new county. Many of these have 
alread)- been mentioneil in the history of the 
town of Homer, and while we cannot trace 
the precise dates of arrival and localities of 
settlement of all those worthy pioneers, 
something ma\- be said of the more i:)romi- 
nent of them ; others will be found in sub- 
sequent pages devoted to the village history 
of the town. 

David Merrick came from Massachusetts 
in the year 1 800 and located on lot 44. He 
was accompanied by his son Danforth, after- 
ward a prominent citizen. In iSio they set- 
tled in Cortland village on lot 65,' where 
he built what was then the largest hotel in 
the place, just west of the Cortland House 
site, which he kept as a tavern more than 
twenty }-ears. 

Obadiah Boies and Joshua Hassett arrived 
in town about cotemporar\- with Mr. Mer- 
rick. Mr. Boies built his dwelling about 
where the Union Hall block now- stands, and 
Mr. Bassett near the site of the First Na- 
tional Bank. Mr. Boies became a promi- 
nent citizen and held the office of county 
treasurer for man\' years. Mr. Bassett was a 
jeweler, the first in the village. 

Waterman and Levi Phillips were from 
Connecticut, and the former located on lot 
69, near where Trout creek joins the 
Tioughnioga, where he purchased one hun- 
dred acres. He afterward removed to Ho- 

iMr. Merrick came lo Wliilestown in Lhe year 1797, to 
purchase a tavern stand and 100 acres of land, then val- 
ued at $300. His means being limited, he concluded 
not to purchase and returned home. The next year he 
again visited Whitestown for the express purpose of clos- 
ing a bargain, but the property was then valued at $10,- 
000, and consequently he did not secure it, ami came on 
to Hoiner. .\ few years later, having been ejected from 
his premises three times, and being threatened with the 
s.ime treatment a fourth lime, he concluded to leave and 
settle at Little York ; but in 1810 he returned to Cort- 
land village. 




r?y 



^.M 



'?''e&ry 



Town of Cortlandville. 



243 



mer village. Jefferson, Abel K., and George 
Phillips were his sons. 

At this time (iSoo) there was no road be- 
tween Homer village and the little settlement 
at Cortland; or, at least, none other than a 
mere cutting through the woods. One of 
the pioneers of Cortland who drew saw-logs 
to the Homer mill in the winter of 1800—01, 
said that two trips a day through the mud 
and slush, "snaking" a log one way, was 
all he could accomplish. A road had been 
cut out to Virgil Corners where it inter- 
sected the State road ; another had been 
cut through to Locke (now Groton) ; a third 
to McGrawville ; a fourth to Truxton and 
the one to Homer, above mentioned. 

In the )'ear 1800 W'ilmot Sperr\- located 
in the town, on lot 73 ; he was from Wood- 
bridge, Conn. Two years later William 
Mallory came in from Columbia county and 
permanently located. He soon afterward 
built a house where the Keator block now 
stands, corner of Main and Port Watson 
streets. He was the second sherift' of the 
count}-, appointed in 1809, and was' a man 
of unusual character and acquirements. In 
i8i4hewas elected to the Assembly and 
as county clerk in 1815. In 1819 he was 
elected to the State Senate, and was ap- 
pointed count}' judge in 1823. He died in 

1837- 

John A. Freer came into town at this 
time from Duchess county, and located on 
lot 74. He became a prominent citizen of 
the village, as did also his sons, Anthony 
and S. D. Freer, the latter of whom still 
lives there. 

In 1S03 Samuel McGraw made the long 
journey from New Haven and located on 
lot 87, where he purchased 100 acres. In 
1 809 he removed to the site of McGrawville, 
(which was named from him) where he pur- 
chased 200 acres ; at that time there were 
but three families in the vicinit}' of the vil- 
lage of McGrawville. Mr. McGraw was a 



man of prominence and did much toward 
building up the place which bears his name. 
He was the father of twelve children, eight 
of whom were sons. He died in 1849. 
One of his sons, Harry McGraw, became a 
prominent citizen of Cortland, held several 
offices, and was the father of Hon. P. H. 
McGraw, now of McGrawxille. 

James T. Hotchkiss came into town in 
1803, from Woodbridge, locating on lot 54, 
northwest of the village. He was conspic- 
uous in the War of 1812 and fell at the 
battle of Oueenstown, in 18 13, while serving 
as one of Gen. Dearborn's life-guards. He 
left eight children who became well known 
and respected people. 

The first church organization in the 
county (1801) has already been alluded to in 
the history of the town of Homer. It was 
the result of joint efforts on the part of the 
good people in Homer (village), Cortland, 
Port Watson and East River, and led to the 
building, in 181 1, of a church which stood 
about "one-half mile north of the old court- 
house," as its location has been defined. 
Its site was in reality on the northwest cor- 
ner at the junction of North Main street 
with Adams street and the Homer road. 

The first ]\Iethodist meetings in this town 
were held at the Iwuse of Jonathan Hubbard 
in 1 804, and they were continued at private 
houses, school-houses, etc., until the time 
arrived when a societ}' was organized and a 
church built in 1S21, as detailed in subse- 
quent pages. Elder Bachellor was a Meth- 
odist minister who preached on a circuit 
embracing Cortland village, as early as 1 805. 

Among the earliest settlers in the eastern 
part of the town were Russell Dodd, Rufus 
Persons, Enon Phelps and others. Enon 
Phelps (father of E. W. Phelps, who came 
to this localit}- in 1817) remained where he 
settled in this town but one year (1795-96), 
and then removed to Homer. Mr. Persons 
was a native of Connecticut, was married 



History of Cortland County. 



January 1st, 1807, and moved upon the 
farm now occupied by Lorenzo Persons, 
wliere he built a saw-mill. 

Isaac Alger, a native of Vermont, came to 
New York State in 1 Soo. He was the father 
of Joseph C. Alger, of McGrawville, who 
came there from Schoharie county in 1831. 
His first wife was a daughter of Job Card, 
one of the early settlers on lot 57. His 
present wife was Mary B. Cowles, daughter 
of Judah Cowles, also an early settler, who 
came from Chathanf, N. Y., and located on 
land now owned by Charles O. Alger, in 
1810. 

Nathan Blodgett was one of the more 
prominent of the early settlers locating 
here in 1804. He was from Massachusetts 
and his purchase of lands from Elkanah 
Watson has already been noted. He died 
in 1845, leaving five children — Loren (be- 
fore mentioned as building the first mill at 
Blodgett's ^lills), Lewis, Benjamin Franklin, 
Lydia and Elizabetli. The son, Benjamin 
F., succeeded to the ownership of the farm. 
He was a useful and respected member of 
the community and made the farm one of 
the best in this section. His life exhibited 
the Christian virtues in an enviable degree. 
He left four children ; a daughter married 
Dr. T. C. Pomeroy, now of Syracuse, and 
another the Rev. O. H. Seymour. His son, 
Alonzo Blodgett. now owns and occupies ' 
the homestead near Brajton's mills, where 
he has built a handsome residence. 

Jacob Sanders settled on lot 56 in 1803 i 
he was from Swansea, Mass. He had a 
family of ten children, who became well 
known and respected people. 

John Calvert came from Washington 
county to Virgil in 1800 and about 1812 
removed to lot 82, between Cortland and 
McLean, where Leroy Gillett now lives. 

Nathan and James Knapp were early set- 
tlers on lot 84, south of Cortland village, 
and Gilbert Budd and Jeremiah Chase on j 



lot 74. John Stillman located on lot 65, 
now within the village limits, at a very early 
day. Judge Keep's old record book con- 
tains Mr. Stillman's marriage to Mary Hub- 
bard, sister of the pioneer, Jonathan Hub- 
bard, under date of January 22d, 1801. 
Elisha Crosb\- and Lemuel Ingalls were 
early settlers also on lot 65. John McNish 
was also an early farmer in the vicinity of 
South Cortland. 

Gideon Curtis, a native of Massachusetts, 
came here in 1 807 and located near the 
Port Watson bridge, where he owned a 
tannery for a time. He afterwards removed 
to Little York. He was a member of the 
Legislature in 1822. 

In 1808 John Ingalls located on lot 74 
and Lemuel and Jacob Cady, who came 
from Massachusetts, on lot y^, all southwest 
of the village towards South Cortland. Ed- 
mund Mallory, from Duchess county, set- 
tled on lot 74. also, and John Wicks on J^. 

Oliver Wiswell, the first lawyer in the 
town and the first postmaster (1814), prob- 
abl\- came before 18 10. Other early attor- 
ne\-s were Henry Stephens and Samuel N. 
Perkins, the former of whom became very 
prominent ; was sent to the Legislature ; 
was county judge and later president of the 
Syracuse and Binghamton railroad. 

These pioneers of the town who came in 
before the year 18 10, though their num- 
bers were comparatively small, were gene- 
rally men of strong characters and wills, 
men whose lives and works left an indeli- 
ble impression upon the town. 

The second decade of the century wit- 
nessed long strides in the advancement and 
growth of the town, and the establishment 
of its early institutions. The erection of the 
court-house pursuant to the act of April, 
1810. and the rivalry it occasioned in the 
three villages of Homer, Port Watson and 
Cortland, have been detailed in a previous 
chapter. The little hamlet of Cortland be- 



Town of Cortlandville. 



245 



gan to assume the character of a village, 
and mills, asheries, distilleries and tanneries 
were multipl}-ing in difterent parts of the 
town. William and Roswell Randall came 
to Cortland village in 18 12 and soon began 
the important business enterprises which 
placed them at the head in this respect, a 
position which thc>- occupied for many 
years. They were originally from Stoning- 
ton but came to Cortland from Brookfield, 
Conn. Saw-mills had been erected at South 
Cortland, Blodgett's Mills, one near Horace 
Dibble's carding-mill and one at Port Wat- 
son. The carding-mill operated for so 
many j-ears by Mr. Dibble was built as 
early as 181 5, by David McClure and in 
iSiB^ Moses Hopkins advertised in the 
Republican that he had " two new carding- 
machines ready for operation in Mr. Hig- 
day's shops, a little east of the Red mills 
(formerly Hubbard's mill)." 

1 " Goodwin's Pioneer History makes mention of a Wil- 
liam Sherman, who came to Homer in the summer of 
1815, and 'soon after he erected a machine shop for the 
manufacture of nails — the first of the kind in the Slate 
of New York — the machinery being so arranged as to 
feed, cut, head and stamp without assistance. On the 
head of each nail was stamped the letter S. Four-penny 
nails were then worth twenty-five cents per pound.' I 
am under the impression, however, that Sherman began 
manufacturing nails in this building, which was erected 
by a man named McClure about 1816, and had a saw- 
mill in the rear, run by the same water privilege, and 
that he subsequently removed the nvichinery to Homer, 
where he continued to manufacture nails for a number 
of years. Mr. Dibble states that when he passed through 
Cortland in 1821, nails were then being made here by 
Sherman's machine, and I have now in my possession 
several nails with the letters W and S stamped on their 
heads, which were with some difficulty drawn out of the 
clapboards covering the rear of the old liuilding, by me, 
a few moments before these lines were written, and which 
there is every reason for believing were among the first 
nails manufactured by that machine." 

This paragraph is printed in a pamphlet recently 
issued in Cortland as a historical advertising medium ; 
but there is probably no ground for presuming that \Vd- 
liani Sherman ever made nails in Cortland. The nails 
Ijearing his initials on the heads were doubtless made by 
him in Homer and sold to the builder of the carding- 
mill. The fact of their being found in that old structure 
is no argument in favor of the supposition that they were 
made there. 



The Randalls had at least two asheries 
within the present limits of the village, and 
distilleries dotted the landscape in every di- 
rection. Whisky, as we are told by an old 
resident, was so plenty that one could go 
and buy a gallon for twenty- five cents "and 
have a jug thrown in to carry it home in." 

The first school was established, the 
building standing on the site of the Messen- 
ger House, and the old Baptist Church soci- 
ety was in a flourishing condition. 

In the year 1 8 1 5 further school facilities 
being demanded, steps were taken which led 
to the building of the old school-house 
which preceded the academy. Moses Hop- 
kins, Samuel S. Baldwin and Solomon Hub- 
bard were the trustees of the districts. No- 
tice was given by them that proposals 
would be received for building a school- 
house 26 by 56 feet in dimensions, and two 
stories high. The structure was erected in 
1 8 16, and from that time onward was occu- 
pied for school purposes below, while the 
upper story was often used for religious 
meetings. In the year 1841 it was enlarged 
and became the well known and successful 
academy. It stood between the Presbyte- 
rian and Methodist churches, on Church 
street. In 1868 it was removed and the lot 
given to the Normal School grounds. 

William Wood, a native of Hinsdale, 
Vermont, migrated to Herkimer, N. Y., 
and in 18 14 came into the town of Homer, 
locating at first on the road leading from 
the East river valley to the farm of Enon 
Phelps, on lot 48. Here he resided two 
years, when he removed southward to lot 
58 in the town of Cortlandville, and again 
removed in 18 19 to lot 39 in Homer, ad- 
joining the farm of Capt. Crandall; but 
after planting an orchard and making other 
valuable improvements on the place, he was 
forced to leave it in 1833, for want of a 
valid title. He removed into the valley, 
and subsequently to the hill again, on the 



246 



History of Cortland County. 



northwest side of the river, where he died 
in 1850, as stated in the preceding history 
of Homer. His farm on lot 58 passed into 
the hands of Asa Loring, who came to the 
town from Petersham, Mass., in 181 8 and 
bought Mr. Wood's interest in the farm. 
Mr. Loring removed to lot 48 in Homer, 
but again changed his location to the old 
Deacon Miller farm at the junction of the 
Homer and Cortland roads leading to Trux- 
ton. Mr. Loring early manifested a deep 
interest in the science of surveying and ea- 
gerly availed himself of whatever knowledge 
he could gain on the subject; he began its 
practice at. the age of nineteen and soon 
gained a reputation for industry and ac- 
curacy that was most en\iable. He fol- 
lowed the business until he was more than 
eighty years old, retaining his sight to such 
a degree that he never had to use glasses. 
Mr. Loring held various offices — commis- 
sioner of schools, commissioner of highways, 
commissioner of deeds, etc., and in 1825 
was elected captain of a company of in- 
fantry, in the old 58th regiment, then under 
command of Roswell Randall. Following 
is a transcription of Captain Loring's muster 
roll of 1 826 now in possession of his son, T. 
Mason Loring, which will show some of the 
men who then gave their aid to the military 
organization of the State: — 

Captain — Asa Loring. 

Lieutenant — Polydore B. Corwin. 

Ensign — John McGraw. 

Sergeants — Austin Graves, Alonzo Tis- 
dale, Elisha H. Cohin, James S. V^an Valk- 
enberg. 

Corporals — Wm. Eldredge, Samuel 
Thompson, James Stewart, Evander Hise. 

Musicians — Speilman Graves, Amos 
Sparks, Lyman Palmer, Lester Graves, 
Walter G. Dye, Ari T. Boynton, Orin Hise. 

Privates — Stilman Eaton, Tilly Coburn, 
Nehemiah Lewis, Reuben G. Doud, Amos 
Pritchard, Morris Bishop, Smith P. Brock- 



wa)', Hiram Boon, Horatio Brockway, Jo- 
seph Brockway, Aaron Coburn, Lyman 
Graves, I-lvander Hise, Levi Davis, Henrj- 
Canehan, Ezekiel Hotchkiss, Robert Dal- 
giish, Jos. Whitnej", Aaron S. Reynolds, 
Hiram Baker, Isaac Allen, Lothrop Far- 
nam, Alvirus Stedman, Oliver Bugby, Geo. 
Stoning, James Stewart, \\"m. Jacobs, Nel- 
son Spencer, Archibald Campbell, Gilmore 
Kinne}', Clark Pendleton, Whitman Rowe, 
Ezra Mills, Chas. Higgins, Philip Kno.x, 
Zimri Russell, Harry Coburn, Zalmon P. 
Barnum, Daniel Danielson, David Fisk, 
Isaac Fisk, J. E. Buchanan, Danford Hise, 
Joseph King, Loren Keep, Parker Butter- 
field, Fred K. Austin, Edwin Cook, Ben- 
jamin Johnson, Jacob Ogden, Truman 
Doud, Nelson Clark, Samuel King, Samuel 
B. Houd, Philander Merrill. 

These were the men, many of whom were 
from this town, who helped to increase the 
glory of the old " general training da\-s. " 

On the 30th day of June, 18 15, occurred 
an event in Cortland, which is always one 
of importance in every new community. 
That da\' witnessed the issue of the first 
newspaper in the town, and the second one 
in the county. It was published, during 
the first few months of its e.vistence, by 
James Percival, and was a very creditable 
journal for the period ; but its columns are 
of very litde account in furnishing historical 
matter, as \\as common witli earlj' newspa- 
pers. Local news was almost entirely ig- 
nored by the editor, while column after col- 
umn was devoted to events happening in 
foreign countries. Further reference to this 
newspaper will be found in the chapter de- 
voted to the press of the county, in the 
general history of the county. 

In the Republican of September 13th, 
1 8 17, appeared a notice of which the fol- 
lowing is a transcription : — 

'■ DOCTOR G00DVE.\R, 

•' From New Haven, Conn., has opened an 



Town of Cortlandville. 



247 



office in this village, where he is ready to attend 
to the duties of his profession; and respectfully 
solicits the patronage of the public, so far as they 
shall (after an acquaintance) find him deserving. " 

This was the beginning, very modestly 
announced, of a professional career extend- 
ing over a period of about sixty years, by 
one of the most eminent and deserving 
physicians of the count}' or State. The 
name of Miles Goodyear became a cherished 
household word in numberless homes, where 
his gentle and successful ministrations to 
the distressed will never be forgotten.' A 
daughter of Dr. Goodyear is now the wife 
of Dr. Frederick H\-de, of Cortland \illage; 
she is a lady of rare intelligence and acquire- 
ments, beloved b)- all who know her. 

Jethro Bonney was an early settler at Port 
Watson, coming here from Essex county in 
1816. Mead Merrill was the owner of a 
saw-mill at Port Watson at that time and 
Mr. Bonney leased the mill. He operated 
it but a few years, however, wlun he re- 
moved with his famil)' to Ponipey. After a 
residence of many years in different locali- 
ties, he returned to Cortland and died in the 
village. Sally Bonne}', who now lives on 
Pendleton street, was his daughter. 

The early advancement of the agricultu- 
ral interests of the count}- was manifested 
by the organization of an agricidtural soci- 
ety in the year 1 8 1 8. The first fair was held 
in the fall of that year. This e\ent was 
looked upon b}- the inhabitants of the vil- 
lage, as well as those of the country sur- 
rounding, as of prime importance and likely 
to result in permanent benefit to the com- 
munity. Elaborate preparations were ac- 
cordingly made for the fair, which were suc- 
cessfully carried out. The date was the 3d 
day of November, and in the glowing ac- 
count given of the event in the village paper 
we find that "at the rising of the sun there 
were three discharges of cannon, reniinding 

1 More extended notice of Dr. Coodyear will be found 
in the history of the Cortland County Medical Society. 



US that, imder Providence, with one hand we 
defend our soil and liberties, and with the 
other reap the harvests." The attendance 
was evidently quite large and the exhibition 
of stock, etc., creditable for that period. After 
the committees had prepared their reports a 
procession was formed which marched to the 
court-house, accompanied by a band of 
music. There the proceedings were opened 
by "an able and pertinent prayer," by the 
Rev. Thomas Purinton, of Truxton. Pres- 
ident Levi Bowcn, of Homer, addressed the 
audience and vice-president John Miller 
opened the reports of the committees and 
delivered the certificates to the successful 
exhibitors. The exercises closed with a 
prayer by "the Rev. p:iijah Bachellor, of 
Homer, commending the society and spec- 
tators to the protection of heaven." A 
sumptuous dinner was then served at David 
Merrick's tavern. The premiums offered 
amounted to only about $100; but in that 
day this seemed to be sufficient, when coup- 
led with the deep interest of the farmers of 
the county to produce a good exhibition 
of farm products. 

About the year 1820 Nelson Spencer 
came to Cortlandville, from Hartford, Conn., 
and purchased a tract of land in Port Wat- 
son which covered the spot where the two 
branches of the river unite. There he erected 
a paper-mill, several tenant houses, a store 
building, and founded a large business in 
the manufacture of paper, book-binding 
and book-selling. It soon became one of 
the most important manufacturing indus- 
tries in the county. 

In the spring of 1832, Spencer having 
failed, the property passed into possession 
of Thomas Sinclair and John J. Speed, both 
of Ithaca. Mr. Sinclair removed his family 
to Cortland and undertook the work of re- 
fitting the mill, which had become a good 
deal run down ; nothing but coarse paper 
had yet been made there, with machinery 



248 



History of Cortland County. 



of the most primitive kind. The paper was 
made b)' a haiul process, dipping the pulp 
from a vat in a seive-likc frame and forming 
the sheet b)- gently shaking the frame, a 
tedious process and requiring skillful ma- 
nipulation. Speed & Sinclair, as the new 
firm was called, put new machinery in the 
mill and made the manufacture of fine pa- 
pers a specialty; their product soon stood 
foremost in the local market. Mr. Sinclair 
died in the spring of 1841, and the mill was 
for a time leased to the employees.' 

The old paper-mill subsequently passed 
into the hands of Wm. H. Smith and John 
Duff, and perhaps others, and was finally 
bought by Daniel Bradford, of Cortland, 
who conducted it chiefly for the manufact- 
ure of coarse paper. Mr. Bradford took it 
in about the j-car 1847, '^'^d continued the 
business until 1864, when the buildings 
were purchased by Sears, Freer & Cottrell 
(Francis Sears, S. D. Freer and John B. 
Cottrell) and machinerj- introduced for the 
manufacture of linseed oil. This partner- 
ship was dissolved in 1866 and Mr. Freer 
conducted the works until 1871, when the 
business was abandoned. In July, i88i,the 
property was bought by the Cooper Broth- 

1 John J. Speed possessed many noble traits of charac- 
ter, accompanied with some peculiarities. In the dis- 
patch of business he was rarely excelled. He was a Vir- 
ginian by birth and a prominent member of the Methodist 
denomination. All enterprises of mora! reform found 
in him an enthusiastic friend. He was an exemplary mem- 
ber of the church, bold and outspoken in all that related 
to its welfare and the order of its religious exercises. 
The old Methodist chapel had a basement room. It 
happened on a warm summer Sabbath, during the fore- 
noon exercises, that several mastiffs which had accompa- 
nied their masters' teams to the church, came trotting 
through the 0])en doors and along the aisles, apjiarently 
in search of their owners, and in some instances mount- 
ing the pew doors with their fore feet. This was too 
much for Father Speed. He abhorred dogs. At the 
close of the sermon he arose in his place (with a red 
silk handkerchief around his head to protect its naked- 
ness from the flies) and announced the proposal that in 
the afternoon the people assemble in the basement, and 
the dogs in the audience-room. No dogs attended that 
church thereafter. — Hon. Horatio Ballard's Rc-minis- 
cences. 



ers, who now condtict a very successful 
foundry and machine shop. 

With the completion and opening of the 
Erie canal in 1825, furnishing cheap and ex- 
tensive transportation facilities between 
Syracuse and eastern markets and ports, 
the people of Cortland county and vicinity 
were imbued with an earnest desire for rail- 
road connection with the great waterway at 
Syracuse, thirty miles distant ; this feeling 
found expression in an application to the 
Legislature of 1826 for a railroad charter, 
the road to run from Binghamton to Syra- 
cuse, directly through Cortland county. 
The charter was granted (the first in the 
State) but the road was never built under its 
authority. It was thirty j-ears later before 
Cortland was favored with railway connec- 
tions to distant points. 

In writing of the settlement and estab- 
lishment of business in Cortlandville prior 
to the year 1829, we have referred to that 
territory only as a portion of the old " ten 
miles square" of the town of Homer. Cort- 
landville, as a town, had no existence until 
in April, 1829, when it was set off from 
Homer, by a line dividing it in halves from 
east to west along the lines of the two mid- 
dle tiers of lots. The boundaries of the 
town thus established remained unchanged 
until the year 1845, when lot No. 10 in 
Virgil was added to this town ; and in the 
next year all that portion of lot No. 9 in 
Virgil Ij'ing east of the Tioughnioga river 
was added to it. 

It has been otir purpose thus far in the 
history of this important town to give the 
dates of arrival of most of the prominent 
pioneers, where they located, etc., and the 
establishment of some early industries ; but 
it is manifestly impossible to follow individ- 
ual arrivals farther, or to note all the im- 
portant events in their lives, except as such 
will necessarily appear in the village histo- 
ries in subsequent pages. 



Town of Cortlandville. 



249 



TOWN ORGANIZATION. 

The first town meeting for the town of 
Cortland\ille was held at the old Eagle Tav- 
ern on the 2d day of March, 1830. Present, 
Henry Stephens and Samuel M. Perkins, 
as stated in the records. Henry Webb was 
chosen clerk pro tevt. Reports from the 
school commissioners, highway commis- 
sioners and poormasters were read and ac- 
cepted, and the next meeting ordered held 
at the court-house, on the 2d Tuesday of 
March, 1831. The following town officers 
were elected : — 

Commissioners of highways — Parker 
Butterfield, Eleazer May, Wm. R. Bennett. 

Assessors — Harr>' McGraw, Daniel Mal- 
lory, Dan Hibbard. 

School commissioners — Rufus Boies, 
Gilbert Edgcomb, jr.. Asa Loring. 

School inspectors — Marvin Huntington, 
Joseph C. Morse, Chas. Chamberlain. 

Commissioners of the gospel and school 
lot — Rufus Boies and Canfield Marsh. 

Poormasters — Daniel Miller, Tercius 
Eels. 

Constables — Eleazer Carpenter, H. S. 
Brockway, Hezekiah M. Sanders, Gilmore 
Kinney. 

Collector — Micah Hotchkiss. 

Sealer of weights and measures — Ed- 
ward Allen. 

Justices of the peace — Jacob Badgley, 
Hiram McGraw, Jonathan L. Woods. 

John Miller had been made the first su- 
pervisor and Homer Gillett, town clerk ; 
they were re-elected in 1831. At the first 
town meeting $100 was appropriated for 
the support of the poor, and a like sum for 
bridges. The town was divided into fifty- 
three road districts, and several new roads 
were laid out, notable among which were 
what is now Mill street, Railroad street and 
a portion of Port Watson street. At that 
time a road known as "the Baptist road" 
ran from Port Watson, starting on the Main 



street a little northward from the bridge, 
diagonally across the "square," coming out 
near the junction of Adams street with the 
road to Homer, where the old Baptist church 
was situated. Much of the flat land just 
east from the village and in the vicinity of 
the present location of the D., L. & W. de- 
pot was then low and swampy ; so much so 
that the "Baptist road ' had to be "cordu- 
royed" to render it passable ; and the anti- 
quarian in a small way can find there the 
logs of the old roadway in some places at 
the present day. Another road then ran 
over "court-house hill" from about where 
V^irgil street joins Tompkins street, coming 
out on the north end in the vicinity of Ad- 
ams street. Both of these roads were sub- 
sequently closed ; on account, it is said, of 
the fact that too many people from the 
southern portions of the county who came 
to the business center to trade, took one or 
the other of these roads which naturally car- 
ried them past Cortland and into Homer. 

At the town meeting of 183 1, which, it 
will be remembered, was ordered held at the 
court-house, it was ordered that the next 
meeting be held again at the Eagle Tavern. 
It might prove interesting and may be amus- 
ing to know the real reason for this change; 
but it is one of those abstruse matters that 
will, probabh', never be solved. 

More roads were opened in 1832, among 
which was the one running westward from 
the "back road" between Homer and Cor- 
land villages, and that from South Cortland 
to Virgil. Extensive changes were also 
made in the road districts of the town. In- 
deed, the principal business of the town 
officers in those days fell upon the highway 
commissioners. In 1834 Greenbush street 
was extended to the " Baptist road." 

It was down to the date last mentioned 
and for fifteen or twenty years previous, 
that the Tioughnioga river presented an 
animated scene about three times a year. 



250 



History of Cortland County. 



When tlic fall rains occurred and when the 
snow melted away in the spring, as well as 
often in the month of June, the stream would 
be filled to overflow and became a wild rush- 
ing torrent. Then there was bustle and 
excitement at the different business points 
along its banks, and espcciall)- at Port Wat- 
son, wliich was calleil the head of naviga- 
tion. At that place a boat-yard did a lively 
business for many years, and arks and scows 
in large numbers were built for the trans- 
portation of produce, potash, whisky, pot- 
ter)-- ware, maple sugar and such other 
commodities as could be spared and turned 
into money in the markets of Pcnns)-l\ania 
along the Susquehanna. When the waters 
of the river began to rise, these craft, some 
of which are said to have been ninety feet 
long, were moored at the Port Watson dock 
and a strong complement of tcmporar\- 
'longshoremen engaged to load them as 
rapidly as possible. The famous pilots, 
among whom were Marsena Morgan, Cap- 
tain Radgely, Major Shapley, Luman Rice, 
Wakefield, Chapman and others, assumed 
unusual importance, esjiecially in the eyes 
of the younger generation, to whom a water 
trip to Baltimore was then looked upon 
with more awe than a voyage to England 
can now inspire. When the boats were 
loaded, the pilots and the crews would go 
on board, the lines were cast off and away 
down the swift current they went, singly or 
lashed together by twos or threes, amid the 
plaudits of their owners and others on the 
dock. 

It was at such times that the local news- 
papers complacently enlivened their col- 
umns with such announcements as the fol- 
lowing, under date of April 6th, 1818: — 

PORT WATSON — HIGH \V.VIT:R. 

CLE.'VRED. 

Exporter — G. Rice, master, for HanislHirj;: 
kiden with cheese and gypsum. 



Crazy y<i'i/' — I,. Rice: laden with gypsum, 
for Harrishurg. 

Dutch Trader — Shapley, master; gypsum. 

j'Varii:;atnr — Parsons, for Columbia ; gypsum. 

Brotlicr 'yoiiatJiaii — Taylor, " " 

Gold Iluntcr — Sherwood, " " 

Indian Chief — Billings, " " 

Restdulion — May ; for Marietta, gy]isum. 

Perseverance — Wakefield, '■ " 

Enterprise — Wakefield. for Middletown ; 
gypsum. 

Lazy Torn — Wakefield, for Nortluimberian<l; 
gypsum. 

Sour Cnvit — Wnkefiel<], for Nortlunnherland; 
gypsum. 

Yankee Ro,i;ue — Wakefield, Sunbury ; gypsum. 

A few days later, and doubtless on the 
trip above referred to, Luman Rice met 
with a terrible accident, while endeavoring 
to land at Northumberland. He had coiled 
a rope around his left arm, with one end of 
it fast to the boat. He threw the other 
end around a tree that leaned over the river, 
when the momentum of the boat instantly 
tightened the coil and severed his arm, as 
if with a knife. He fell into the stream, 
and actually swam ten rods with his bleed- 
ing limb, until he was rescued. His wounded 
member had to be amputated. In the 
following year (18 19) the following craft 
cleared from Port Watson in November: — 

Boat S'cvif till re — Cross, master; for Colum- 
bia, with thirt\'-eight barrels of salt. 

Independence — Chapman, master, for Colum- 
bia, with thirty-si.\ barrels of salt. 

Rani^vr — ^\"akefield : thirty-si.x barrels of salt, 
for the same port. 

Ark, Neptune — May, master, for Middle- 
town, with thirty barrels salt. 

With the construction of numerous dams, 
necessitating the building of shallow scows 
only for river transportation, and greatly 
increasing the risk and danger, with the 
gradual diminution of the volume of water 
in the river, these methods of transportation 
had to be abandoned ; but old settlers used 
to relate, in the most vi\'id style, incidents 



Town of Cortlandville. 



251 



connected with river na\-igation — the 
"shooting" of dams, running of rapids, 
grounding in sharp bends, and their night 
amusements when tied up at different points 
— ■ that would vie with the wildest tales of a 
Mississippi river pilot. There was very lit- 
tle boating down the Tioughnioga after the 
year 1840. 

In the summer of 1832 considerable ap- 
prehension was felt throughout the country 
on account of a threatened invasion of Asi- 
atic cholera. The appearance of the dread 
disease in New York city was announced 
over the land, and active measures were 
adopted in all sections to avert its terrors. 
J. Badgley, H. Stephens, H. McGraw, J. L. 
Woods, justices of the peace, and Tercius 
Eels, overseer of the poor, met on the 3d 
day of July of that year, under the law of 
June 22d, "for the preservation of the pub- 
lic health," to determine if it was expedient 
to constitute a board of health and appoint 
a health officer for the town of Cortland- 
ville. 1 

Messrs. Harry McGraw, Joshua Ballard, 
Mead Merrill, Danforth Merrick, Wm. Bart- 
lit, Wm. H. Shankland and Wm. Randall 
were made a board of health, with Dr. 
Miles Goodyear as health officer. This 
board adopted ordinances providing in sub- 
stance that no stage or other public con- 
veyance should carry through the town any 
person sick with cholera or who had been 
exposed to it, unless such person bore a cer- 
tificate that no danger need be apprehended 
in the case, under a penalty of $100. Cit- 
izens were required to cleanse their prem- 

1 In the Cortland Advocate of this date appeared the 
following card : — 

"Contemptible Speculatio.v. — To the editor of tlie 
Advocate: I understand that vultures are abroad pur- 
diasing 'cholera medicines,' such as camphor, etc., in- 
tcntling to reap a rich harvest from the miseries of the 
human family. May heaven avert the doom, but if the 
cholera should appear among us, it is hoped the .=pecu- 
lators will ticed the medicines they have acquired by 
such dishonorable means. Scott." 



ises, under penalty of $25. The health offi- 
cer was required to report all cases of infec- 
tious diseases to the board at 9 o'clock each 
morning and citizens were also requested to 
report all infectious cases. 

The disease swept over the countr)% but 
owing to these precautions on the part of 
the people of Cortland county, and partic- 
ularly of this town, and the interior location 
of the county away from the great lines of 
through travel, the epidemic was but little 
felt here. 

An institution called the " Cortlandville 
Literary Association" was organized No- 
vember 29th, 1852. Its officers were Fred- 
erick Hyde, president ; G. K. Stiles, vice- 
president; H. G. Crouch, secretary; Ste- 
phen Brewer, treasurer. A committee of 
five was appointed to arrange for a course 
of lectures. Lewis Kingsley, Rev. H. R. 
Dunham, E. F. Gould, H. G. Crouch and 
James L. Burst were the executive commit- 
tee. It may be assumed that with such 
men as those named at the head of this as- 
sociation, it accomplished its aim, and fur- 
nished the people with good lectures. 

Although the inhabitants of the town of 
Cortlandville had their hopes of railroad 
communication with distant markets raised 
to a high pitch on several occasions, begin- 
ning with the grant of a charter for a road 
from Syracuse to Binghamton in 1826, their 
hopes failed of realization until 1854-55, 
when the Syracuse and Binghamton railroad 
was opened for business. The first steps 
towards the inauguration of this enterprise 
were taken in 1848-49, and the work of 
construction was begun in 1852. The road 
was built entirely by subscription, and this 
town was not behind any other in the 
county in supporting the enterprise ; the 
farming comnnmit)', as well as the citizens 
of the villages, opened their purses and lib- 
erally contributed towards the desired ob- 
ject. The road was finished and formallj- 



252 



History of Cortland County. 



opened on the i8th and 19th of October, 
1854, the details of which event have been 
given in the general history. It was sub- 
sequently sold on a mortgage, to the loss 
of indivitlual stockholders ; but even with 
that disaster charged against it, the benefits 
to the town at large from the road can 
scarcely be overestimated. 

The advent of the locomotive displaced 
the former important stage business through 
the \-alley, of which Cortland was a promi- 
nent station ; changed the prospects of vil- 
lages and gave to this town and especially 
to the village of Cortland an impetus the 
force of which is still felt, and which enabled 
it to far outstrip the other towns of the 
county. Previous to 1835 Homer was the 
leading \illage, but the population was 
about equal in the two towns at that date. 
At the time of the completion of the rail- 
road, Cortlandville had nearly si.x hundred 
more inhabitants than Homer, while the 
county seat was fairlj- started on its career 
of prosperity and growth which has contin- 
ued to the present time. 

In the )ear 1852 the stone bridge at 
what was theiv known as Mudge's mills, 
was built, and five years later (in 1857) ^^^^ 
town appropriated $400 to rebuild the 
bridge at Port Watson. Henry Stephens, 
P. H. McGraw and J. P. Ingraham were 
made a committee to decide on what kind 
of abridge should be constructed. In 1873 
the iron bridge at Blodgett's Mills was con- 
structed, at a cost of over $5,000. 

For a few years preceding and succeed- 
ing 1870 the people of this town, as well 
as of some other parts of the county, be- 
came deeply imbued with a desire for more 
railroads, and they were, in consequence, 
prominently instrumental in the construc- 
tion of the (formerly) Ithaca and Cortland 
road; the bringing in this direction of the 
branch of the Midland road, and tlie inau- 
guration of the enter[)rise of building the 



Utica, Chenango and Cortland railroad, 
which has not yet been finished. In aid of 
these roads the town voted to bond itself to 
the amount of $100,000 for the Ithaca and 
Cortland road, and $150,000 for the Utica, 
Chenango and Cortland road. While these 
heavy in\cstmcnts have at times imposed a 
grievous burden upon the tax-payers, it is 
generally conceded that the additional rail- 
road connections thus secured are well worth 
the price. To them maj- be attributed much 
of the late phenomenal growth of Cortland 
village. Something of an efibrt has been 
made within the past two or three years to 
inaugurate a contest against the payment of 
the railroad bonds of the town ; but it is a 
pleasure to write that at the regular meeting 
in Januar)-, 1884, it was definitely settled 
that the bonds should be paid in full. 

Following is a list of the supervisors and 
town clerks of the town, from its organiza- 
tion to the present time, the name of the 
super\isor being given first in each in- 
stance: — 

1830-31, John Miller, Homer Gillett. 
1832, Washington G. Parker, Homer Gil- 
lett. 1833-34, Joshua Ballard, Homer Gil- 
lett. 1835, Harry McGraw, Homer Gil- 
lett. 1836, Joshua Ballard, Homer Gillett. 

1837, Harry McGraw, Homer Gillett. 

1838, Dan Hibbard, Tercius Eels. 1839— 
40, H. McGraw, Tercius Eels. 1841, 
Oren Stimpson, James C. Pomero)-. 1842, 
Abiram L. Bassett, R. A. Reed. 1843-44, 
Abiram L. Bassett, J. C. Pomeroy. 1845, 
Marcus McGraw, Adin Webb. 1846-47, 
Oren Stimpson, Adin Webb. 1848, Hi- 
ram McGraw, Adin Webb. 1849, Hiram 
Hopkins, Adin Webb. 1850, Hiram Mc- 
Graw, Adin Webb. 1851, Amos Rice, 
Adin Webb. 1852, Hamilton Putnam, 
Adin Webb. 1853, Abram Mudge, Adin 
Webb. 1854-55, Harvey S. Crandall, 
Adin Webb. 1856-57, Abram Mudge, 
Adin Webb. 1858, Deloss McGraw, Adin 



Town of Cortlandville. 



253 



Webb. 1859, S. E. Welch, Adin Webb. 
i860, C. L. Kinney, Adin Webb. 1861, 
Francis H. Hibbard, Adin Webb. 1862- 
63, S. E. Welch, Adin Webb. 1864-65, 
Deloss McGraw, H. A. Randall. 1866, S. 
E. Welch, H. A. Randall. 1867, Norman 
Chamberlain, H. A. Randall. 1868, S. E. 
Welch, A. N. Rounsville. 1869. S. E. 
Welch, W. J. Mantanye. 1870, S. E. 
Welch, Lewis Bouton. 1871, Deloss Mc- 
Graw, Geo. L. Waters. 1872, S. E. Welch, 
Geo. L. Waters. 1873-74, Wm. D. Fred- 
erick, Geo. S. Sands. 1875, Deloss Mc- 
Graw, L. P. Hollenbeck. .1877, T. Mason 
Loring, L. P. Hollenbeck. 1878-79, De- 
loss McGraw, L. P. Hollenbeck. 1880, 
Deloss McGraw, L. P. Hollenbeck. 1881- 
82-83, R. Bruce Smith, L P. Hollenbeck, 
1884, Deloss McGraw, H. A. Dickinson. 

The record of the town of Cortlandville 
in the War of the Rebellion is a noble one. 
The call for help in putting down the un- 
holy attack upon the life of the government 
had scarcely gone forth before a company 
went forward under Captain Martin C. Clark 
and Lieut. Alvah D. Waters, while enlist- 
ments in other organizations were frequent. 
And when the darkest days of the contest 
came, and call after call for great armies of 
soldiers were issued from the national capi- 
tal, men and money were both freely fur- 
nished by Cortlandville to fill the se\eral 
quotas. Special meetings were held in ac- 
cordance with directions of the Board of 
Supervisors, as already detailed in the his- 
tory of the town of Homer, and the votes 
were in each instance almost unanimous for 
increasing the bounties paid for enlistments 
to the highest figures proposed. In the 
cemetery in the village, and in many an un- 
marked grave on southern battle-fields, lie 
the remains of the brave men who went 
forth from this town to offer up their lives 
in sacrifice for the Union. Much of the 
record of their deeds has already been w rit- 



tcn in the chapter of the general history 
devoted to that subject. The names of all 
the men who enlisted from the town and 
were paid bounties, is as follows: — 

Call of October 17th, 1863. Bounty 
paid to each, $300. Total, $27,600. — Ed- 
ward P. Merritt, Henry Hollenbeck, Abel 
G Tuttle, George Ellsworth, John R. Be- 
den, George L. Waters, Wilson J. Dayton, 
John G. Cobb, Alfred B. Hicks, Darius 
Lindsley, Frank Dolson, John D. Frederick, 
Franklin Hotchkiss, Daniel Johnson, Al- 
bertus Pierce, Sylvester Rounsevell, Isaiah 
Simpson, John L. Mann, John B. Daball, 
John Paulson, William H. Mason, Andus 
Berggren, John Lundin, James Stowell, H. 
Deloss Cole, Franklin D. Russell, William 
Otis Tiffany, Joseph Hicks, Clark A. Edg- 
comb, George A. Marshal, Michael P. Mas- 
ten, Oringer Stimpson, Harrison Webster, 
Nathan P. Allen, William C. Tripp, Peter 
C. Carr, Stephen A. Hastings, James M. 
Boorr, John Sullivan, Peter Smith, William 
Jones, Henry Ward, Robert Gilmore, John 
Jones, James Pierce, Charles H. Waters, 
Charles A. Van Hagen, Frederick B. Farn- 
ham, Charles R. Leonard, William A. Clark, 
John W. Stebbins, William Brown, Isaac 
Benson, Adin W. Danes, James H. Curtis, 
William Hollenbeck, Charles B. Hollenbeck, 
Caspar Hable, Theodore F. Noble, William 
H. Burdick, George W. Newton, John W. 
Dougherty, Winfield S. Carrier, John J. 
Joyner, vet., Archibald Bowker, John H. 
Crocker, Edmund Andrews, Gillispie B. 
Corwin, vet, Lyndon H. Goodenough, John 
C. Sherman, Charles H. Estabrook, Barney 
Carter, George W. Barrett, Albert G.Wood, 
vet., Martin Edgcomb, vet., William H. My- 
ers, vet., John Van Rensselaer, Watts L. 
Bishop, vet., John Corl, Elwood F. Gates, 
Roswell Johnson, Charles Francis, vet., 
Franklin J. Johnson, Samuel Hammond, 
Darius S. Ellis, George Harrington, Albert J. 
Jarvis, vet., Robert Arlow, Charles W. Cook, 



254 



History of Cortland County. 



William H. Galpin, Thomas G. Meacham, 
James Simpson. 

Call of July i8th, 1864. Bounty paid 
$1,000, except $600 paid to seven ; $300 
to five ; $500 to four ; $700 to two ; $900 
to one, and $925 to one. Brokerage $25. 
Total bounties, $77,925. Total brokerage, 
$2,125. — John Gray, jr., Henry J. Mudge, 
W'ni. W. Hatha\va\-, sub. for A. B. Rowley, 
Ezra R. Puterbaugh, sub. for I. Y. Carr, 
Miles Sage, sub. for H. P. Randall, Alonzo 

D. Goodwin, sub. for PI A. Fish, John 
Brown, sub. for Chas. E. Rowe, Thomas J. 
Mills, sub. for I. D. Warren, Wm. Norris, 
sub. for E. L. Stillman, Daniel Auringer, 
sub. for C. Wickwire, Patrick Nolan sub. 
for H. Bingham, R. Garrutt, sub. for J. D. 
Schermerhorn, James Harrington, sub. for 

E. D. Chafy, Francis White, sub. for R. B. 
Smith, James Neaville, sub. for C. W. Col- 
lins, John Wesley, sub. for T. Parks, Seth 
Rogers, sub. for A. D. Blodgett, James 
Snow, sub. for H. E. Rogers, Eugene D. Ar- 
nold, Charles O. Alger, Charles F. Beers, 
Frank H. Bement, Horton E. Bates, Daniel 
E. Baker, E. Clinton Ball, Joel Benson, Ira 
T. Brum, Frederick Burch, William Burns, 
Charles H. Chamberlain, Elisha P. Crosby, 
Alonzo Carpenter, Thomas Ellsworth, 
Charles C. Etz, John AI. Fish, Joseph Fisher, 
Matthias W. Fritz, Charles E. Gurley, 
George Goodell, Alphonso Gross, Harrison 
Givens, Andrew Hall, Cornelius Hicks, Da- 
vid W. Hodges, Eli B. Hubbard, Grove E. 
Jarvis, Refine Eatting, David Eoomis, Dan- 
iel Maltbj^ P'rank Alabury, Eucian Maburj-, 
William H. Miller, William N. Owen, Al- 
bert W. Pierce, Royal E. Palmer, Frank F. 
Peck, Albertus H. Peckham, Powell C. 
Plumb, Joseph G. Rockwell, Burdette Rich- 
ardson, William E. Simpson, Melvin Sher- 
man, \\'illard Smith, William P. Stone, 
Hamilton Spoor, Daniel S. Terwilliger, Wil- 
liam H. Traver, Martin Totman, Charles E. 
Wood, David ¥. Wallace, Isaac B. Wain- 



wright, Orlando Barber, Charles Barnes, 
Pembroke Pierce, R. D. Graham, Wm. S. 
Bunnell, sub. for I. W. Brown, Edward 
Fleck, sub. for J. M. Pomero)-, Wm. H. 
Douglass, sub. for Deloss McGraw, Hiram 
E. Hawley, George H. McGee, sub. for J. 
A. Nixon, Chas. W. Fox, sub. for Carmi 
Persons, Bernard Gill, George Washin<jton, 
Major Coles, George Washington, Franklin 
Kenfield. George E. Kelley. 

Call of December 19th, 1864. Bounty 
paid to each, $600, except $300 to one, and 
$500 to seven. Total bounties, $33,700. 
Total brokerage, $855. Of this bounty the 
town paid $8,100. — Wm. Kilkenny, sub. for 
J. S. Barber, Simeon D. Sampson, Frank 
Eoomis, Henry E. Jones, George Dunlap, 
George Martin, Charles Smith, James 
Rudd\-, Frederick Kane, Henry Ferris, Jo- 
seph Fenton, Isaac Brjant, Wm. Brown, 
Charles Deitzer, James Washington, Henry 
Williams, Edinboro Taylor, James Smith, 
Owen McEntyre, John Kelley, F. A. Bur- 
dell, Patrick Hunt, \\'illiam Riley, August 

I Bank, Matthew Beatty, Randolph Mann, 
Anthony Howard, Charles Howard, Daniel 
T. Shaw, John McCarty, George J. Will- 
iams, Peter West, Andrew Bradley, William 
Burtell, Michael Murra}-, Charles Herron, 
George Winter, Daniel J. MuUau, John 
Eambert, Phillip Herrberg, Patrick Tully, 
William West, Eewis Holberg, James K. 
Miller, Thomas P. Fitzgerald, John Snell, 
John Talbert, Thomas Farlay, Thomas By- 
ran, George Clark, John Hughes, Frank 
Ma}', Peter \\ ells, Benjamin McMarlin, John 

j Simpson, James Kinlcck, Freeman A. Hun- 
ter, Richard Freeman. 

Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
calls October 17th, 1863, February ist, 1864, 
March, 1864, $27,600.00; paid for filling 
quota, call July i8th, 1864, $80,050.00; 
paid for filling quota, call December 19th, 
1864, $26,455.00; grand total, $134,- 

I 105.00. 



Town of Cortlandville. 



25s 



CORTLAND VII.LACIE. 

A little to the north of the center of the 
town of Cortlandville, the diversified topog- 
raphy of which renders it a series of pictur- 
esque landscapes, is situated a broad plain 
a little less than two miles in average ex- 
tent in either direction, apparently level, 
but descending very gradually to the east- 
ward. Near its western boundary, but sep- 
arated from it by a narrow portion of the 
plain itself, rises a rounded hill to the height 
of from one to two hundred feet; this hill 
is somewhat longer from east to west than 
in its north to south diameter. Along its 
foot on the western and northwestern sides, 
flows the clear, spring-fed stream called Ot- 
ter creek. Across the plain from north to 
south and near its eastern boundar)- flows 
the Tioughnioga river, formed b}- its two 
branches ; one coming down directly from 
the northward, and the other (the west 
branch) flowing along at the foot of the 
high hill which forms the northern btiund- 
ary of the plain, jutting down into it and 
separating the two valleys of the river 
branches. From seven different points of 
the compass valleys of varying widths, but 
all of them possessing features of natural 
beauty, open upon this broad plain. If there 
is a spot in the Empire State that is better 
adapted, either in practical adxantages or 
natural attractiveness, for the site of a vil- 
lage or city, it is not known to the writer ; 
and here has grown, during the past eighty 
years, the present populous and thriving 
village of Cortland. 

The first settlements within the present 
corporate limits of this village have already 
been referred to in the early pages of the 
history of the town. With the location and 
pioneer labors of such men as Jonathan 
Hubbard, Moses Hopkins, Obadiah Boies, 
William Mallory, David Merrick, Joshua 
Bassett, Oliver Wiswell, Henry Stephens, 
and scores of others to whom we shall 



herein refer, will forever be honorably as- 
sociated the early growth and prosperity of 
Cortland ; and their noble example seems 
to ha\e brought to life in the later daj's of 
unexampled advancement in the village 
the same qualities which inspired their 
hearts when the broad \-alle\- was forest- 
covered and the liill-tops echoed with the 
nightly howls of the wolf 

Jonathan Hubbard and Moses Hopkins 
were the pioneers of Cortland village ; and 
when in 1804 the former had become set- 
tled in his first dwelling — the first one built 
on the site of the village — on what is now 
the corner of Court and Main streets, there 
were but two other houses within the pres- 
ent corporation limits, unless, perhaps, a 
few had been erected at Port Watson. Mr. 
Hubbard lived only long enough to seethe 
nucleus of a village rising around him ; but 
his work down to his death on Christmas 
day, 1 8 14, was of the greatest influence 
upon the future of the place. 

Mead Merrill was one of the earl\- settlers 
in what is now the corporation of Cortland. 
He lived near Port Watson and made many 
permanent improvement>s in that section. 
He built a saw-mill there which was in oper- 
ation in 1 8 16 and about the year 1820, or 
earlier, erected the substantial house recent- 
ly owned and occupied by Frederick Con- 
able. Mr. Merrill is credited b}' Mr. Ballard, 
in his published Rcunnisaiices, as being the 
leader of the Federal political party until its 
dissolution. He was appointed surrogate in 
the spring of 18 10 and county clerk in 18 13. 
Mr. Merrill was a strong Universalist in 
religious belief, and it was largely by his 
efforts that the cobble-stone church was 
erected here. 

Josiah Cushman was a resident of Cort- 
land village (or its site) soon after 1800, 
and became well known through his build- 
ing of the first court-house, as heretofore 
described. 



256 



History of Cortland County. 



Nathan Luce was one of the carhest 
merchants in Cortland, and about tlic year 
1S18 built a hotel which, with subsequent 
enlargements, made the long famous Eagle 
Tavern, and which was burned in 1862. 

Jacob Wheeler came here in 181 2 and 
was, probablj-, about the first blacksmith in 
the village and a maker of edge tools. He 
was an industrious and enterprising man 
and did not purpose to fail in life through 
the delinquencies of creditors, as is shown 
b\- the following card, which appeared in 
the newspaper: — 
" Dear Friends : — 

" All notes and accounts whicli remain un- 
settled on the first day of August next will have 
to be paid to a justice or constable without any 
reserve, for I will pay my debts. 

"jAcor. Wheeler." 

His shop was on the site of the Freer 
foundry. 

Joshua liassett was another of the first 
prominent citizens to locate on the site of 
Cortland village. His residence stood 
where the Calvert block now is. He with 
his son, W. H. Bassett, were the first jew- 
elers and silversmiths in the place. 

William Bartlit settled in Cortland village 
not long after the beginning of the century. 
He was a saddle and harness maker, the 
first in the place, and long had a prosperous 
trade, giving employment to a number of 
hands. His advertisement appears in the 
local paper soon after it was started in 1 8 1 5. 
Mr. Bartlit was one of the commissioners 
appointed to superintend the building of 
the court-house. He was elected to the 
Senate in 1842, from the (then) seventh 
district. 

The literary tastes of the people of Cort- 
land village were exhibited as early as 1 8 1 5, 
when an association was formed for the es- 
tablishment of "The Cortland Village Li- 
brary," the trustees being Levi Lee, John 
Burnham, Roger Edgcomb, Nathan Blodg- 



ett and Roswell Randall. The library was 
purchased, embracing a respectable number 
of the then standard works in historical and 
general literature. It was a circulating li- 
brary and was kept in the office of the county 
clerk during its existence of several years. 
Roswell Randall is said to have been the 
moving spirit in this enterprise.' 

Among other prominent citizens of the 
little village who came here as early as 1 8 1 5^ 
or earlier, were James Percival, the accom- 
plished editor of the first new'spaper printed 
here and already- more fully noticed ; Ben- 
jamin S. and David Campbell, also printers 
and editors, who became proprietors of the 
Cortland Republican in Februar\', 1S17, the 
former being then sheriff of the county ; 
and Asahel Lyman, who, about the year 
1 8 16, erected the old brick building still 
standing on the corner of Main street and 
Groton avenue, and owned by John S. 
Samson. This is now the oldest brick 
building in the village. Here Mr. Lyman, 
and later the firm of A. P. & G. N. L}-man, 
did a prosperous business for a number of 
years. Samuel Hotchkiss, also, settled in 
Cortland as early as 1815 and became a 
prominent citizen. He was made deputy 
clerk of the county by Wm. Mallory in 
18 1 5, and held the office under him and two 
succeeding clerks, Joshua Ballard and Mat- 
thias Cook, until January 1st, 1823. He 
was elected clerk under the new constitu- 
tion of 1822 and held the office for twelve 
successive years. He was again elected for 
the term beginning in January, 1844, and 
again in 1847. Mr. Hotchkiss lived in Cort- 
land a respected citizen until 1883, when 
he died. 

1 We are compelled to record the fact that little has 
been done since the time of this first lil)rary (which was 
a very creditable one for that jieriod) towards establish- 
ins; a library in Cortland village, until quite recently, 
when the ladies have taken the matter in hand. They 
should receive such support as will result in the speedy 
establishment of a large library which will be a credit to 
the village. 



Town of Cortlandville. 



257 



Edward Allen came to Cortland in 18 17, 
and became a citizen of the village ; he was 
universally respected and his life might 
well have served as a model for the young 
men of his time. He was a blacksmith and 
purchased a lot on Mill street and adjoining 
on the east the corner premises of Samuel 
Nelson, now owned and occupied by Fred- 
erick Ives. Charles Collins has built his 
handsome brick dwelling where stood the 
one-story house of Mr. Allen. Mr. Ballard 
gives the following account of Mr. Allen's 
life: "His life is a striking illustration of 
manual labor dignified by nobility of char- 
acter. His trade was that of a blacksmith. 
His pecuniary means were limited. He was 
endowed with robust health and freedom 
from personal vices. He was honest, in- 
dustrious and intelligent, full of neighborly 
kindness and sociall)' alwa}-s welcome. He 
was attentive to all the public questions of 
that period and became influential ; filled 
the office of justice of the peace, and was 
one of the county superintendents of the 
poor for several years. Mrs. Allen is well 
remembered for unafifected dignity and se- 
renity of manner, nobleness of person and 
Christian devotion. They had sons and 
daughters that adorned the household and 
who in after life reflected honor upon their 
parents." One of the sons (Edward) re- 
moved to Aurora, Illinois, where he became 
mayor of the city and State Senator. Wil- 
liam also removed to that city and became 
wealthy and influential. 

Judge Samuel Nelson came to Cortland 
in 1818. His eminent career has already 
been detailed herein. Between the years 
1815 and 1820 the little village grew apace 
and a number of new establishments were 
opened. The mercantile firm of Lyman & 
Blair was formed and did an extensive busi- 
ness for several years. Chas. W. Lynde 
opened a new store just south of where the 
Union Hall block now stands. Grove Gil- 



lett opened a tavern where A. Sager'sdrug 
store is located. David Campbell built his 
dwelling on Main street, on the lot now oc- 
cupied by Mr. Garrison. Joseph R. Cran- 
dall opened his carriage and sleigh manu- 
factory, which is referred to in our record 
of the manufacturing interests. 

In the mean time the two brothers, Wil- 
liam and Roswell Randall, who established 
themselves here as early as 18 13, had ex- 
tended their business operations to a won- 
derful extent for so small a place and early 
a period. They had two large stores, one 
operated by Roswell, where the new Squires 
block stands, and the other run b\- William 
in the Randal! Bank building. They owned 
distilleries and asheries, two of the former 
being located on South Main street. They 
dealt in everything the farmers had to dis- 
pose of, from tow cloth to live stock, and 
early laid the foundation of the wealth they 
subsequently acquired. 

The settlement of Dr. Goodyear in the 
village has already been alluded to. . David 
Merrick came here just as the village began 
its growth and became a prominent cit- 
izen. He built what was then the most 
pretentious hotel in the place, which stood 
just west of the site of the Cortland House. 
Here Samuel Nelson boarded when he first 
began the practice of the law in Cortland. 
He had several sons. Danforth built the 
Cortland House and conducted it for man\- 
years. Marcus was a physician and re- 
moved to the west and Miner Merrick still 
lives in the town. 

William Elder was one of the early res- 
idents of the village and one of the first 
manufacturers in the vicinity. About the 
year 1824 he became the owner of real es- 
tate at Port Watson, where he built the well 
known tannery, which did a large business. 
He removed to the village at an early day 
and became conspicuous in all movements 
for the welfare and advancement of the vil- 



258 



History of Coriland Countv. 



lage. He was a prominent nicnihcr of the 
Prcsbj'tcrian Church and was one of the 
building committee for the erection of the 
cluirch edifice. He was a trustee in tlie for- 
mation of the old cemetery, w hich was loca- 
ted in what is now the Normal School 
grounds, and was also a trustee for man\' 
years of the academy. He was one of the 
first boot and shoe merchants and manufact- 
urers in the village and carried on a prosper- 
ous business for many years. Mr. Elder 
had four daughters, one of whom married 
the Rev. Lemuel S. Pomero\-; anotlicr the 
Rev. Azariah Smitii, of Manlius; and a third 
married the Rev. Addison J. Strong. 

Among the persons employed at an early 
day by W. & R. Randall was Elcazcr \V. 
Edgcomb, who acted in the capacity of 
clerk. He was iniiustrious and possessed of 
excellent business capacity, which soon 
placed him in a foremost position in the 
village. Mr. Ballard wrote of him: "He 
was an efficient salesman behind the counter; 
as a trader in produce in the towns along 
the Susquehanna river, in which he largely 
engaged, he was an accomplished pilot of 
boats from the wharf at Port Watson to 
Harrisburg, in Pennsylvania, and for about 
twenty years, beginning in 1830, he was 
one of the most active and influential po- 
litical managers in the county. In 1823 
he formed a copartnership with Adin Webb 
in the mercantile business, occupying the 
store formerly used by W. & R. Randall, 
and becoming very prominent among the 
early merchants; an ashery was connected 
with their business. Produce was exten- 
sively purchased by them for transportation 
down the river. Their chief clerk for years 
was Hamilton White, who subsequently be- 
came a leading banker of Syracuse. It was 
in the employ of this firm that Marsena 
Morgan and 'Major' Shapley gained im- 
perishable renown as skillful river pilots. 
In No\'ember, 1837, Mr. P^dgcomb was 



elected sheriff He was village magistrate 
several years and was one of the building 
committee for the erection of the present 
court-house. Mr. I'kigcomb married the 
eldest daughter of Major Adin Webb. She 
is still a resident of the village. " 

We have already referred to the early set- 
tlement of Nathan Blodgett near the junc- 
tion of the east and west branches of the 
river about a mile east of Main street. He 
died there at a good old age, leaving his 
son, Henjamin Franklin Plodgett, in posses- 
sion of the homestead. We again quote 
from Mr. Ballard: "Benjamin adopted it as 
his home, adding to its value by the erec- 
tion of a commodious new dwelling. On 
the 16th of April, 1832, during the ministry 
of Nathaniel E. Johnson, he united with the 
Presbyterian Church, his w ife luuing previ- 
ously unitctl with the same church in 1826. 
In all his relations with the 
chuich .uid society Mrs. Blodgett exhibited 
marked loveliness of demeanor. 
One of his daugliters married Dr. Theodore 
Pomeroy and another Rev. O. H. Seymour. 
His son, Alonzo, succeeded to the owner- 
ship of the homestead and his exemplary 
life reflects that of his revered father." Lo- 
ren Blodgett, another son of Nathan Blodg- 
ett, w'as associated with Jonathan Hubbard 
in building the first mill at Blodgett's Mills 
in 1806. He was a prominent and useful 
member of the Baptist Church and an in- 
telligent and enterprising citizen. 

William Mallor)-, already mentioned, 
moved into the village before 1815, and be- 
came a prominent and influential citizen 
and politician. He built his residence on 
the site of the Squires block. On the same 
lot was a small building which served the 
purposes of county clerk's office until the 
old brick building was erected in 1819. Mr. 
Mallory had a distillery a little west of the 
Rock Spring cheese factory. He was sher- 
iff from 1800 to 1810; count}^ clerk from 



Town ok Corti.andvili.e 



259 



1815 to 1819, and in 1823 was appointed 
judge of the Court of Common Pleas, suc- 
ceeding Judge Keep. 

The life of Adin Webb has been alhided 
to in the history of the town of Homer; but 
he was so long a prominent citizen of Cort- 
land \illage that his career merits some at- 
tention here. He came to Cortland from 
Homer in 1 823, and became a member of the 
mercantile firm of Webb & Edgcomb, and 
afterwards of the firm of Webb & Bishop. 
Previous to this time he had taught school 
for seventeen successive years in Homer. 
He was elected town clerk in 1809, which 
office he held twenty years. In 18 16 he 
was appointed surrogate and held that of- 
fice for seven years. In 1829 he was elected 
sherift'; in 1S40 he was again appointed 
surrogate, holding the office four years, and 
in 1845 he was made town clerk of Cort- 
landville, which office he held for eleven 
years. He united with the Congregational 
Church of Homer in 18 13, and when he re- 
moved to Cortland joined the Presbyterian 
Church. For man\- }-ears he was chorister 
and a few of the older inhabitants of the 
place, who have listened to his voice Sab- 
bath after Sabbath, will remember him, per- 
haps, in that capacity more vividly than in 
any other. It is sufficient praise of Mr. 
Webb to say that all of the public trusts to 
which he was called were deserved by him 
and their duties fulfilled with abilit\- and 
loyalty to the public good. 

Joshua Ballard was a cotemporary of Mr. 
Webb and came to Homer in 1797, and for 
one season taught one of the first schools 
there. He removed to Cortland about the 
year 1819, in which year he was apppointed 
county clerk. He was one of the founders 
of the Cortland Academy and raised and 
commanded the first ca\ alr_\- compan\- in the 
county. Various town offices were conferred 
upon him and he was an eminently respected 
and useful citizen. Of these two men Mr. 



Ballard wrote : " The public confidence in 
the intelligence, integrity and fidelity of 
Joshua Ballard and Adin Webb, evidenced 
in their services in these various civil 
stations, is a sufficient encomium upon 
their memory as citizens. One reached 
in age almost eighty-one, the other eighty- 
five, and the pilgrimage of each was distin- 
guished by the even tenor of a Christian 
example." 

Early in the year 18 18 the first steps 
were taken towards the organization of the 
first county agricultural society, Levi Boies, 
Chas. W. Lynde antl Henr\- Stephens being 
the committee to draft the constitution. 
This society will be found described in an- 
other place in these pages. 

We have spoken of Joshua "Bassett as 
having been the first jeweler in the village. 
Of his family and others of his time we quote 
as follows from Mr. Ballard: " In the third 
number of the first village paper, and over 
the date of July 1 2th, 1815, Joshua Bassett 
and his son, William H. Bassett, announce 
to the public that thev are ' clock and 
watchmakers, gold and silversmiths and have 
lately opened their shop in Cortland, where 
they make to order all kinds of work in their 
line, ha\'ing recently received from New 
York a fresh supply of materials.' This 
shop was upon the same lot as the dwelling 

house of Mr. Bassett. Located on the west 

I 

side of Main street and about in the center 
of the village, it was one of the hand- 
somest as well as one of the most eligible 
sites of the town. Part of it is now occu- 
pied b)' the Calvert block and the First 
National Bank. 

"There were sons and ilaughters in the 
family of Mr. Bassett, and for over sixty 
years the family name was represented in 
the village. Parents and children were dis- 
tinguished for intelligence and uprightness 
of character. The eldest son, Wm. H., pos- 
sessed more thaiv ordinary talent. He spent 



26o 



History of Cortland County. 



some \'cars in Philadelphia as a ]ni|)il of dis- 
tinguished artists. He became an accom- 
plished engraver and a member of the 
Graphic Companj- located in Hartford, 
Conn., then perliaps the most celebrated 
company of artists in the United States. . . 
He was attractive in person, cjracefnl in man- 
ner, winning in conversation and an e.\qiiis- 
ite humorist. The second son, Abiram L. 
was a genius in his way, and an acute ob- 
server of men, especially of their follies and 
weaknesses, and lu.xuriated in fun. Pao-es 
might be written of his grotesque operations 
on the unsuspecting, which are still related 
with the traditions of that period. One of 
the daughters married Wm. Randall and 
another married Samuel Moody Perkins, 
one of the early attorneys of the villao-e 

■' •' fc> * 

■' Adjoining the premises of Mr. Bassett 
on the north, were the grounds of Col. Oba- 
diah Boies, a time honored name of Cort- 
land, and one intimately connected with the 
enterprises and political movements of that 
period. For a time he was proprietor of 
the village newspaper. He was a man of 
ability, active and influential, and filled va- 
rious stations of public trust. . . . Levi 
Boies, a brother of the colonel, was an early 
resident and physician who for years had 
an extensive and lucrative practice. His 
residence was just west of the Cortland 
House site, where John S. Samson now 
lives. He married a daughter of David 
Merrick. 

" John Thomas came to Cortland in 1824 
and became the law partner of Henry Ste- 
phens. He was a graduate of Yale College 
and a man of exxeptional ability. He rep- 
resented the county in the Legislature in 
1837. He became a resident of Galesburg, 
111., just before the late war. Daniel J. Betts 
was at one period a partner of Mr. Thomas. 
He came from Cooperstown in the sprino- 
of 1823, to fill the position of clerk in equity 
in the sixth circuit, to which he was ap- 



pointed b_\- Judge Samuel Nelson. Mr. 
Betts was an able man and was rapidlj- 
gaining a foremost position in his profes- 
sion, when, by overtaxing his strength and 
taking a severe cold, he was prostrated with 
a fever and died in the fiill flush of man- 
hood. 

" Truman Doud's name must forex'cr be 
intimately connected with the early ad- 
vancement of Cortland village. He was 
one of the most active and enterprising bus- 
iness men of the ]ilace while he li\'ed, and 
became the owner of a large tract of land on 
both sides of the east branch of the Tiougii- 
nioga between the old Miller farm and Bra}'- 
ton's mill ; was an extensive dealer in cattle 
and horses, shipping them to Philadelphia 
and other eastern markets. It is said of iiim 
by an old resident that ' he was a man who 
had a good many irons in the fire and none 
of them burned.' He died at the early 
age of forty-four years and his loss was 
deeply felt throughout the community. The 
scenes at the funeral were unusually im- 
pressive for that period. In addition to 
other evidences of regard tor his memory, 
upwards of fifty citizens of the highest re- 
spectability formed in procession on horse- 
back at the residence, nearly two miles from 
the cemetery, and, leading the carriages in 
attendance, accompanied the remains to the 
grave. "^ 

Abram Mudge was a pi-ominent citizen 
of early years and long owned the old " red 
mill," now operated by Thomas F. Brayton. 
Mr. Mudge was the supervisor of the town 
a number of years and was the father of 
Ebenezer Mudge, now of this village, and of 
Byron and Romeyn Mudge. Byroii Mudge 
married Julia Rollo, a lady whose memory 
will be long cherished in Cortland. 

At this point it will be proper and in- 
teresting to quote from Mr. Ballard his 
comparison of the village in early days with 

^Mr. Iiallard's Rt'/nijiisct'/ices. 



Town of Cortlandville. 



261 



its condition at the time of liis writing, but 
a few years since. Said he : "It is a pleas- 
ure to recount events in the history of the 
village. A few are still living who were fa- 
miliar with its site when it was covered 
by a majestic forest, dotted only by half a 
dozen humble dwellings. It was not then 
imagined that in the circle of a lifetime it 
would become one of the handsomest towns 
in the Empire State. Standing upon the 
elevated ground just east of the village, at 
an hour when the morning sun is lighting 
up the distant, gentlj'-swelling hills, cover- 
ing the mists of the valley with a roseate 
hue, while beyond temple, tower and town 
reflect the radiance of the King of Day, 
with the foreground beautified by a spark- 
ling, flowing stream, altogether compose a 
landscape not to be forgotten. 

"Take another stand-point on the eleva- 
tion at the west end of Court street, at an 
hour when town and plain, river, valley, and 
distant hills are covered with a sunset glow-, 
and gaze upon that scene until it melts 
into the softened gray of tw'ilight, and )'ou 
have a panorama of surpassing beauty. 
The luxurious fields are adorned with grand 
old elms, whose strength and beauty have 
increased during the lapse of years until 
the}' have become monuments to perpetu- 
ate the memor}- of the founders of the vil- 
Jage. 

" Earl)- residents occaisonall)- return here 
from their distant homes in the West and 
look with delight upon the growth and 
beauty of Cortland. It possesses many nat- 
ural advantages. To these w-ere added the 
enterprise and energy of sagacious men. 
Quite early in its local history advances be- 
gan in its material prosperity and the cul- 
tivation of the morals of society. Although 
the date of its origin was about the year 
18 1 5, scarcely a building of that period now 
remains of its original foundation. All 
have been taken down, all pushed aside, to 



be supplanted by loftier and more costly 
structures. The old yellow store, which 
Stood for nearly forty years on the southeast 
corner of Main street, built and occupied by 
Wm. and Roswell Randall, the theatre of 
their early fortunes, and once resonant with 
the vocies of their far-famed clerks, Eleazer 
W. Edgcomb and Delos Moody, had to 
move from its position and take a place 
on a retired street. Jacob Wheeler's 
blacksmith shop has given place to the 
foundry, and the modest home of Daniel 
Laisdell, for }-ears a furniture dealer, has 
been dismissed for the tasteful residence 
of Stephen Brew'cr. Luce's tavern has 
yielded the supremacy to the Messenger 
House. The Squires block is upon the lot 
which for years was the cherished home 
of the Hon. William Mallory ; and upon 
the same lot was a small wooden building 
kept as a clerk's office as late as the summer 
of 1 8 19. Nearly opposite these premises 
was the lot on which stood the residence 
and office of Oliver Wis well. Judge Wis- 
well and Judge Stephens were law partners. 
It was the earliest law firm in the county 
and for years they stood at the head of the 
bar. But residence and office have gone 
into the past, and the grounds upon which 
they stood are now covered with beautiful 
flowers, which are suggestive of other things 
which are beautiful — of gentleness, faith 
and hope. 

" Passing along upon the west side of 
Main street, the corner is reached where 
once stood a tavern which for several years 
was the principal inn of the village — after- 
wards converted into a female seminary 
and finally crumbled away to make room 
for the Ta)-lor Hall block. 

" On the lot now owned by the Wick- 
wire brothers stood a building in former 
years which was the store of Chas. W. 
Lynde, and afterwards of his brother, Geo. 
Lynde, both prominent and influential men. 



262 



History of Cortland County. 



the former a State Senator, the latter an ac- 
complislied physician. 

" The old store of Tercius Eels has moved 
back to allow the splendid Garrison block- 
to come to the front. The corner lot where 
stands the noble brick edifice of Major Aaron 
Sager and the Dexter House, was once oc- 
cupied by a tavern building of ordinary size, 
owned by Grove Gillett, with whom Sam- 
uel Nelson, afterward one of the judges of 
the Supreme Court of the United States, 
took board for a time. 

" Almost the only landmarks of early 
years in the way of buildings now left on 
their original foundations are the Lyman 
stores, so called, and the dwelling house 
built by Samuel Nelson — the former owned 
by John S. Samson, the latter by Frederick 
Ives. They were both attracti\e buildings 
at the period of their erection and their 
durabilitj' proves the worth of the materials 
and the faithfulness of the workers. In 
that dwelling house Samuel Nelson spent 
the first three years of his married life, and 
in an upper room in that brick store he be- 
gan the practice of law in the year 1817." 

In referring to the business pursuits of 
the citizens of Cortland village at the be- 
ginning of the year 1821, Mr. Ballard wrote 
as follows : — 

" Then Truman Doud, Harry Griffin, 
Gideon Messenger, Rufus Jennings and 
others, were engaged in the purchase from 
time to time, of immense droves of cattle 
for the Philadelphia market. Joshua Bal- 
lard and Bela Pierce, from )-ear to jear, 
were purchasing horses of prime value, 
sometimes for market in Philadelphia and 
sometimes for market in the city of Hart- 
ford. In the month of March in the year 
1 82 1 they started a procession of fifty 
horses from this village to Philadelphia, and 
the following year another drove to Hart- 
ford. At the same period our merchants 
and produce buyers were loading arks of 



forty tons burthen and boats of half that 
tonnage, with gypsum, salt, oats, potatoes 
and pork, and floating them in the seasons 
of freshet, from the wharves at Port Wat- 
son, for Northumberland and Harrisburg 
on the Susquehanna. Crowds of spectators 
were accustomed to assemble on the banks 
of the Tioughnioga, just above the bridge 
at Port Watson, to witness the start of the 
fleet of arks and boats on the swollen cur- 
rent of the river, accompanied with shouts 
and adieus to the merry crews as they 
darted down the stream." 

It was on the 23d day of November, 
18 1 5, that the local newspaper announced 
the opening of the dry goods store of Asahel 
L\man — the first establishment of that 
character in the \-illage. It was in the old 
brick building now occupied for the same 
purpose by John S. Samson, or on that site. 
Mr. Lyman was from Massachusetts, " pos- 
sessed an intelligent mind, a handsome per- 
son and an agreeable address." Of his 
family and his business connections, Mr. 
Ballard saj-s : " In a year or two he formed 
a copartnership with Sylvester Blair, the 
brother of Mrs. Lyman, and for many years 
the mercantile firm of Lyman & Blair ex- 
isted, attended with success. Mr. Blair was 
endowed with an excellent capacity for bus- 
iness and in his earh- jears was active and 
enterprising. He was fortunate in his mar- 
riage. His wife was Nancy Lyman of 
Newark. Beautiful in person, and lovely 
in character, she lent a charm to the domes- 
tic circle. In 1829 he originated a pottery 
establishment in this village and for years 
carried on an extensive trade in that line, 
in connection with his mercantile business. 
In after years Madison Woodruff became 
the proprietor of the pottery where stone 
ware of superior quality and workmanship 
is still manufactured." 

" Mr. Blair built a brick dwelling house on 
the lot now occupied by Masonic Hall 



Town of Cortlandville. 



263 



block, and a brick store adjacent, wliich he 
occupied up to the time of his death, which 
occurred in the city of New York, in Octo- 
ber, 1839. The copartnership of Lyman & 
Blair was dissolved in the autumn of 1826. 
About the year 1840 Mr. Lyman retired 
from business, and was succeeded by his 
sons, Asahel P. and Geo. N. Lj-man, who 
continued in trade until about the year 1 846, 
and having disposed of their property here, 
they located in the west, Asahel in Sheboy- 
gan and George at Ripon, Wisconsin. 

"About the year 18 17 Samuel Blair, a 
brother of Sylvester, became a resident in 
Cortland. He was an intelligent man, affa- 
ble and gentle in manner, leading a quiet 
life and pursuing the business of cooperage. 
Mrs. Blair was a woman of decided worth. . 
. . . Her life was spared to witness a won- 
derful success in the acquisition of wealth 
attending her sons, Chauncej- B. Blair, Ly- 
man Blair and W'm. Blair. Chauncey, at 
an early day, emigrated to Michigan City 
and engaged largely in the purchase and 
sale of lands. He finally went to Chicago 
and became president of the Merchants' 
National Bank, and after the great fire his 
was the onl)^ banking-house that was not 
compelled to succumb to the great confla- 
gration, but continued to meet its engage- 
ments and pursue its business. 

" Lyman Blair has amassed a fortune in 
Chicago in the 'packing business,' so called, 
and is now somewhat retired from active em- 
ployment. \Vm. Blair has also gathered a 
fortune, and his firm is one of the foremost 
hardware establishments in Chicago. Ann 
Eliza Blair married Eleazer VV. Densmore, 
of Chicago. Caroline Blair married Parker 
Crosby, formerly a resident of Cortland. 

"Another son, Samuel Blair, is a resident 
of Cortland, by occupation a farmer, in the 
enjoyment of a pleasant liome, surrounded 
in abundance with all that is needful in this 
life, a kind husband and a good citizen. 



" Such is a brief retrospect of this remark- 
able family, affording a useful illustration of 
what can be accomplished by individual 
enterprise, beginning without money, but 
sustained by devoted industry, frugality, 
patience and an exalted moral worth. The 
mother reached the age of seventy-seven, 
and the father almost eighty-one. 

" Asahel P. Lyman, in Sheboygan, 
Wis., engaged in the mercantile trade and 
in the commerce of the lakes, and be- 
came the owner of several vessels, and 
encountered the risks attendant upon such 
property. 

" George N. Lyman, at Ripon, embarked 
largely in real estate enterprises and the 
purchasing af cattle for market. 

" There is one other member of the family 
of Asahel Lyman who is worthy of remem- 
brance. He had an only daughter, named 
Dolly Ann, whose name will sound familiar 
to many still residing here. About the year 
1824 Mr. Lyman became the owner of, and 
resided in, the house built by Judge Nelson 
and now owned by Frederick Ives. There 
Dolly Ann passed happy years in the spring- 
time of Hfe. She was thoroughly educated, 
refined in taste, gentle and attractive in 
manner. In 1826, and while William Bacon 
was the minister, and when the services 
were held in the old court-house on the hill, 
a remarkable addition to the recently formed 
church took place. While in the flower of 
youth, Dolly Ann Lyman, Ursula Webb, 
Sarah Boies Dayton, Pamelia Hubbard, 
Emeline Avery, Minerva Dayton, Stata 
Hotchkiss, Ada, Laura, Lavinia, Phebe and 
Esther Cravath, Daniel Wheeler, William 
Curtis Boies, Thomas Farnham and many 
others were enrolled as members. For 
years afterwards these were household 
names in Cortland, and they are yet hal- 
lowed in memory. To allude to them now 
it seems like ' light from heaven's shore,' 
most of them having gone to their rest. In 



264 



History of Cortland County. 



after years Dolly Ann became the wife of 
Ceylon North, of Ripon, Wis." 

Thus beneath the laboring and govern- 
ing hands of such men and women as have 
been brieflj' mentioned, the young village 
grew in wealth and numbers and strength, 
and waited patiently for the day when her 
turnpike stages should give place to rail- 
roads and her streets become busy with the 
hum of manufacturing machinery. We 
cannot follow the records of individual life 
and labor beyond the comparatively early 
settlers, except as they will further appear 
in these pages in the history of the pro- 
fessions and the industries of the place, 
where manj' names that will always be 
prominent in every reference to the advance- 
ment of the village will be found associated 
with the various mercantile and manufac- 
turing establishments that are the outgrowth 
of their enterprise. 

The forefathers of Cortland loved amuse- 
ment, as well as their descendants ; but in 
early days there was little to divert atten- 
tion from the daily routine of work. Gen- 
eral training and the old-fashioned celebra- 
tion of the F"ourth of July were about all 
the events towards which the inhabitants 
turned for amusement, except such other 
as they could devise themselves. The 
owners of fast horses in the village of to- 
day will find it difficult to believe that it 
was more than sixty years ago that racing 
was inaugurated in what was then consid- 
ered grand style and which would not suffer 
in comparison with later events of that 
character ; yet such is the case, as appears 
from a newspaper announcement of Aug. 
20th, 1820, as follows: — 

" Cortland Races. — The heats will commence 
at Cortland village, on Tuesday, the 19th day 
of September next, and continue three days; 
free for any horse, mare or gelding, carrying 
weight for age; three mile heats. 

"A purse of $100 will be awarded to the win- 
ning horse on the first day. $75 to the winning 



horse on the second day — first day winning 
horse excluded. 

"The five per cent, entrance money required 
on the purses of the first two days to constitute 
a purse to be awarded to the swiftest three-year- 
old colt on the third day — one mile heat. 

" The riders must be dressed in jockey style. 
No jockeying or running in company will be tol- 
erated, and should it be discovered, the purse will 
Ijc withheld. 

" .\11 differences will be settled by the judges. 
"Truman Doud, 
"Chas. W. Lvnde, 
"Stephen Knapp, 
" RoswELL Randall, 

"Judges." 

Mr. Ballard gives the following account 
of the first event of this kind : — 

" At length the long wished for day arrived, 
and such a gathering in of people from this and 
adjacent counties, Cordand had not before wit- 
nessed. It was delightful autumnal weather. 
Far-famed horses had been ]jracticing on the 
course for several days previous. Everything 
denoted a great trial of speed. The contestants 
were here from remote counties and adjacent 
States. Intelligence of the coming struggle 
reached throughout the adjacent country and for 
the week agricultural pursuits were suspended. 

" The spot arranged for these races was the 
beautiful level easterly of the Ithaca and Elmira 
railway station. The course was circular, one 
mile around. On a natural mound nearly in the 
center, the judges' stand was built. The multi- 
tude encircled the field and were held in order 
by an appropriate police. As the hour approached 
the horses were led in. Soon the riders in full 
jockey dress appeared. In a few moments the 
bugle sounds, the horses and their riders come to 
the scratch, and five in number contend for the 
prize. On no occasion since has there been an 
equal struggle of bottom and speed in Cortland. 
On this day the grey mare, ' Highland Polly,' 
won the purse. It was a memorable week in 
the history of Cortland. The races were re- 
peated for a year or two afterward until a boy 
rider named Hiles, from Dryden, was thrown 
against a tree and instantly killed, to the dismay 
and horror of the crowd. Thus ended, from 



Town of Cortlandville. 



265 



that day on, the running of 'heats' in Cortland. 
Soon the circus and the menagerie began to ap- 
pear and they supplied the people with amuse- 
ment. Meanwhile the race-course of former 
years is crossed by the railway, the bugle call 
for the courser is exchanged for the locomotive 
whistle and the running of horses for the rush of 
trains." 

Meanwhile the "Cortland Village Li- 
brary" was established! (1815), the trustees 
being Levi Lee, John Burnham, Roger 
Edgcomb, Nathan Blodgett and Roswell 
Randall ; the first agricultural society was 
organized (1818) and its first fair held in 
November of that year ; the Presbyterian 
Church was erected (1826) as elsewhere de- 
tailed; the Baptist Church was erected 
(1833) ^nd dedicated on the 9th of October 
of that year ; the " Cortland Village Female 
Seminar)-" was founded (1828), with Wm. 
Randall, Henry Stephens, Nathan Dayton, 
Wm. Elder, Danforth Merrick and Rev. 
Luke Lyons prominent among the early 
trustees; the academy was opened (1842) 
and its long career of usefulness begun ; 
the railroad was completed (1854) causing 
rejoicing throughout the county, which was 
soon followed (i860) bj- the advent of 
Hiram J. Messenger and the era of exten- 
sive building operations inaugurated by 
him ; an era of manufacturing operations 
which has not yet closed, and probably 
never will close, and has led up to the pres- 

' "What is eminently needed in this village is a well- 
• selected circulating or lending library, under the care and 
supervision of the Young Men's Christian Association. 
Such libraries exist in almost every considerable town 
throughout the State. Their usefulness is fully vindicated. 
What a refuge of rest and improvement it would afford 
after the weary hours of toil ! How many it would tend 
to wean from the resorts of idleness and vice ! It is 
almost a reproach to our town that, with its five thousand 
inhabitants, it has no circulating library. He would be 
a public benefactor who would start such an enterprise. 
Il is only a question of time. It will come and it will 
Iria.iipii. The wealth of intelligence and virtue which 
it would add to the place would be more valuable and 
lasting than added gold. The growing capacity of the 
working classes would appreciate and improve the priv- 
leges conferred thereby." — Mr. Ballard's Rmiiniscences. 



ent exalted position of the village in all 
things bearing upon its material prosperity. 

Incorporation and Subsequent Public 
Measures. — For si.x weeks prior to the 1st 
of October, 1853, the following notice was 
published in the columns of the Cortland 
Democrat, printed in Cortland village : — 

" Take notice : That an application will be 
made at the ne.xt court of Sessions to be held at 
the court-house in Cortlandville, in and for the 
county of Cortland, on the second Monday of 
October next, at 10 o'clock in the forenoon of 
that day, or as soon thereafter as petitioners can 
be heard, for an order to incorporate the follow- 
ing described territory as a village by the name 
of Cortland, situate lying and being in the town 
of Cortlandville in said county, bounded and 
described as follows : — Beginning at the south- 
west corner of lot No. 65, Cortlandville, south 
one and three-fourths degrees west, ninety-four 
rods, crossing the Dryden road, to a stake near 
the west bounds of the Virgil road, for the south- 
west corner. Thence south 88 and a half de- 
grees east one rod twenty links, to the center of 
said Virgil road, 81 rods to the center of Main 
street, 219 rods to the center of Pendleton street, 
two hundred and twenty rods to a stone stake 
on lot No. 75, for the southeast corner. Thence 
north one and three-fourths degrees east forty- 
four rods to the north line of said lot No. 
75, being the center of Port Watson street, 
two hundred and eighty-one rods eighteen 
links to the center of Main street, crossing the 
west branch of the Tioughnioga River, three 
hundred and twenty rods to an apple tree, for 
the northeast corner. Thence north eighty-eight 
and a half degrees west, eight rods to the center 
of the Truxton road, one hundred and seventy- 
eight and a half rods to the center of said river, 
two hundred and six rods to the center of the 
Syracuse and Binghamton railroad, two hundred 
and ninety-eight rods and twenty-three links to 
the center of the plank road leading from Cort- 
land to Syracuse, three hundred and twenty rods 
to the west line of said lot No. 65, for the north- 
west corner, in the center of the road leading by 
the premises of I. I. Adams to Homer village. 
Thence south one and three-fourth degrees west, 
one hundred and forty-four and a half rods along 



266 



History of Cortland County. 



the road and the west line of the lot No. 65, to 
the center of the Groton road, two hundred and 
twenty-six rods to the place of beginning, contain- 
ing 640 acres, or one square mile; and notice is 
hereby further given that an accurate survey and 
majj of the above described territory and an accu- 
rate census of the resident population of such ter- 
ritory as it was on the 23d day of Augu.st, 1853, 
and the names of every head of a family resid- 
ing therein on such day, and the number of per- 
sons belonging to every such family, have been 
left with Edwin F. Gould, a resident of said ter- 
ritory, at his office therein, subject to examina- 
tion at all reasonable hours by every person in- 
terested in such application." 

Tiie application for the order of the 
court was signed by the following per- 
sons : Horace P. Goodrich, James W. 
Sturtevant, E. N. Doud, O. R. Robinson, W. 
A. Thayer, R. H. Diiell, James S. Squires, 
M. Rowley, D. C. Cloyes, H. G. Buell, 
George S. Taylor, John Rose, N. McDan- 
iels, H. F. Lyman, Car! Aug. Kohlcr, David 
Fisk, Daniel Schernierhorn, J. S. Samson, 
Oliver Hitchcock, John L. Luce, Wm. Ga- 
ger, Daniel P. Rounds, David Peck, Horace 
Buell, L M. Seaman, J. B. Horton, A. G. 
Burr, Jeremiah Van Valen, Daniel Smith, 
Samuel S. Woodruff, Henry Woodruff, Ed- 
win F. Gould. 

This constituted the first step towards 
giving the village of Cortland a corporate 
existence. The population of the village on 
the date mentioned was twelve hundred and 
fift}'-nine. 

On the 5th of November, 1853, a meet- 
ing of the electors within the boundaries de- 
scribed was held at the town hall for the 
purpose of voting upon the question of in- 
corporation. At this meeting 232 votes 
were cast, 130 of which were in favor of the 
application, and 102 against it. An elec- 
tion of village officers was held on the 26th 
of November, at which Joseph Reynolds, 
Horace P. Goodrich, William O. Barnard, 
James W. Sturtevant and William A. 



Thayer were elected the first board of trust- 
ees. Joseph Reynolds was elected presi- 
dent of the board, and Charles Foster clerk. 
Three assessors were elected, in the persons 
of Abram Mudge, David Fisk and David 
R. Hubbard ; Leavitt Cudworth was elected 
collector; Wm. R. Randall, treasurer, and 
Henry Scutt, pound-master. Village by- 
laws were adopted at the meeting of the 
8th of December, 1853. The yard in rear 
of the store of D. Schermerhorn was ar- 
ranged for the village pound. On the 15th 
of December a resolution of the board was 
adopted, that an engineer be employed to 
take the level of Otter creek, to ascertain 
"if the water from said creek can in any 
manner be made more available to the use 
of the village." A report on this topic was 
made at the ne.xt meeting embodying the 
statement that the bed of Otter creek 270 
rods above the Cortland House is three feet 
above the level of the sidewalk at the Cort- 
land House. The water question was dis- 
cussed, as it has been on so many occasions 
since, and "laid over." As far as Otter creek 
is concerned it has "lain over" until the 
present y-ear (1884). 

The first list of accounts audited by the 
village board was a bill of $2.50 in favor of 
A. Green; of $2.50 to Stephen Brewer; 
$3.75 each to Ancil Snow and Z. C. Allis; 
and $9.40 to Charles Foster. 

Under the administration of the new 
village government improvements were 
rapidly introduced. Provision was made 
for the purchase of adequate fire extin- 
guishing apparatus, which was eftected in 
the latter part of the year 1S54; streets were 
improved and sidewalks ordered in various 
parts of the village. Among the latter 
were : — 

"A plank walk u\wn the west side of Main 
street from \V. R. Randall's corner opposite the 
post-office, north to the turn of the plank road 
at ^\'elcll's corner. 



Town of Cortlandville. 



267 



" A plank walk upon the east side of Main 
street from Doud & Clark's marble shop south 
to L. Reynolds's store building; the portions of 
said walk now laid with stone to be relaid with 
that material or plank substituted therefor at the 
option of the owners of the respective lots. 

" A plank walk on both sides of Port Watson 
street, from Main to Greenbush street. 

"A plank walk on the north side of Mill street 
fron'^Iain street to the railroad. 

" A plank walk on the east side of Church 
street, from Mill street to Port Watson street. 

" A plank walk on both sides of Railroad street 
from Church to Greenbush street, and on the 
south side of Railroad street from Greenbush 
street to the railroad." 

When we reflect that it was only tliirty 
years ago that these and many other sim- 
ilar improvements were needed, the rapid 
advancement of the village is vividl}- ap- 
parent. 

At the meeting of the board held on the 
5th of August, i860, the following pream- 
ble and resolution was adopted, whicli is 
self- explanatory : — 

" Whereas, James A. Schermerhorn, of the 
village of Cortland, in behalf of himself and as- 
sociates, has petitioned the constituted authorities 
of said village for the privilege of opening the 
streets, lanes and thoroughfares of said village, 
for the purpose of introducing main and service 
pipes, that the various buildings, etc., may be 
furnished with gas — 

" Now, therefore, we the subscribers, believing 
the said introduction of gas to be a public ben- 
efit to our village, by virtue of the authority 
vested in us as officers of said village, hereby au- 
thorize the said Schermerhorn and associates, or 
assigns, to lay said pipes and open said streets, 
agreeable to said petition, being an exclusive 
privilege for twenty-five years, the three first 
without tax." 

This act concluded with the usual provis- 
ion against injuring the streets and was 
signed by all of the trustees. 

Down to this time there had been pro- 
gress made in the village in other directions 
than the introduction of gas. Numerous 



sidewalks had been laid, and they were 
gradually increasing in width, while the 
number of roving cows that found their 
way from the streets to the public pound 
constantly decreased. In 1861 the village 
by-laws then in existence were repealed en- 
tire, and new ones substituted, which were 
broader in scope and more stringent in the 
government of the place, and in 1864 a new 
charter was adopted. 

Gas pipes having been introduced through 
the village and the company's works being 
in operation, $130 was appropriated by the 
trustees of 1 863 for the erection of ten gas 
street lamp posts, and $125 for gas for 
lighting the same. This was an improve- 
ment that was heartily appreciated ; Thos. 
Stephenson took the first contract for light- 
ing the lamps, at fifteen cents a night. 

Cortjand village was re-chartered b}' the 
Legislature of 1864, and the first election 
under the new charter was held on the 3d 
day of May of that year. Chas. Foster was 
elected president. Theodore Cornvvell and 
Abram Mudge were elected trustees to 
serve two years ; A. Leroy Cole and Henry 
Bates for one year. Harlow G. Buell was 
elected treasurer. Moses Rowley was 
elected assessor ; and Joseph T. Bates, col- 
lector. Meetings of the board were set 
down for the first Monday of each month. 
The by-laws were amended and new ones 
adopted to meet the growing requirements 
of the \illagc and the new government be- 
gan its work with energy. 

In Februar\-, 1866, resolutions were 
adopted empowering Chas. Foster to apply 
to the Legislature for power to borrow mon- 
eys with which to pave Main street, and to 
amend the charter so as to allow the ap- 
pointment of police constables for the village, 
not exceeding four in number. The first 
named resolution referred to the first piece 
of paving done in the village. The sum to 
be borrowed was not to exceed $4,000. 



268 



History of Cortland County. 



The contract for the work was executed in 
June, 1866, at a cost of $3,500, for wliich 
amount the village bonds were issued, pay- 
able in four equal annual installments. 

It was at this time that the question of 
securing the location of the Normal School 
in this village was agitated. Three sites 
were offered by the village authorities for 
this purpose, each containing five acres of 
land of a valuation of from $5,000 to $8,000 
each, with the sum of $25,000 in cash, if 
the school should be located here. Hora- 
tio Ballard and Chas. Foster were author- 
ized to proceed to Albany on the 20th of 
November, 1866, to present these proposals 
to the proper authorities, with discretionary 
power to increase the amount of cash offered 
to $50,000. The same gentlemen were 
made a committee to prepare petitions for 
circulation outside of the corporation, to 
raise funds in aid of this measure. 

The proposal (upon the $50,000 basis) 
was accepted by the commission, provided 
the amount of the donation should be in- 
creased to $75,000 in case that amount 
should be found necessary, and a meeting 
of the citizens of the \'illage was held on the 
iith of December, at which this question 
was voted upon. Three hundred and twelve 
voted in favor of accepting the proposition 
of the commission, to ele\en against it. 
The site of the building between Church 
and Greenbush streets was selected May, 
1857, '^'^^ the structure erected by J. N. 
Greene, under the supervision of Mr. Wil- 
cox, the architect. Its further history is 
given a little farther on. 

On the first day of May, 1873, a special 
election was held to vote upon an act " to 
supply the village with pure and whole- 
some water," for which a ta.x was to be im- 
posed. The vote was largely against the 
measure. Another effort in this direction 
was made in 1874, when Frederick Knight, 
Frederick Ives, N. J. Parsons, John McF"ar- 



land and William R. Randall were appointed 
a committee to report the present means of 
furnishing water for fire purposes, and also 
to report .some means whereby sufficient 
water could be procured. Nothing came 
of these efforts, except their possible influ- 
ence on later measures. 

In the year 1875, it having become ap- 
parent that a new engine house was an im- 
perative necessity, steps were taken by 
which the present handsome and substantial 
structure was erected, at a cost of about 
$7,500. L. J. Viele was the builder. In 
the same year a proposition to raise $5,900 
with which to purchase a steam engine, 
hose, etc. was voted down ; but the follow- 
ing year the measure was adopted, and 
$5,000 was raised for the purchase of en- 
gine and equipments and $2,500 for addi- 
tional wells, with wliich the \'illage is now 
thoroughly supplied. 

The \illage was divided into four wards 
in December, 1877, chiefly for the purpose 
of locating fires more readily by strokes of 
the bell corresponding to the number of the 
ward. Main street was made the dividing 
line north and south and Court and Rail- 
road streets east and west. 

While the above improvements constitute 
some of the more important measures 
adopted for the better government and the 
general welfare of the village, many other 
minor impro\'ements have kept pace with 
the rapid growth of the place. Especially 
is this true of the opening of streets, the 
improvement of those already open, the 
building of sidewalks, and other matters de- 
noting a thorough understanding of what is 
needed and a determination on the part of 
the authorities to make Cortland village 
second to none in the State as a place of 
business or residence. 

Following is a list of the presidents and 
clerks of the village, from the date of its in- 
corporation to the present time, the name 



Town of Cortlandvii.le. 



269 



of the president being given first in each 
instance : — 

1853 to 1856, inclusive, Joseph Reynolds, 
Chas. Foster; 1857, A. S. Higgins, Chas. 
Foster; 1858, A. S. Higgins, H. Crandall. 
1 859-60, Thos. Keator, H. A. Randall ; 1 86 1 , 
Thos. Keator, Chas. Foster; 1862, Allen B. 
Smith, \Vm. R.Stone; 1863, Henry Brewer, 
H. L. Collins; 1864, John T. Barnes, B. B. 
Andrews; 1865, Chas. Foster, B. B. An- 
drews; 1866, Chas. Foster, H. A. Randall; 
1867, Chas. Foster, I. H. Palmer; 1868-69, 
Chas. Foster, H. A. Randall; 1870, H. 
Crandall, H. A. Randall; 1871, J. S. Bar- 
ber, I. M. Seaman; 1872, W. H. Crane, B. 

A. Benedict; 1873, W. D. Tisdale, Dorr C. 
Smith; 1874, J. C. Carmichacl, Dorr C. 
Smith ; 1 875, Jas. AI. Smith, Dorr C. Smith ; 
1876, Jas. C. Carmichael, John C. Putnam; 
1877-78, J. S. Barber, E. S. More; 1879, R. 

B. Smith, E. S. More; 1880, L.J.Fitzgerald, 
E. S. More; 1881-82, I. H. Palmer, J. 
Hubbard; 1883, A. Mahan, J. Hubbard;' 
1884, D. E. Smith, F. Hatch. 

CHURCH HISTORY. 
Methodist P2piscopal Church. — In the 
year 1804 there were but three dwellings 
within the present boundaries of Cortland 
village, one of which was that of Jonathan 
Hubbard, and stood on the northeast cor- 
ner of Main and East Court streets, where 
the National Bank of Cortland is now lo- 
cated. A religious society had been par- 
tially organized in Homer, but as far as 
known no services had been held on or very 
near the site of Cortland village. At this 
time the Rev. William Hill, who had for- 
merly been a Baptist preacher, came to Cort- 
land. Mr. Hubbard was a Presbyterian, 
but his Christian faith was broad enough to 
enable him to welcome any minister of 
Christ. He accordingly took Mr. Hill into 
his home, assisted him in sending notices to 

1 J. Hubbard died during the year, and the vacancy 
was iilled by F. Hatch. 



all of the families within reach, and the first 
meeting was held in his house. Mr. Hill 
went away, leaving an appointment for his 
second service, and so continued doing un- 
til the winter of that },ear, when he received 
into the church Jonathan and Mary Hub- 
bard, James Hubbard, Abigail Hubbard, 
Elijah Batchelor, Martha Batchelor, Isaac 
Bassett, Polly Bassett, William Bassett and 
Catherine Sherwood, and formed a class, with 
Mr. Batchelor as leader. This was the germ 
of the Methodist Church in Cortland. It was 
then attached to the Cayuga Circuit, Genesee 
District, of the Philadelphia Conference. 

Preaching was contiimed with regularity 
once in two weeks, later by Elder Batchelor, 
while he remained here; after which praj^er 
and class-meetings were held. In the year 
1 8 ID the first quarterly meeting was held 
in Cortland, in an unfinished barn. The 
work went on with sufficient good results 
to inspire the little body of Christians with 
faith in the future, until 1S12, when Rev. 
James Kelsey was appointed to the charge. 
There were then tweh'e or fifteen families in 
the little hamlet and others in the \'icinit}'. Mr. 
Kelsey was a man of much power and a great 
revival followed his ministry, almost every 
family, or some members of it, joining the 
church. Solomon Cogswell, one of the early 
settlers at Port Watson, was then class-leader. 

The meetings during this early period 
were held in private houses; in the school- 
house after it was built and later in the up- 
per room of the academy. Often in sum- 
mer, when the congregation was too large 
for the most available building, the people 
would repair to the woods, and there, under 
the thick foliage, offer their adoration to God. 

Thus matters went on until the year 1 82 1 , 
when, on the 13th of March, a meeting of 
the male members of the church was held 
at the house of John Stillman. Rev. Mr. 
Kelsey was chairman and Solomon Cogs- 
well clerk. At that meeting was formed 



270 



HisioRv OK Cortland Countv. 



the " I'irst Society of the Mcthothst Episco 
pal Clnirch of Homer. " John Stilhnan, 
Jonathan Hubbard and Isaac Bassctt were 
chosen trustees. Mr. Cogswell and Amos 
Norton were added a little later. At this 
nieetini:^ it was tlecided to make an effort to 
build a church edifice. For about ten years 
Cortland xiUas^e had boasted a court-house 
and a jail, but no house of worship graced 
its streets. To their honor, be it said, the 
inhabitants of the place gave the movement 
their undivided assistance. A building 
committee was appointed consisting of Chas. 
W. Lynde, Roswell Randall and Samuel 
Nelson. It was made a condition that no 
debt should be contracted in erecting the 
building, and the work of obtaining sub- 
scriptions went on. The corner-stone was 
laid on the 4th of Jul\-, iS_'i, -with imposing 
and somewhat peculiar ceremonies. The 
entire community was invited to participate 
in the event. The meeting was held in the 
forenoon in the old Baptist meeting-house, 
north of the village, where services were 
opened by a prayer by Rev. Alfred Ben- 
nett. Major Adin Webb, with liis choir 
from Homer, conducted the music, and Rev. 
George W. Densmore delivered the dis- 
course. Then, at the close of the services, a 
procession was formed under the marshal- 
shipof Gen. Daniel Miller and Martin Keep, 
which marched through the beautiful grove 
of forest trees that skirted the northern part 
of the village and down Main street to the 
site of the church. The stone was laid by 
the building committee, and addresses were 
made by Re\'. Mr. Kelsey and Rev. Mr. 
Baker, of Auburn. After these ceremonies 
the procession marched to the hotel of Na- 
than Luce, on the site of the Messenger 
House, where a dinner was served " at 
thirty-one cents each. " After the cloth was 
removed, toasts were drank to the number 
of twenty or more, am(.>ng them being such 
subjects as "our country," "the dough- 1 



faces," "agriculture," "the army and 
navy," "slavery," "our donors," "the 
ladies," etc. All this seems strange at this 
day, as a part of the ceremonies of laying 
the corner-stone of a Methodist church ; 
but at that time it was considered an ap- 
propriate and fitting programme. 

The clunxli building was i^ot finished 
until the year 1823, on account of a scarcity 
of money. It was finally consecrated by 
Rev. Geo. W. Densmore. A revival was 
cxperinced in IcSjq and another memorable 
one in 1 <S39. 

A Sunday-school was established in 
1 83 1, and a female missionary society the 
same year. The present handsome church 
edifice was erected in 1 866, at a cost of about 
$30,000 and the societ)* is now and has 
been for many \'ears in a thri\"ing condition. 
Following is a list of all the pastors who 
have served the church and the dates of 
their ministr\' : — 

1804-05, William Hill; 1806, Joseph Poi- 
hcmus; 1807, J. P. Weaver; 1808, Jo.seph 
Scull; 1809, Elijah Batchelor; 1810, Ann- 
ing Owen ; 181 I, I'^lijah Batchelor; 1812, 
James Kelsey; 1813, Dan. Barnes; 18 14, 
Palmer Roberts; 1 8 1 5, Jonathan Huistus; 
1816, Loring Grant; 181 7-18, James Kel- 
sey; 1819, J. Kimberlin ; 1 S20, James Kel- 
sey ; 1 82 1 , Geo. W. Densmore ; 1822, Elias 
Bowen ; 1823, John Dempster ; 1824, Seth 
Mattison ; 1825-26, Geo. W. Densmore; 
1827, Zenas Jones; 1828, C. N. Flint; 
1 829-30, Geo. White ; 1 83 i , W. W. Ninde ; 
1832-33, J S. Mitchell; 1834-35, Robert 
Fox; 1836, P. M Way; 1837, Joseph 
Cross; 1838, Selah Stocking ; 1839-40, H. 
F. Rowe; 1841-42, Selah Stocking ; 1843, 
Fred Humphreys; 1844-45, Moses Adams; 
1846-47, Hanford Collins; 1848, J. B. Ben- 
ham; 1849-50, W. N. Pearnc; 1851-52, 
Daniel Cobb; 1853-54. L D. Davis; 
1855-56, A. S. Graves; 1857-58, G. W, 
Bridge; 1859-60, E. C.Brown; 1861, A. 



Town of Cortlandville. 



271 



J. Grover; 1862-63, E. Hoag ; 1864-65, 
E. Owen ; 1 866-67-68, E. C. Curtis ; 1 869- 
70-71, J. T. Crippen; 1872-73-74, A. 
Roe; 1875-76, J. Alabaster; 1877-78, 
G. W. Izer; 1879-80, Elijah Horr; Rev. 
W. H. Annable is the presnt pastor. 

The Presbyterian Church. — On the 25th 
of November, 1824, pursuant to previous 
notice, a meeting of the citizens of Cortland 
was held in the court-house, for the pur- 
pose of forming a Presbyterian church and 
society. Daniel Budlong was called to the 
chair and David Joline appointed secretary. 
A constitution was reported for considera- 
tion and, it ha\ing been read, further action 
was deferred, on motion of William Elder, 
until the next meeting, which was held on 
the 2d of December, 1824, on which day 
the constitution was adopted and the soci- 
et}^ formed. On motion of Hon. Samuel 
Nelson, seconded by Hon. Henry Stephens, 
six trustees were chosen, as follows : — 
Wm. Randall, Wm. Elder, Prosper Cravath, 
Salmon Jewett, ]\Ioses Kinne and Lemuel 
Dady. In the following spring a church 
was organized and the Rev. Wm. Bacon 
began his ministry, with a membership of 
only six, and a salary of $600. 

Before two years had elapsed the society 
numbered one hundred and thirty-seven, 
embracing nearly one-fourth of the entire 
population of the village. The church edifice 
w-as dedicated January ist, 1828. The ser- 
mon was preached by Rev. D. C. Lansing, 
of Auburn, from the text Gen. xxviii. 17, 
" This is none other but the house of God, 
and this is the gate of Heaven." In Octo- 
ber, 1827, Rev. Luke Lyon succeeded Mr. 
Bacon, and remained until June, 183 i. 

Mr. Lyon w^as succeeded by Nathaniel E. 
Johnston, who remained until November, 
1834; then he resigned, and Rev. Joseph 
Q. Foot became pastor. In October, 1837, 
Rev. Peter Lockwood succeeded Mr. Foot, 
and remained until July, 1842. Mr. Lock- 



wood was succeeded by Rev. H. R. Dun- 
ham, who continued into the year 1856. 
He was succeeded by Rev. O. H. Seymour, 
who remained until 1863, when Irving L. 
Beman became pastor, and continued until 
May, 1866. After Mr. Beman the pulpit 
was supplied by Rev. S. F. Bacon, A. G. 
Hopkins, and Dr. Condit. In October, 
1869, Rev. Samuel H. Howe became pas- 
tor, and remained until September, 1872. 
In May, 1873, he was succeeded by Rev. 
Thomas Street, and under his auspices the 
semi-centennial celebration of the church 
was observed in April, 1875. It was then 
announced by Mr. Street that the member- 
ship of the church "from six, in 1825, had 
reached the number on its rolls of one thou- 
sand two hundred and two." Mr. Street was 
succeeded by the Rev. Alfred J. Hutton, and 
he by the Rev. J. L. Robertson in August, 
1882. The trustees are James C. Cirmi- 
chael, Alonzo D. Blodgett, Calvin P. Wal- 
rad, Samuel Keator, Leavitt D. Garrison, 
Edward H. Brewer, Marcus McGraw, Dr. F. 
Hyde. J. Milne, superintendent of Sabbath- 
school. 

The Baptist Church. — The First Baptist 
Church of Christ in Cortlandville was or- 
ganized, and publicly recognized as such, 
on the 3d day of October, 1801, and was 
the first Christian church organized in 
Cortland county, then a township ten miles 
square in Onondaga county. 

The church thus organized consisted of 
sixteen members, viz., males, — John Keep, 
Joseph Beebee, Daniel Crandall, Peleg Bab- 
cock, Cornish Messenger, Roderick Beebee, 
and James Wheeler : females, — Frances 
Keep, Rhoda Beebee, Submit Keep, Rhoda 
Miner, Martha Messenger, Mary, Bishop, 
Susannah Crandall, Esther Wilcox, and 
Molly Wheeler. The officers were : John 
Keep, clerk, which office he filled for 
twenty-seven years, or until the church was 
divided ; Joseph Beebee w-as appointed 



272 



History of Cortland County. 



deacon, who died about seven nmntlis subse- 
quent to his a[)pointment, and was suc- 
ceeded by Prince Freeman, of Virgil. 

The church had no settled pastor until 
June, 1807, when the Rev. Alfred Bennett 
was ordained to the work of the gospel 
ministry, having been licensed to preach the 
gospel in April, 1806, by a vote of the 
the church, of which he became a member 
in April, 1804. There seems to have been 
no regular salary paid, or agreed to be paid, 
t(3 him b\- the church. The first meeting- 
house built by this church was a wooden 
structure, commenced in 181 1, and cost two 
thousand dollars ; the size of which was 
fifty-two by thirty-six feet, with a gallery 
on three sides. It was dedicated in June, 
181 2, and was located one-half mile north 
of the old court-house, on the road leading 
from Cortland to Homer. ' 

The Rev. Alfred Bennett remained pas- 
tor of the church until the j^ear 1827, at 
which time the church was divided, a por- 
tion forming the church at McGrawville, 
another a church at Homer, and he became 
the pastor of the Homer branch. 

The second meeting-house built by the 
church was a wooden structure, and was 
built in the village of Cortland, on the site 
of the present one, at a cost of about three 
thousand dollars, and was dedicated Octo- 
ber 9th, 1833. Their present brick church 
edifice was commenced in the autunin of 
1872, and was completed in 1874, at a cost 
of thirty-two thousand five hundred dollars. 
It was dedicated February 22d, 1874. It is 
si.\ty-five feet wide and one hundred and 
ten feet long, with a seating capacity in the 
audience-room of eight hundred persons. 

The following is a list of pastors, com- 
mencing in 1827: Rev. Peleg Card, from 
1827 to 1830; Rev. Nathan Peck, from 
1830 to 1833; Rev. Zenas Freeman, from 

1 Further details of this fir,st church will be found in 
the history of the town of Ilomcr, preceding. 



1833 to 1836; Rev. Ozeb Montague, from 
1836 to 1840; Rev. J. P Simmons, from 
1840 to 1 851; Rev. Henry Bowen, from 
185 I to 1 86 1 ; Rev. Thomas Goodwin, from 
1 86 1 to 1863 ; Rev. Andrew Wilkins, from 
1863 to 1870; Rev. William N. Tower, from 
1870 to 1874; Rev. William M. Kincaid 
became pastor in 1874, and was succeeded 
by the present pastor. Rev. J. W. Putnam. 

Trustees. — James S. Squires, E. P. Slaf- 
ter, Frank Hastings, F. H. Cobb, N. Cham- 
berlain, F. S. Capen, C. F. Brown, E. A. 
Fish. 

E. A. F"ish, superintendent of Sunday- 
school. 

The Universalist Church. — The first 
Universalist Society in Cortland was formed 
November i6th, 1813, at the court-house. 
The following persons were elected trustees: 
Moses Hopkins, Allen Baney, John Cham- 
berlain, David Merrick, Mead Merrill and- 
Roger Edgcomb; John Chamberlain, clerk. 

The Cayuga Association of Universalists 
convened at the Baptist Church in Cortland 
June 7th and 8th, 1815. June 19th, 1829, 
a meeting was held at the home of David 
Merrick, when a society was formed by the 
name of the " First Universalist Society of 
Homer " (Homer at that time comprised the 
present towns of Homer and Cortlandville). 
David Peck, Jacob Badgley and David Mal- 
lery were elected trustees, and Lewis Boies, 
clerk. Since 1833 the society has held 
regular annual meetings, electing its officers, 
etc. The present neat church-edifice was 
completed in 1837, at a cost of about six 
thousand dollars. The lot upon \\hich it is 
located was donated by Calvin Bishop. 
Since the building of the church the organ- 
zation has been called the " First Univer- 
salist Society of Cortlandville ;" and on the 
9th of January, 1872, the church and so- 
ciety was organized, adopting the Articles 
of Faith of the Universalist Association of 
the State of New York. Its prosperity has 



Town of Cortlandville. 



273 



\'aricd at diftcreiit periods of its liistor\-, but 
at all times having some faithful, earnest, 
Christian members, who havx- borne its 
standard through evil as well as good re- 
port. The church has secured an annual 
income from a legacj' bequeathed to it b\- 
Roswell Craw, of the town of Virgil. The 
following are some of the pastors who have 
officiated for the society : Doolittle, Saun- 
derson, Bollard, Strickland, Whitcomb, 
Brown, Corgill, Fish, Crain, Austin, Peck, 
H. W. Hand ami Rev. Cieo. Adams, who 
is the present pastor. 

The trustees are Josiah Hart, H. J. Mes- 
senger, Rev. and Airs. H. W. Hand, W. W. 
Kelsey, W. T. Blanchard. 

Grace (Protestant Episcopal) Church. — 
In 181 7 missionaries of the Protestant 
Episcopal Church from ]\Ianlius and On- 
ondaga Hill officiated in Cortland count)-, 
but it was not until after the organization 
of a congregation at Homer, in June, I 83 I, 
that services were held at Cortlandville. 
The Rev. Henr\- Gregory, then missionary 
at Homer, officiated and preached in the 
Presbyterian church. This was ])robably 
the first public use of the liturgical worship 
in Cortland\ille. As there was no conven- 
ient place for the people tc) meet, and the 
distance to Homer was only two miles, those 
who were attached to the communion usu- 
ally went to the latter place to worship, and 
remained niai)\- \^ears destitute of regular 
services. 

In 1833 the Rev. H. Gregory officiated 
and preached once, and in 1835 eleven 
times. Upon the settlement of Rev. Sam- 
uel Goodale in Homer, in 1844, he held a 
third service on Simdays in Cortlandville, 
and this was continued until June, 1846. A 
Sunday-school also was successfulh- kept 
up the same time. 

In 1847 tilt- Rev. Geo. M. Skinner, from 
Homer, officiated nineteen times and con- 
ducted a bible-class. In October (26th) of 



that year Bishop De Lanccy preached in 
the Presbyterian Church. The services 
more commonly were lield in the large room 
of the academ\', or in the stone meeting- 
house. 

In 1848 a societj' was incorporated under 
the name of Grace Church, and asked ad- 
mission into union with the convention. 
On account of some supposed informality 
in the paper, however, it was not at that 
time received. From November, 1848, to 
1852, the Rev. Charles E. Phelps had charge 
of Grace Church in connection with Homer, 
but seldom officiated, on account of the 
difficult}' of finding a suitable place of wor- 
ship. About this time the ladies of the 
congregation very zealously and success- 
fully solicited subscriptions for the building 
of a church edifice, but the work was post- 
poned. 

In June, 1850, the use (jf the court-house 
was obtained, and Rev. Mr. Phelps held a 
Sunday afternoon ser\ice there every fort- 
night. 

In 1852 Mr. Phelps was succeeded b\- the 
Rev. Reuben Hubbard, who, in the follow- 
ing jear officiated four or five times, the 
services being held in the Baptist Church. 

In 1854 the missionary at McLean, the 
Rev. George L. Foote, assumed charge of 
Grace Church, and officiated at Cortland- 
ville one^fourth of the time. By him the 
hoi}- communion A\as first administered 
there in public to eleven persons. 

At Plaster, in 1855, the Rev. H. V. 
Gardner, Rector of Calvary Church, Homer, 
was associated with Mr. Foote in mission- 
ary services, and by this arrangement ser- 
vices were held, for a time, every Sunday 
afternoon at Cortlandville. Mr. Gardner 
remo\'ed from this mission in April, 1857, 
and in the following August the Rev. Pey- 
ton Gallagher entered upon it, officiating 
at Cortlandville once a fortnight, — the ser- 
vices being held in the session- room of the 



274 



History of Cortland County. 



Presbyterian Cliinch. This arrangement 
after about one year was broken off by the 
ill-lieaith of Mr. Gallagher, and Cortland 
county was left without services, except 
that the Rev. Edward Pid.sley from McLean 
officiated once a month in Cortlandville. 

In 1859 fresh efforts were made for the 
erection of a church edifice, and were 
crowned with complete success. Since then 
its pastors have been as follows, the date at 
which each was called only being given : — 

i860. Rev. T. G. Meacham; 1863, Rev. 
Thomas Applegate ; August, 1865, Rev. 
George S. Teller; July, 1868, Rev. John 
Boyle ; January, 1869, Rev. Albert Danker; 
August, 1869, Rev. J. M. Benedict was 
called. In February, 1872, Rev. J. P. Fos- 
ter was called. August, 1875, Rev. J. A. 
Robinson was called, and is the present 
rector. 

The present vestry are Henry B. Hub- 
bard, Henry L. Rogers. 

Wardens, S. M. Benjamin, E. M. Hul- 
bert, A. Mahan, Wm. Newkirk, H. C. Ca- 
ney, Wesley Hooker, Chas. H. Parker, 
Edward D. Webb. 

Catholic. — The first Catholic Church in 
Cortland was erected in 1855, by Rev. Mr. 
Callen. It was a wooden structure, and 
located on Washington street. The rapidly 
increasing Catholic population soon neces- 
sitated the building of a more spacious edi- 
fice, and the present fine church-building on 
North Main street was erected in 1868, by 
Rev. B. F. McLoghlin, who is the present 
pastor. The building is still unfinished, 
lacking a tower, which, when built, is to 
contain a chime of bells. The church has 
about one thousand members. 

The First Congregational Church. — In 
the year 1 88 1 steps were taken towards form- 
ing a Congregational society and the erection 
of a church edifice in Cortland. An active 
interest was soon aroused, different means 
were adopted for the raising of funds and 



the project of church building was soon 
fairly under way. The corner-stone of the 
edifice was laid on the 5th day of Septem- 
ber, 1882, in presence of a large audience. 

The exercises were opened with singing 
by the congregation, leil by the choir. Col. 
F. Place, Mrs. B. T. Wright, Miss Lina 
Palmer, Messrs. W. D. Lord and Geo. H. 
Briggs. 

Rev. J. A. Robinson, pastor of the 
fCpiscopal Church, read from the i6th chap- 
ter of Matthew, also the looth Psalm, and 
was followed with an earnest prayer by 
Rev. J. W. Putnam, pastor of the Baptist 
Church, after which Rev. J. L. Robertson, 
pastor of the Presbyterian Church, gave out 
the hymn, which was sung by the congrega- 
tion. 

Rev. C. M. T)'ler, pastor of the Congre- 
gational Church of Ithaca, delivered an in 
teresting and appropriate address. 

Mr. Peter Burns, of Syracuse, placed the 
corner-stone in position in the southwest 
corner of the building. 

Rev. H. T. Sell, the pastor of the church, 
read the following list of articles, which were 
inclosed in the tin box placed in the cavity 
in the stone: " A copy of the Bible; copies 
of recent date of the Democrat, Standard, 
News and Congregatiotialist ; proceedings 
of the Board of Supervisors of Cortland 
county, from 1814 to 1825, as published in 
the Ncivs ; manuscript history of the 
church, including names of the oflRcers and 
members of the church, and of the superin- 
tendent, teachers and members of the Sab- 
bath-school; names of the architect, builder 
and building committee of the church; 
photograph of the pastor. Rev. H. T. Sell ; 
Roy's Manual of Congregationalism ; and a 
collection of coins of the present time." 

The exercises were closed with singing 
by the congregation and benediction by 
Rev. C. M. Tyler. 

Rev. Mr. Sell has remained in charge of 



Town of Cortlandville. 



275 



the church from the first. The trustees are : 
George B. Jones, James H. Blanchard, 
Frank Place, Edward H. Bates, Alonzo W. 
Gates, L. Melvin Loop, Ira W. Watkins, 
Geo. W. Davenport, R. C. Tillinghast. A. 
E. Buck, superintendent of Sunday-school. 

SCHOOLS. 

Institutions for the education of the 
young have always occupied a prominent 
place in the history of Cortland village, 
and the school system has gradually and 
in conformity to the needs of the com- 
munity grown from the smallest beginning 
to its present prosperous and commendable 
position. The dates of the building of the 
early common school-houses we have been 
unable to obtain ; but we may rest assured 
that while much of the site of the x-illare 
was still forest-covered, the children of the 
scattered inhabitants found a place where 
they could receive the rudiments of educa- 
tion. So active and interested in this im- 
portant subject were the early inhabitants 
that about ten years after the village had 
begun to assume its character, namely, in 
the year 1828, an educational institution 
was founded in its midst, which had an 
honorable and useful career. 

In April, 1828, a statute was passed in- 
corporating the " Cortland Village Female 
Seminary." The act declared that the 
"Design and object of this incorporation is 
the establishment and support of a seminary 
for the education of females." The pay- 
ment of ten dollars was the price of mem- 
bership and this gave the right to vote for 
trustees. In the same year (1828) a'school 
was opened in the large building then stand- 
ing a little back from the street on the lot 
now occupied by the Taylor Hall block. 
Oliver Brewster, then recently arrived in 
the place from Onondaga, took the man- 
agement of the boarding hall, which was 
kept in the building. Miss Jane Ingersoll, 



of Springfield, Mass., was made principal 
of the school, aided by Miss Brewster (after- 
ward the wife of Samuel B. Woolworth, 
secretary of the Board of Regents), Miss Mc- 
Donald of Ithaca, teacher of drawing, and 
Miss Dutton, of New Haven, teacher of mu- 
sic. It was an accomplished faculty and soon 
gave the school an exalted standing and an 
extensive reputation. Among the ladies who 
received their education at this institution 
and who subsequently reached distinguished 
positions in married life were Miss Wal- 
bridge, of Lockport, who became the wife 
of Gov. Washington Hunt; Miss Noxon, 
wife of Hon. Geo. F. Comstock, of Syra- 
cuse ; Jane R. Polhemus, of Auburn, wife 
of Hon. Henry S. Randall ; Ellen Birdseye, 
of Pompey, the wife of Charles Wheaton, of 
Syracuse ; Miss Earl, of Onondaga, wife of 
Hon. Vivus W. Smith, of Syracuse ; Emily 
Wood, of Syracuse, wife of Mr. Brackett, 
and many others. Among the daughters 
of Cortland who attended the institution 
Mr. Ballard recalled the names of Emeline 
Allen, Maria Allen, Antoinette Randall, 
Wilhelmina Randall, Lucy Maria Randall, 
Harriet Randall, Ursula Webb, Helen Bal- 
lard, Dolly Ann Lyman, Marette Elder, 
Venette Stephens, Elvira Goodyear, Blen- 
dina Miller, Annette Edgcomb and Caroline 
Blair. For a number of years the institution 
was self-sustaining and it exerted a salutary 
influence upon the social life of the village. 
Cotemporaneous with this seminary a 
"classical school for young men" was 
opened in the building afterward occupied 
by the Cortlandville Academy, under the 
principalship of J. N. Bellows, a brother of 
the celebrated divine, of New York city. 
The trustees of this school were Roswell 
Randall, Miles Goodyear, Eldward Allen, 
Asahel Lyman, William Bartlit, Gilmore 
Kinney, Jonathan I. Wood. The advertise- 
ment of this institution announced that 
j'oung men " were fitted for the store, or 



276 



History of Cortland County. 



the counting-room, or for colUcgc, or in the 
art of teaching, accompanied with lectures 
upon scientific subjects. ' Ideas, not words,' 
is the motto of tliis scliooi." This institu- 
tion was a practical success and protluc- 
tive of much good. The existence of two 
such schools in the little x'illage, which were 
well supported and abl_\' conducted, is ample 
evidence of the interest felt by the people 
in the cause of education during this period. 

The " Cortland Female Seminary " had a 
prosperous existence of about ten years, 
when its splendid career was closed to make 
way for a still more extensi\'e educational 
institution — the old academy. The popula- 
tion of the village was then about 1,500; 
the acadeni}' of Homer was at the height 
of its long and eminent career, and the want 
of an academic institution in Cortland was 
deeply felt, both for the accommodation of 
the public and the reputation of the county 
seat. The first meeting for this purpose was 
held on the 27th of No\-ember, 1841 ; this 
was followed by others, at which negotiations 
relative to the site and other matters were dis- 
cussed during the year i S42. The first report 
made to the regents of the university bears 
date the 3d day of Januarj-, 1843, and gives 
the condition of the Cortlandville academ)- 
up to the 6th of December, 1842, the close 
of its first term, as follows: — The \-alue 
of the ground and building, $2,700. The 
number of volumes in the library, 206, and 
value thereof, $170.69. Philosophical ap- 
paratus, \-alue, $154.50. 

The first faculty of the academ>^ was 
C(';mposed of Joseph R. Dixon, principal ; 
Henry E. Ranney, assistant teacher; Miss 
Catharine Hamlin, principal of female de- 
partment; Miss Fanny Nelson, assistant 
preceptress. One hundred and twcnt\-five 
students attended the first term. Such was 
the comparative!}' humble beginning of this 
afterward prosperous and respected institu- 
tion. In after years it reached a high 



standard of merit and its ])atronage was so 
liberal as to req'iire extensive additions to 
the building. 

Pursuant to an arrangement, the use of 
the acadeni}' lot was conveyed to the State 
to form a part of the Normal School grounds 
on the condition that the academic depart- 
ment be maintained in the new school, and 
that children of parents and wards of guar- 
dians residing within the bounds of the cor- 
poration should receive their tuition free of 
charge. Accc)rding!}', earl}- in 1869 the 
academy was closed and the building re- 
moved. 

The State Normal School. — The State 
Normal and Training ScIkkjI in Cortland 
was established under ch. 466, laws of 1866. 
The corner-stone, which is on the northern 
front of the building, bears on its eastern 
face this inscription : — 

"Laid by M. W. John I,. I.t-wis. P. (;. M., 
Sept. 17. A. L. 5867." 

And on the northern fiice the following: 

" State Normal School, erected by the village 
of Cortland, A. D. 1867. Charles Foster, jjresi- 
clenl. Frederick Ives, Aaron Sager, J. C. Car- 
michael, B. B. Woodworth, trustees: H. M. Wil- 
co.x. architect; J. C. Greene, builder." 

Buildings and Grounds. — The building is 
made of brick ; its extreme length east and 
west is 238 feet; the width of the center is 
85 feet ; there are three stories above the 
basement. The building was designed to 
accomiuodate boarders, the third stor}- con- 
taining dormitories. The second story 
contained school-rooms and twc5 suits of 
rooms for teachers. The first story con- 
tained in the center of the building an 
office, a library, a parlor, a large dining- 
room, and rooms for the janitor ; school- 
rooms for the schools of practice are situ- 
ated on the east and west ends of this floor. 
The heating apparatus was for steam. The 
boilers exploded l'"ebruar}' 20th, 1 870. and 
stoves were used to heat the buildine: until 




JAMES HARMON HOOSE. 



Town of Cortlandville. 



277 



1875, when furnaces took the place of the 
stoves. The boarduig department was dis- 
continued after a few years ; the dining- 
room and the teachers' rooms were con- 
verted into school-rooms. The Legislature 
made, in 1879, an appiopriation to repair 
the building and to enlarge the grounds on 
the east. The library was moved at this 
time into the spacious room that was for- 
merly the dining-room. The building, 
grounds, and other propert)- belonging to 
the school, cost the corporation of the vil- 
lage of Cortland about $98,000. 

Library, Cabinets and Apparatus. — The 
school received the library and apparatus 
that belonged to the Cortlandville Academj-. 
Large additions have been made to them 
from time to time; the Legislature also 
made, in 1 871, an appropriation of $5,000 
to increase the librar\- and apparatus. Mrs. 
Henr)' S. Randall donated, in 1880, the 
valuable private cabinet of geological and 
mineralogical specimens which her husband 
had collected ; this cabinet occupies a large 
room in the third stor}' of the building and 
is known as the Randall Cabinet. Dr. 
Thomas B. Stowell, of the chair of science 
of the school, has selected a valuable col- 
lection of apparatus. The librar\- has an 
extensive collection of valuable books. 
Normal students enjoy rare opportunities 
in having access to the library, to cabinets, 
and to the apparatus of the school. 

Organization of the Local Board. — Hon. 
Abram B. Weaver, Superintendent of Pub- 
lic Instruction, appointed, December i6th, 
1868, nine citizens of Cortland to be the 
local board of the school. These gentle- 
men were Hon. Henry S. Randall, Hon. R. 
Holland Duell, Dr. F"rederick Hyde, Hon. 
Horatio Ballard, and Messrs. Charles C. 
Taylor, Norman Chamberlain, William 
Newkirk, Henry Brewer, and Arnold Staf- 
ford. Mr. Randall was made b)- the board 
chairman, Mr. Duell secretar\', and Mr. 



Taylor treasurer. Mr. Stafford died June 
27th, 1872, and Mr. Robert Bruce Smith 

: was appointed to fill the vacancy. Mr. 

i Randall died August I2th, 1876, and Mr. 
James S. Squires was appointed to the vacan- 
cy; Dr. Hyde was appointed chairman of the 
board at this time. Mr. Ballard died Oc- 
tober 8th, 1878, and Mr. James C. Car- 
michael was appointed to the vacancy. 
The officers of the board now are : Dr. 
Hyde president, Mr. Norman Chamberlain 
secretary, and Mr. Taylor treasurer. Mr. 
Newkirk succeeded Mr. Duell as secretary, 
and Mr. Chamberlain succeeded Mr. New- 

; kirk. 

Opening of the School- Facult}'. — The 
school opened March 3d, 1869, with the 
following board of instructors : James H. 
Hoose, principal, science and history of 
education ; Norman F. Wright, ancient lan- 
guages ; Frank S. Capen, mathematics ; 
Thomas B. Stowell, natural sciences ; Mar- 
tha Roe, superintendent of training school, 
teacher of methods ; Helen K. M. Babcock, 
history, rhetoric, geography ; Martha E. 
Couch, modern languages ; Marianne Bates, 
vocal music, four hours daily ; Lemoyne A. 
Hoose, drawing, four hours daily ; Helen 
K. Hubbard, principal of intermediate de- 
partment ; Margaret Hunter, principal of 
primary department ; Charles A. Fowler 
(temporary), part time, assistant intermedi- 
ate department. 

Teachers who have been connected with 
the school : ^ — 

James H. Hoo.se, A. M., Ph. D., Princi- 
pal, mental science and philosophy of edu- 
cation, ^Larch 3d, 1869. 

Norman F. Wright, A. M., Latin and 
Greek, March 3d, 1869 -January 30th, 
1877. 

Thomas B. Stowell, A. M., Ph. D., nat- 
ural sciences, March 3d, 1869. 

I'riie dales refer respectively to the beginning and 
close of service. 



278 



History of Cortland County. 



Frank S. Capen, A. M., mathematics, 
March 3d, 1869. 

Martha Roc, mctliods, and superintend- 
ent of training school, March 3d, 1869. 

Helen E. M. Babcock, history, rhetoric, 
geography, until 1870, then modern lan- 
guages, March 3d, 1869-July 2d, 1872. 

Mrs. Martha E. Couch, modern lan- 
guages, March 3d, 1869-July 20th, 1869. 

Marianne Bates, vocal music, March 3d, 
1869-July 20th, 1869. 

Mrs. Lemoyne A. Hoose, drawing, 
March 3d, 1869-July 20th, 1869. 

Helen K. Hubbard, principal and critic 
in intermediate department, March 3d, 
1869-July 2d, 1872. 

Margaret Hunter, principal and critic in 
primary department, March 3d, 1869-Feb- 
ruary ist, 1870. 

Charles A. Fowler, assistant in interme- 
diate department, March 3d, 1869-July ist, 
1870. 

Mary Morton, drawing, September 8th, 
1869-January 28th, 1873. 

Mrs. O. S. Douglass, vocal music, Sep- 
tember 8th, 1869-October 1st, 1869. 

Mary F. Hall, critic in intermediate de- 
partment, September 8th, 1869-July ist, 
1870. 

Mrs. Helen D. Kendall, critic in primary 
department, September 8th, 1869-July ist, 
1870. 

Mary F. Hendrick, reading, elocution, 
gj'mnastics, rhetoric, English literature, 
September 8th, 1869. 

Mary Marsh, vocal music, October 1st, 
1869-January 2Sth, 1872. 

Mrs. Helen M. Smith, principal and critic 
in primary department, February i6th, 
1870-September 14th, 1870. 

Amanda J. Hopkins, critic in intermedi- 
ate department until September 24th, 1873, 
then principal and critic, September 14th, 
1870-June 27th, 1876. 

Sarah M. Sutton, English grammar and 



history, September 14th, 1870-January 
27th, 1874. 

Mrs. Theodore Perkins, principal and 
critic in primary department, September 
14th, 1870-January 31st, 1 87 1. 

Mary E. Lester, principal and critic in 
primary department, February 15th, 187 i- 
January 28th, 1873. 

Julia H. Willis, critic in primary depart- 
ment, February 15th, 1871-January 20th, 
1872. 

James H. Shults, principal of academic 
department until September, 1877, then 
department of English, physics and Greek, 
first time, September 6th, 1871-July 1st, 
1873; second time, September 6th, 1876- 
July 2d, 1878. 

Emily E. Cole, principal and critic in 
primary department, February 14th, 1872- 
January 23d, 1883. 

Clara E. Booth, modern languages, Sep- 
tember 4th, 1872. 

Mary A. Hubbard, principal and critic 
in intermediate department, September 4th, 
1872, died September 24th, 1873. 

Helen P. Eels, critic in primary depart- 
ment, P'ebruary 12th, 1873-July ist, 1873. 

Sara A. Saunders, critic in primary de- 
partment, September 3d, 1873. 

Henrietta Van Ness, critic in intermedi- 
ate department, September 24th, 1873- 
June 30th, 1874. 

M. Anzolette Drake, vocal music and 
drawing, September 3d, 1873-January 
19th, 1874. 

James M. Milne, principal academic de- 
partment, then Latin and Greek, first time, 
September 3d, 1873-June 27th, 1876; sec- 
ond time, September 5th, 1877. 

Mrs. E. P. Halbert, vocal music and 
drawing, January 19th, 1874. 

Samuel J. Sornberger, Ph. M., English, 
science, Latin, first time, September 2d, 
1874-June 27th, 1876; second time, Sep- 
tember 4th, 1878. 



Town of Cortlandville. 



279 



Elizabeth Rase, critic in intermediate 
department until September 6th, 1878, 
then principal and critic, September 2d, 
1874. 

Mrs. Lottie T. Corlcw, critic in interme- 
diate department, September 6th, 1876— 
May 2d, 1882. 

Josephine Folger, critic in intermediate 
department. May 2d, j882-June 27th, 1882. 

Ellen J. Pearne, critic in intermediate 
department, September 6th, 1882. 

Mary L. Roberts, principal and critic in 
primary department, January 23d, 1883. 

Organization of the School. — The school 
is organized into two departments; one is 
that of theory, and the other is that of 
practice. The department of theory com- 
prises three courses of study. The ele- 
mentary English^ course extends over two 
two years ; the advanced English course 
extends over three years ; and the classical 
course extends over four years. The last 
year of each course is devoted to profes- 
sional work; this work includes the history 
and philosophy of education and of teach- 
ing and practice in the art of teaching. 
This department of practice consists of the 
thoroughly organized school of about 300 
pupils whose ages extend from five years 
upwards ; these pupils are classified into 
ten grades, the lowest being designated as 
the first. There are a few pupils in the 
school who have passed out of the tenth 
grade and do not rank as normal students ; 
these pupils are classified as academic pupils 
and recite in normal classes. Students must 
be sixteen years of age, at least, in order 
to be registered as normal students. Tu- 
ition and rent of text-books are free to 
normal students. The department of prac- 
tice is under the supervision of the teacher 
of theories of practice ; while the depart- 
ment is under the immediate personal su- 
pervision of four experienced and capable 
critics who devote all their attention to the 



work of the teachers-in-training. The 
principal of the school devotes directly, 
also, much of his attention to the welfare 
of this department of the school. Theories 
of teaching are tested, observations are re- 
corded, and the teachers-in-training have 
the benefits of all results obtained from 
these professional studies. Graduating 
classes visit various systems of public schools 
in the cities of the State in order to in- 
spect them professionally. 

Attendance of Normal Students. — The 
following table exhibits the yearly at- 
tendance of normal students from the 
date of opening of the school to the close 
of the fifteenth annual report of the local 
board : — 











2 

c 




Average 












el 

1 


Age. 












VE.\R. 






i 


V 

to 




V 










.c 


a 


W 












6 


b 

s 


^ 


1 










z 


< 


S 


E^: 


I 


March 3, 


1869. to October i, i 


869-. 


116 


S3 


19 


'9 


2 


October I 


1869, to October i, 


1870. 


322 


123 


19 


^9 


3 


October 1 


1870, to October i, 


1871. 


401 


162 


20 


"9 


4 


October I 


1871, to October i, 


1872. 


370 


161 


19 


19 


5 


October i 


1872, to October I, 


1873. 


390 


163 


20 


''9 


6 


October i 


1873, to October i, 


1874. 


399 


■77 


20 


19 


7 


October I 


1874, to October i, 


1875. 


370 


'79 


20 


22 


8 


October I 


1875, to October I, 


1876. 


377 


157 


20 


20 


9 


October i 


1876, to October i, 


1877. 


398 


177 


20 


'9 


10 


October i 


1877, to October i, 


1878. 


361 


197 


21 


20 


II 


October i 


1878, to October i. 


1879. 


324 


'53 


21 


20 


12 


October i 


1879, to October I, 


18S0. 


449 


220 


21 


20 


^3 


October I 


1880, to October i, 


1881. 


364 


213 


19 7 


19 


14 


October i 


1881, to October 1, 


1882. 


498 


226 


19.84 


19. II 


■5 


October i 


1882, to October i. 


1883. 


504 


275 


20 


19.16 



The following brief address which Dr. 
Hoose made to the citizens at the close of 
commencement exercises, January 22d, 
1884, gives a concise statement of the 
prosperity and condition of the school : — 

These exercises close fifteen years of history 
of the Cortland Normal School. Two thousand 
three hundred and forty-one different normal stu- 
dents have been connected with the school in 
this time. These students have represented 
nearly all the counties in the State. 

The records of the school show that 449 nor- 
mal students were enrolled during the year which 
ended Oct. ist, 1880; the average age of the 



28o 



History of Cortland County. 



ladies was twenty years, and that of the gentle- 
men was twenty-one years ; that 364 normal 
students were enrolled for the year whicli ended 
Oct. I St, 1881 : the average age of the ladies 
being nineteen, and that of the gentlemen being 
about nineteen and one-half; that 498 were en- 
rolled for the year which ended Oct. ist, 1882. 
150 of this number entering in September, 1882 ; 
the average age of the women being a little 
above nineteen years, and that of the men being 
nearly twenty ; that 504 normal students were 
enrolled for the year which ended Oct. ist, 1883; 
the average age of the women being about nine- 
teen and one-fifth years, and that of the men be- 
ing twenty years. 

The average age of the normal student indicates 
the maturity of mind, the scholarshij), and the 
experience in teaching which students possess ; 
it indicates also the \alue of the school when it 
is considered what the students can do as teachers 
in the public schools of the State. The higher 
the average age the more valuable to the State 
is the Normal .School. Hence a high average 
age of the students is of greater importance, if 
possible, to the jiurposes of the scliool than the 
number in attendance. 

Including this ]jresent class. 418 normal stu- 
dents have been graduated. These graduates 
occupy places of ini])ortance and of prominence 
in the educational ranks of the country. Our 
graduates are in demand for those positions 
which require superior qualifications of scholar- 
shij) and of executive ability ; they are command- 
ing marked success as teachers and as men and 
women. Our graduates take high rank in all 
higher institutions where they enter and pursue 
higher branches. 

Estimates made for the first ten years of the 
school show that over fifty per cent, of our nor- 
mal students teach more or less during any given 
year of their attendance. Inasmuch as a large 
majority of the students attend school more than 
one year, it follows that nearly all normal stu- 
dents teach more or less in the public schools of 
the State ; and very many teach years. These 
facts show that our school is the center of great 
influence in the commonwealth. 

In order to exhibit the rank of the Cortland 
Normal School among the Normal Schools of 
the State, the following statistics of attendance 



are pre.sentcd from the published report for the 
year which ended Oct. 1st, 1882. 

Albany Normal School enrolled 401 normal 
students; Brockport, 407; Buftalo, 261 ; Cort- 
land, 498 : Fredonia, 180; Geneseo, 461; Os- 
wego, 394; and Potsdam, 406. Cortland out- 
ranked them all, and the attendance was larger 
for 1883 than it was for 1882. 

These statistics demonstrate the wisdom which 
has controlled the administration of the local 
board since the school began its liistory. The 
board has proceeded on the theory that the cit- 
izens of the State, who pay the taxes which sup- 
port the school, demand in return men and wom- 
en who can teach better schools because they 
have been here ; that the public demands men 
and women of sterling character, who are lo)al 
to theirduties ; that it is the business of the school 
to give to its students these qualifications. His- 
tory bears all honor to the board for the success 
which has crowned its administrations. 

Memorandum of History. — The Cort- 
land Normal School has liad a career that 
will go down into history as one of tiie 
most remarkable in the annals of educa- 
tional history in the United States. Hon. 
Abram B. Weaver was Superintendent of 
Public Instruction when the school opened 
in 1869. Hon. Neil Gilmour succeeded 
him in the ofifice in April, 1874, and he 
was succeeded in ofifice in April, 1883, by 
Hon. W. B. Ruggles. The school opened 
March 3d, 1869, and flourished from the 
beginning, because the local board estab- 
lished at first a firm and conscientious pur- 
pose to serve only the best interests of the 
school ; the board has never deviated from 
this purpose. 

It began to appear in 1876 that the super- 
intendent of public instruction had con- 
cei\'ed a purpose to control the normal 
school system of the State. This purpose 
revealed itself towards the Cortland Nor- 
mal School in a series of overt acts which 
were calculated to destroy the unity and 
harmony of the administration of the school, 
and to wrest from the board its legal pre- 
rogatives of authority. 



Town of Cortlandville. 



281 



The superintendent's first overt act was 
a charge against the loyalty of Dr. Thomas 
B. Stowell, of the chair of science in the 
■school; this charge was, in August, 1876, 
to the principal, who replied to the super- 
intendent that his charge had no foundation 
in fact. The second overt act was the man- 
ner in which the superintendent filled the 
vacancy in the local board caused by the 
death of Mr. Randall, which occurred in 
August, 1876. The board followed its 
previous custom and recommended to the 
superintendent a suitable person to fill the 
vacanc\- ; but he appointed in September, 
1876, without notice and without explana- 
tion, another gentleman, Mr. J. S. Squires. 
No divided vote had ever been cast in the 
deliberations of the board before the advent 
of this appointee. The third act was a 
vain effort to secure the resignation from 
the board of Hon. R. H. Duell. 

The fourth act of the superintendent was 
a fruitless effort, made in 1877, to compel 
the board to nominate to him, against its 
best judgment, a certain gentleman for the 
chair of Latin and Greek, then vacant. 
Pending the confirmation of the nominee 
of the board, an attempt was made to cause 
the retirement from the board of its presi- 
dent, Dr. Hyde ; failing in the attempt, 
the nominee of the board. Prof James M. 
Milne, was confirmed June 5th, 1877. The 
sixth act was an extraordinarj- order issued 
June 1 2th, 1877. directing the board to re- 
nominate to him for re-appointment all the 
members of the faculty. There being no 
vacancies, the board sent to him a memo- 
randum of the facult}' as it then existed ; 
he assumed this statement to be a recom- 
mendation, and purported to reconfirm, 
July 5th. the appointments, attaching to 
his confirmation conditions not pro\-ided 
for by statute ; chief among these condi- 
tions was the clause: "Said approval to 
continue in force during the pleasure of the 



local board and the superintendent." The 
seventh act took place in a meeting of 
the principals of the Normal Schools of the 
State, convened by his order, and held at 
Albany in December, 1877. The superin- 
tendent presided; he alluded to several 
personal matters, and said among other 
things, that the principals " must obey him." 
The eighth act was his manner of appoint- 
ing Mr. J. C. Carmichael to fill the vacancj- 
in the board caused by the death of Mr. 
Ballard, which occurred October 8th, 1878; 
the appointment was made October 28th 
with no consultation with the board. The 
superintendent continued to 1880 to mani- 
fest his displeasure with the board and with 
its administration, because neither it nor 
the principal of the school could be won 
by favor or b\- fear to deviate in the least 
from the plain line of clearly defined duties 
which the}' legall)' and morally owed to 
the State. The superintendent was a can- 
didate to be his own successor in office, in 
April, 1880. The principal of the school 
and members of the board expressed a 
preference for Hon. John I. Gilbert, who 
was also a candidate for the position; but 
Mr. Gilbert was unsuccessful, and the form- 
er superintendent was reinstated. 

The superintendent made, in 1880, his 
ninth effort to gain control of the school. 
He sent, June 28th of that year, an auto- 
graph order to Dr. Hoose, directing the 
latter to send to him by Jul)^ 6th his "per- 
emptory resignation " as principal of the 
school. The board was composed at this 
time of Messrs. Hyde, Duell, Taylor, Cham- 
berlain, Newkirk, Brown and Smith ; and 
Messrs. Squires and Carmichael. The first 
seven mentioned members of the board, 
constituting the majority, claimed by law 
a voice in selecting teachers for the school ; 
they requested the specific charges against 
the principal ; the superintendent replied, 
Juh' 6th, that "there are no charges" and 



282 



History of Cortland County. 



that he virtually proposed to act independ- 
ently of the board. Dr. Hoose refused, July 
8th, to resign ; the superintendent with- 
drew, July 1 2th, his approval of the cm- 
plo)-mcnt of Dr. Hoose, that had been given 
by him in July, 1877 ; the board by act, on 
July 17th, refused to concur with the super- 
intendent. August 4th lie purported to 
appoint another principal to the school ; 
August 7th the board refused to recognize 
this appointee, and offered to agree with the 
superintendent on a case to construe the 
statute, and carry the matter to the courts ; 
the superintendent offered, August 19th, to 
consent to carry the case to the courts, pro- 
vided the board would first give to him the 
control of the school, and threatened to 
close the school in case the board did not 
comiily with his terms. August 26th the 
board refused to comply with his terms. 
The term opened Sept. ist. ; the appointee 
of the superintendent appeared at the build- 
ing and demanded possession of it, in the 
name of the superintendent; the board re- 
fused to recognize him as principal, and di- 
rected Dr. Hoose and the teachers to open 
the school ; his appointee then ordered all 
the teachers to withdraw from the building 
as he retired to his office at the Messenger 
House. The faculty was composed at that 
time of Dr. Hoose, Dr. Thos. B. Stowell, 
Prof S. J. Sornberger, Mrs. E. P. Halbert, 
Misses E. Rase, S. A. Saunders, E. E. Cole ; 
and Prof F. S. Capen, Prof J. M. Milne, 
Miss M. Roe, Miss M. F. Hendrick, Miss C. 
E. Booth, and Mrs. Corlew. The first seven 
mentioned teachers obeyed the orders of 
the board ; the vacancies in the faculty were 
filled immediately ; the list of these teach- 
ers who taught, were : — D. Eugene Smith, 
Wm. C. Bennett, Helen E. Bradford, Gard- 
ner Fuller, R. S. Bingham, Kate M. Sorn- 
berger, Helen K. Hoose, Herbert M. Hill, 
Hiram J. Messenger, Mary A. Knapp, Wil- 
liam L. Bates, E. M. Ladd. 



The superintendent purported to remove 
from the school, Sept. 2d, those six teach- 
ers who remained with the principal, obedi- 
ent to the concurrent authority of the board, 
but they continued to teach, nevertheless; 
this was his tenth overt act against the 
school. The next was his order to close 
the school, issued Sept. 7th. The board 
refused to close the school, or to allow it to 
be closed by others. The twelfth act of the 
superintendent was his application at the 
special term of the .Supreme Court for a 
writ of mandamus to compel the board to 
accept his construction of the statute. The 
case was argued Oct. 27th, 1880; the de- 
cision was not rendered until Jan. 4th, 1881 ; 
it sustained the position of the superintend- 
ent, although the final service was not made 
upon the board until Feb. 7th, 1 88 1. The 
school continued to flourish from Sept. 1st, 
1880, notwithstanding the attacks of the 
superintendent, who also refused to certify 
to any of the current expense accounts 
of the school for the term. A class of 
eighteen normal students was graduated 
January i8th, 1881, but the superintendent 
refused to prepare diplomas for the grad- 
uates. 

Under the orders of the court the superin- 
tendent took sole charge of the school P^eb. 
7th, 1881. The board carried the case to the 
General Term of the Supreme Court ; it was 
argued May 13th, the decision was handed 
down Sept. 20th, 1 88 1 , and affirmed the de- 
cision of the court below. The board car- 
ried the case to the Court of Appeals Dec. 
20th, 1 88 1 . January 3 i st, 1 88 1 , the super- 
intendent argued in court on his motion to 
to throw the case out of court on the ground 
that the board having obeyed the courts 
below had lost its right of appeal. The 
court denied, Feb. 7th, his motion. The 
case was argued before the Court of Appeals 
March 24th, Hon. Samuel Hand appearing 
for the board. April 18th the court handed 



Town of Cortlandville. 



283 



down its decision, reversing the courts below. 
April 26th, 1882, Dr. Hoose and the six 
teachers thus sent out by the superintendent 
re-entered the school under command of 
the courts. The superintendent vainly ap- 
pealed, in May, to the Legislature to enact 
a law giving to him absolute control of the 
Normal Schools of the State. He then 
sought in vain, in June, July, and August, 

1882, the Chancellor of the Regents to unite 
with him to remove the board from the Cort- 
and Normal School. In Oct., 1882, Miss 
Martha Saltsman, of Harford, Cortland 
county, began an action for a mandamus to 
compel the superintendent to grant to her a 
diploma, she having graduated January 1 8th, 
1 88 1. In December the superintendent 
prepared diplomas for her, and for the bal- 
lance of her class. He certified in January, 

1883, to the current expense accounts of 
the school and for a portion of the salaries 
due for the time when he had possession of 
the school. Measures were instituted to 
collect from the State the balance of salaries 
due to April 26th, 1882, and the Board of 
of Claims awarded to the teachers in Jan- 
uary, 1884, the amount of salary due for 
said time. 

This controversy was watched with deep- 
est interest by friends of education every- 
where, and public sentiment generally sus- 
tained the local board, and those teachers 
who remained under the board. The bus- 
iness men of Cortland continued to furnish 
the supplies which were necessary to meet 
the needs of the school during the time that 
the superintendent refused to certify to the 
bills ; all of these bills have been paid. 
Among the citizens of Cortland village who 
sustained the board were Hon. A. P. Smith, 
Mr. D. F. Wallace, Major A. Sager, Mr. 
Morgan L. Webb, Mr. H. Hubbard, and Mr. 
George Warren. 

The school is in a highly prosperous 
state, notwithstanding this controversy. 



The self-sacrifice, devotion, firmness and 
perseverance of the majority-seven of the 
board and of their sympathizers have ele- 
vated to a higher plane the tenure and in- 
dependence of the position of the teachers, 
and the dignity and worth of the profession 
of teaching, and have given a new and il- 
lustrious example of manhood defending 
the freedom and rights of American citizens. 
The legal points which the controversy 
established are the following (89 New York 
Reports, pp. 11-12): — 

" The superintendent of public instruction 
has no power to remove the princiijal of a nor- 
mal school established under the act of 1866 
(Chap. 466, Laws of 1866), without the con- 
currence of the local board. 

"The provision of said act (§4) declaring 
that the ' employment ' of teachers in said schools 
shall be subject to the approval of the superin- 
tendent, refers to the act of hiring. When the 
approval is once given, the contract of employ- 
ment is complete, and the teacher can only be 
discharged by the authority in whom the power 
to employ is vested, /. e., by the concurrent act 
of the local board and the superintendent. 

" It is not within the power of the superin- 
tendent, by annexing conditions to his approval, 
to change the law regulating the discharge of 
teachers of these schools. 

" The local board of a normal school employed 
one H. as principal, which employment was ap- 
proved by the superintendent ' to continue in 
force during the pleasure of the board and the 
superintendent ; ' thereafter the superintendent 
withdrew his approval and directed the local 
board to recommend another principal, and 
upon its declining so to do, made an appoint- 
ment himself which the board refused to recog- 
nize. In proceedings by inandainus to compel 
such recognition, held, that the superintendent 
had no authority to attach to his approval the 
qualification stated ; that, notwithstanding the 
action of the superintendent, H. remained 
principal, and the refusal of the board ' to make 
a new appointment was not an omission to dis- 
charge its duties' within the meaning of the 
amendatory act of 1869 (Chap. 18, Laws of 



284 



History of Cortland County. 



1869) and so did not authorize the superintend- 
ent to discharge sucli iluties." 

CORTLAND VILLAGE POSTAL SERVICK. 
It is ordinarily a difficult matter to give a 
detailed record of the post-office of any 
given village, as the t)nly documents from 
which such a record can be made arc on 
file in the Post-office Dei)artment at VV'ash- 
ington. An c.\cc[)tion nia\-, ho\\e\er, be 
made of the Cortland village ol'iice, owing 
to the enterprise of Wm. H. Clark, proprie- 
tur of the Cortland Slaiu/an/, who obtained 
data from the deiiartnient records at the 
time the office was removed into the new 
Standard building on the night of April 2d, 
1883, anil printed therefrom in his journal a 
liistor)' of the pi)st- office from its first estab- 
lishment, h'rom that record we compile 
the following : — 

The first postmaster of Cortlaiul village 
was Oliver Wiswell, one of the earliest law- 
yers in the place, who resided wliere W. R. 
Randall now lives, and k-e[)t the olTice in a 
front room. llis term of office extended to 
Jidy 25tli, I. Si 7, when Roswell Randall suc- 
ceeded him, and continued to serve for 
about fotn- years, keeping the office in his 
store, on the corner now occupied by the 
Keator block, being followed by Samuel 
Nelson, a]3pointed Maj- nth, 1822. This 
gentleman resided where Mr. 1'. Ives now 
lives, corner of Main and Mill streets, and, 
as near as we can learu, kept the post-office 
in his house. The post-office of that time 
was a ver)' small afiair compared with the 
one of the present, as persons were consid- 
ered luck)- who received one letter a month, 
and in order to get that had often to pay as 
high as twenty- five cents. The mail was 
brought froin Syracuse b)- a fom-horse 
stage, the horn announcing its arrival being 
" tooted " vigorously from the upper end 
of Main street to Mr. Nelson's door. The 
arrival of the one m.iil and the ile|)arture of 
the same were the onl\- cnli\enin<j e\'ents 



of the day. Postmaster Nelson afterwards 
became, first, chief justice of the State of 
New York, and, later on, associate justice 
of the Supreme Court of the United States. 
He also recei\'ed the degree of LL. D. from 
Columbia College. He died in 1872 in 
Cooperstown, at the age of 82. Charles 
Lynde succeedetl him, the date of liis ap- 
pointment being June 2d, 1823. Mr. Lynde 
was a merchant and kept the office in his 
store, which was on Main street, on the spot 
where Mrs. Thomas Keator now resides. 
He had charge of it until Dec. 20tli, 1824, 
I when his brother, John Lynde, took his 
I place. The latter gentleman was a doctor, 
and kept, as was the custom then, the post- 
office and his business office together. He 
lived about half way between Cortland and 
Homer. lie remained in office u[) to April 
28th, 1825, when Roswell Randall was ap- 
pointed for the second time. His office was 
in the old Lagle block, which stood on 
South Main street, and was absorbed in the 
new Squires block. He, in turn, was suc- 
ceeded by Canfield Marsh, appointed July 
28th, 1830, who was a manufactin-er of and 
dealer in hats. His store was an old wood- 
en building situated where Union Hall 
block now stands. 

About this lime the name of the village 
was changed by dropping the " u " from 
" Courtlandt," making it " Cortlandt Vil- 
lage." Richard Scouten, the proprietor of 
the old Eagle Tavern, was the next post- 
master, his date of appointment being Nov. 
14th, 1839. lie kept the post-office in the 
tavern, which at that time was two stories 
high. A third story was added shortly 
afterward, and in Januar)-, 1862, the whole 
structure was burnt down, Isaac Fairchilds 
owning it at the time. The post-office, 
however, before this e\ent had passed into 
the hands of Joel 15. Hibbard Feb. 24th, 
1841. Mr, Hibbard was a partner of An- 
drew Dickson, who afterwards had charge of 



Town of Cortlandville. 



285 



the office himself, and kept a general country 
store in a brick block built by Messrs, Bishop 
& Mclgcomb, on the site of the present Kea- 
U)V block The next postmaster whose name 
is on record was Tercius liels, appointed 
May 15th, 1841, who was a merchant and 
kept his store and the office in a long, low, 
white building, afterwards occupied by 
Charles W. Collins, where Garrison's block 
now stands. Danforth Merrick, who kej)! 
the " Cortland Ta\'ern" (on the site of the 
Cortland House), took the post-office tem- 
porarily, and kept it in his hotel from May 
24th, 1842, till Sept. 6th, 1842, when An- 
drew Dickson, before mentioned, took 
charge of it, remo\ing it again to the site of 
the present Kcator block. Jehiel Taylor, 
a mechanic, came next, his appointment 
bearing date April i8th, 1849, ^"d trans- 
ferred the office to a small wing attached to 
the building where Eels had kept it. Upon 
the expiration of Ta\'lor's term of office, 
Hiram Crandall was appointed and filled 
the ])lace till March 19th, 1 86 1. He first 
kept the office near where the National l^ank 
of Cortland now is, and afterwards removed 
it to where Mahan's block is at present lo- 
cated, Nos. 9 and 1 1 Court street. This 
building was a small wooden structure, 
about twenty feet square, formerl}- an old 
justice's office, and which was afterwards 
moved up to No. 92 Adams street, where it 
is now occupied by John Van Rensselaer. 
Here we find the first record of a separate 
building being used for post-office purposes 
alone, unassociatetl with any other business 
or profession. 

At this time, too. the " t " at the end of 
"Cortlandt " was dropped, making the name 
of the office read " Cortland Village. " 

With the incoming of a Republican ad- 
ministration, on the 19th of March, 1861, 
Horace A. Jarvis was appointed, and held 
the position for over seventeen years (the 
longest term of any postmaster in the place). 



up to July 13th, 187S. He commenced 
where the gas office now is, in the rear of 
the National Hank of Cortland, but shortly 
afterward removed to where the office was 
before its change to the Standard building 
(in the building on the corner of West Court 
and Main streets). Mr. Jarvis was the first 
to introduce the glass and lock-boxes. 
James A. Nixon, the present incumbent, 
was appointed July 13th, 1878, and has 
since made many- and marked imjjrove- 
ments. The name of the office was still 
further changed, Sept. 23d, 1880, by drop- 
ping the word " Village," leaving it plain 
"Cortland," as it will probabU' always con- 
tinue. 

The new location in the Standard build- 
ing is eminently fitted for accommodating 
the office, combining as it does all the con- 
veniences of steam heat, good ventilation, 
plenty of light and an abundance of room. 
The jiresent apartment has two entrances 
on Tompkins street in addition to the one 
upon Main, thus providing for the preven- 
tion of the crowd and rush usually attendant 
upon the delivery of the mails. 

The business sections of the office arc in- 
closed by glass, including the delivery de- 
partment, which is in the form of an elon- 
gated bay, the w-hole constructed in a con- 
venient and appropriate shape for the rapid 
dispatch of business. On the extreme right 
is an entrance into the business room, and 
on the same side are the Yale lock-boxes, 
229 in number. Mr. Nixon's administra- 
tion of the office gives excellent satisfaction 
to the communitN'. 

The Professions. — Readers of the gen- 
eral county history embodied in preceding 
chapters are already familiar with the 
records of the legal and the medical pro- 
fessions of this county. The former has 
contributed man\' eminent men to the 
count)-, by far the larger portion of them 
having, naturally, been residents of this 



286 



History of Cortland County. 



village. For the details of their ]irofessional 
lives, their labors performed in public office 
and in other fields to which the)- have been 
called, the reader is rcferretl to the chapter 
devoted to that profession. The medical 
profession, too, has been especially honored, 
and is at the present time, by the names 
of man\- who have devoted their lives to 
the healing of mankind in this county, and 
who occupy positions of high distinction in 
their chosen profession. These will be 
found properl)- treated in their appropriate 
place and hence need not be further referred 
to in this connection. 

The Dental Profession of Cortland Vil- 
lage. — The first dentist in the village of 
Cortland was Dr. Levi R. Gleason, who 
came here in about the year 1852. He was 
a native of the town of Virgil, was an ex- 
cellent operator and a worthy citizen. He 
remained about ten years and sold out his 
business and office appliances to Dr. F. O. 
Hyatt, a native of Otsego county. Dr. 
Hyatt came into the county in 1844, locat- 
ing first in Marathon. He received his 
dental education in Towanda, Pa., under 
Dr. Mcintosh and L. B. Hyatt, and began 
practicing first in Marathon in 1848. He 
then took up his residence in Cortland as 
stated. He soon gained an enviable business 
and a reputation as a first-class operator. 

Dr. Hyatt is, aside from his profession, 
an artist of recognized ability, possessing 
genius and talent of a high order, especially 
as a portrait painter. Although he never 
had instruction in the art, some of his works 
evince merits that entitle them to rank with 
those of our eminent artists. His first at- 
tempt was a portrait of his brother, C. S. 
Hyatt. The distinctive features of e.Kcellent 
portraiture were so apparent in this work 
that he has since received commissions from 
a large number of prominent men, both in 
Cortland county and at a distance. In the 
fire on the corner of West Court and Main 



streets. May 24th, 1884, Dr. Hyatt lost 
about one hundred and fifty choice paint- 
ings, besides his dental rooms. 

Dr. Monroe Frank came to Cortland about 
1868, and not long afterward Dr. A. H. 
Matson, now a leading dentist of Syracuse, 
located here. They remained but a few 
years. Messrs. Pettingill & Spencer then 
opened rooms and remained in the business 
about nine years. They were succeeded 
by Dr. Todd, who was a student in Dr. 
Hyatt's office. He continued four or five 
years when he sold to H. G. & C. E. In- 
galls, who have now carried on a successful 
practice about twelve \-ears. 

George L. Holden came to Cortland from 
McGrawville and practiced a few years, 
when he died, in 1877. Dr. G. H. Smith 
came also from McGrawville and studied 
with Dr. Hyatt from 1871, and in 1879 
formed a partnership with him. He is still 
here. G. \V. Hull has enjoyed a successful 
practice here for a number of years, and L. 
T. White, also, who has been in practice a 
few years. 

The Cortland Water Company. — The 
water drawn from the numerous wells of 
Cortland village has always been of an ex- 
cellent character. These wells were dug 
through the gravelly soil and stoned up in 
the ordinary manner, until the invention 
and patenting of the well known driven 
well by Mr. Suggett, of Cortland village. 
Since that event driven wells almost with- 
out number have been put down in the vil- 
lage, the soil being especially well adapted 
for the use of that device. Not onl\- this, 
but the same plan was adopted some years 
since as a means of supph'ing the village 
with water for extinguishing fires and other 
public purposes. Driven wells were sunk 
of several inches calibre and four or more 
of them connected with one discharge pipe 
at the top, to which the suction of a fire 
engine could be attached. These wells 



Town of Cortlandvii.le. 



287 



have served their purpose effectively and 
have been put down on most of the prom- 
inent street corners. But the recent rapid 
growth of the village and the distance of 
the wells from each other, with constantly- 
increasing danger from fires, has made it 
apparent that some other and more exten- 
sive system of water works was one of the 
imperative needs of the place. The sub- 
ject was often agitated, as we have already 
stated, of bringing water into the village 
from Otter creek, and other less promising 
plans have been suggested, but without 
practical effect, until the year of this writing 
(1884), when the question of giving the 
village an abundant supply of pure water 
has undoubted!}' reached its solution, 
through the organization of the Cortland 
Water Works Company. This is a private 
corporation which entered into a contract 
with the firm of Hinds, Moffat & Co., of 
Watertown, to construct and equip a water 
system on the following general plan : — 

First, To erect a pump house to be lo- 
cated at the Otter creek springs and to 
place therein pumps known as the " Worth- 
ington," of sufficient capacity to pump to 
summit of court-house hill 1,200 gallons 
per minute, with proper boiler, feed pump, 
connections, etc. The land to be purchased 
and a good and sufficient basin to pump 
from prepared. 

Second, A ten-inch pipe to run from 
pump to reservoir. 

Third, Reservoir to be of iron, to be 
forty feet high and fort}' feet in diameter. 

Fourth, Mains starting from reservoir 
with ten-inch pipe running down Prospect 
street to Messenger House corner via 
Tompkins street, mains to' run from the 
Wickwire factory on South Main to Grant 
street, Port Watson street, to cross Dele- 
ware, Lackawanna and Western railroad, 
on Court street. Railroad street. Elm, Mill, 
Grant, Lincoln avenue. West Court, Tomp- 



kins, Reynolds avenue. Union, Church and 
Greenbush streets. 

Fifth, Hydrants to be placed along line 
of pipes as trustees of village may direct. 
The hydrants to be frost proof 

Sixth, Gates to be placed at all places 
available along pipe so pipes may be re- 
paired without shutting off from reservoir. 

At the annual meeting held in F'ircmen's 
Hall, on the i8th day of March, 1884, the 
following resolution was voted upon and 
passed : — 

"■Resolved, Third, That the sum of $2,000 be 
raised by special ta.x, for the puqiose of purchas- 
ing and contracting for, from the Cortland Water 
Works Company, the use of forty hydrants of 
water for protection from fire and for other i)ur- 
poses during the coming year, to be located as 
by the board of trustees of the village directed, 
with three public drinking fountains on Main 
street." 

The plans of the water company have 
been carried out in all essential particulars, 
and the village will hereafter, without 
doubt, be supplied with water which can 
be taken into every dwelling and place of 
business, besides beiijg always at hand for 
fire purposes. It is one of the most im- 
portant improvements ever made in Cort- 
land village. 

Public Halls, Theaters, etc. — The first 
public hall in Cortland village that was 
prepared expressly for amusements, public 
meetings, dancing parties, etc., was what 
was known as Re}nolds's Hall, and later as 
Squires's Hall, after the building passed 
into possession of James S. Squires. The 
hall continued in use for its intended pur- 
poses for many years and until H. J. Mes- 
senger built what is now called Taylor Hall 
block, in the }-ear 1864. This place of 
amusement was fitted up with a stage, a 
limited amount of scenery and other acces- 
sories to render it available for theatrical 
entertainments. It was called Messenger 
Hall until the building was transferred to 



288 



History of Cortland County. 



Will. 1'". & Clias. 'ra_\-li)r, wlicn tlic name 
was chaiiLjed to Taylor Hall. The interior, 
the stage, scenery, etc., ha\-e been renewed, 
extended and improved at difterent times 
since it was first opened. 

The subject of a new opera house in 
Cortland has been often discussed and agi- 
tated within the past ten )-ears. While the 
size of the village and the tastes of the in- 
habitants demanded public amusements df 
a high order, the fact of there being no atl- 
equate accommodations for first-class dra- 
matic and musical organizations has kept 
many such from making engagements here 
which otherwise would. 

The current j'ear (1884), which has wit- 
nessed so many other needed improvements 
in the village, will also see the consumma- 
tion of plans for a beautiful theater which 
will be erected at a cost of about $35,000. 
For this purpose a number of leading citi- 
zens have united their means and taken the 
necessary responsibility. J. II, Kirbx, of 
S}'racuse, was employed to make the plans 
for the new theater and has given his pa- 
trons a buikling which will be a credit to 
himself and to the place. The seating 
capacity of the theater is about 1,100 and 
the walls are of Trenton brick. 

Homer and Cortland Gas Company. — 
This compan}^ was organized in the j'ear i 
i860, for the purpose of suppl)'ing the two j 
villages of Homer and Cortland with ilhini- 
inating gas. Nathan Randall was the prin- | 
cipal promoter of the enterprise and J. M. 
Schermerhorn subsequently became largely 
interested in it. The first certificate of stock 
was issued to Mr. Schermerhorn on the 1st 
day of December, 1861, and the first read- 
ing of meters was made in October of that 
year. The works are located midway be- ; 
tween the villages. The stock passed from 
the possession of the original holders to Mr. 
Schermerhorn in 1874, and was afterward 
bought by the Wilkinsons, Trucsdall S: Hlair , 



and A. C. \\()(id, all of S\"racuse, who now 
own nearl)' the whole. 

There are at the present time 99 street 
lamps in Cortland village and 48 in Homer. 
There are about 400 consumers in tlie for- 
mer village and 150 in the latter. 11 B. 
Woodworth has been superintendent since 
August 3d. 1880, with his office in Cortland. 

Fire Department. — The first movement 
towards providing the village with adequate 
apparatus for extinguishing fires was made 
at the fourth meeting of the board of trus- 
tees, December 29th, 1853, when the fol- 
lowing resolution was adopted: — 

^'■Resolved, That the clerk is hereby author- 
ize<l to cause a notice to be published in the 
Cortland Deiiwcrat, calling a meeting of the 
voters of Cortland for the j)urpose of raising the 
sum of $1,150 for engine and hose; $150 for 
engine house and $250 for reservoir and con- 
ductors. " 

The notice, for some unkown reason, was 
not published as directed, and at the next 
meeting, Januar)- ijtli, 1854, a resolution 
was adopted embodying the same authority 
and directing that the meeting to vote on 
the question of raising the above named 
sums be held on the loth of February, in- 
stant. Other delays occurred so that the 
meeting was not held until the i8th day of 
April. 

The sum authorized to be raised for the 
engine house was changed from $150 to 
$100 and the resolutions were adopted. 
At a meeting of the board on the 29th of 
May a resolution was passed requesting 
that those persons who wished to become 
members of the fire compain- to be organ- 
ized would hand their names to the trustees 
on or before the 5th of June, then next. It 
was also resolved that the engine to be pro- 
cured should be named the "Tioughnioga." 

The president of the board was then au- 
thorized to contract for a suitable engine, 
hose and hose carriage and other necessary 
apparatus, at as early a date as possible. 



Town of Cortlandville. 



289 



At the meeting of June 5tli the following 
names were read as constituting the first 
fire company of the village : — 

J. C. Jarvis, E. Gurley, Glen Cuyler, E. 
F. Gould, C. S. Crouch, J. B. Fairchild, A. 
Lyman, E. Gatty, Giles Rexford, G. Brad- 
ford, J. A. Graham, John Murray, Ballard 
Stephens, C. L. Todd, S. Benjamin, I. M. 
Seaman, H. Buell, H. Bates. J. T. Bates, H. 
Mead, H. A. Jarvis, J. Knowlton, VVm. 
Powers, H? Danes, F. Hotchkiss, R. Rounds, 
T. Cornwell, D. Fisk, jr., A. Sweet, D. Mal- 
lory, W. Van Schaak, I. Seaman, W. Rooks, 
E. Merritt, H. Rouse, J. B. Horton, R. Lee, 

W. Gager, C. Jones, Bass, E. Johnson, 

Maycumbcr, J. C. Pomeroy, D. Smith, 



J. Wiles, A. A. Sweet, Chas. Taylor, W. Al- 
vord, R. Mudge. 

At a meeting held August 2d the follow- 
ing persons were appointed to fill places of 
others who had resigned or refused to 
serve — 

Chas. Snyder, James Carmichael, Geo. 
Potter, Samuel Bush, John Ticrney, Wm. 
Burt, C. Rogers, C. W. Crofoot, O. E. 
House, Lyman Mead. 

It will be quite clear to the older residents 
of Cortland that nearly all the respected cit- 
izens of the village at the time the fire com- 
pany was organized, joined it. 

Stephen R. Hunter, Henry Brewer, G. 
K. Stiles, Rufus A. Reed and S. D. Freer, 
were made the first fire wardens of the 
village. 

At the meeting of the board of August 
1 8th the name of the engine was changed 
to "Water Witch." The engine, with hose 
cart and other apparatus, cost $1056.60, 
which was paid in Nov., 1854. An addi- 
tional sum of $150 was voted for the en- 
gine house early in the year 1855 and a lib- 
eral amount was expended in digging and 
enlarging wells, which work was continued 
by succeeding boards of trustees. 

In March, 1855, proposals were called for 



for the construction of three cisterns on 
Main street, nine feet deep, of oval form, 
sixteen feet in the longest axis and ten feet 
in the shortest, with cobble-stone walls laid 
in water-lime. Two of these were subse- 
quently built, with slight modifications, by 
John Sullivan, at a cost of about fifty dol- 
lars each. 

In the latter part of 1855 an engine 
house was built by contract with Ira Meads, 
costing $262. In the following year $216 
were raised with which the lot was pur- 
chased whereon the engine house was built. 

In 1857 three ladders were made by or- 
der of the trustees. The committee ap- 
pointed for that purpose reported that the 
ladders "had been made at a cost of $13.75, 
and thought those would be all that would 
be necessary at present." 

The first appropriation of money to the 
fire company by the village trustees was 
made in February, i860, to the amount of 
$25. An appropriation of $150 was made 
in the same year for purchasing a bell and 
putting up the same, and for other fire ex- 
penses. In 1 86 1 the company received from 
the village $23.30, the amount of tax re- 
ceived on foreign insurance companies, and 
additional hose was purchased at a cost of 
$100.86. New wells and cisterns were also 
added. 

In 1863 $150 were appropriated for the 
purchase of hook and ladder apparatus and 
a like sum for wells and cisterns. Dr. F. O. 
Hyatt was given authority at a subsequent 
meeting to purchase hook and ladder truck 
and appurtenances, at a cost of $360. On 
the 24th of August of this year a resolution 
was passed by the trustees, granting the 
privilege to the Water Witch Fire Company 
to organize a separate hose company, which 
should however be under direction of the 
fire company. 

The board of trustees of 1 864, at their 
December meeting, voted to accept the res- 



290 



History of Cortland County. 



olution of disbandmcnt of tlic hook and lad- 
der company, and appointed tlie following 
named gentlemen as members of a new 
company, with power to meet on the loth 
of December to elect officers : — 

Byron Phelps, C. W. Collins, \V. W. Gale, 
M. H. McGraw, Thomas Sims, A. Sager, 
Frank W. Freeman, L. Uexter, J. P. Hotch- 
kiss, Geo. J. Allen, M. P. Callender, D. Ed- 
wards, Harry Lewis, J. A. Corwin, John El- 
lison, Geo. G. Spcrry, D. T. Williams, and 
B. H. Webster. At the same time $cSo were 
voted the new company, with which to pur- 
chase shirts. 

In March, 1865, the following additional 
members of the companj' were appointed : 
— P:. D. Mallory, N. Minturn, J osiah Ste- 
vens, J. H. Gatland, J. B. P'airchild, John 
Ryan, Geo. Nottingham, Marvin G. John- 
son, Simon Lynn, L M. Seaman. 

The Cortland P'ire Department, as organ- 
ized under the charter, must now consist of 
a chief engineer, first and second assistant 
engineers, a secretary and treasurer, with 
the necessary organized companies. The 
officers are elected on the last Wednesday 
of each year. The foremen of companies 
are empowered to call meetings for the elec- 
tion of officers. General meetings for in- 
spection and re\'iew are held in September 
of each year. At a special meeting held 
P'eb. 13th, 1866, J. C. Carmichacl was ap- 
pointed chief engineer. He was succeeded 
in 1873 by W. W. Gale; 1874, H. F. Shirley; 
1878, I. H. Palmer; 1880, C. E. Ingalls. 

By a resolution of the board in 1873 
Water Witch Hose Company was author- 
ized to become a separate incorporation ; 
and in 1878 Orris Hose Company was in- 
corporated. Excelsior Hook and Ladder 
Company was incorporated in 1877. Em- 
erald Hose Company was incorporated in 
1878. 

In the year 1875 e.\tensi\e improvements 
and additions were made in the fire depart- 



ment ; the present handsome and con\'cn- 
ient engine-house was erected under a con- 
tract made with L. G. Viele, and the first 
steps were taken towards procuring a steam 
fire engine. At the annual meeting in 1876 
the sum of $2,500 was voted fur the exten- 
sion of the well system in the village and 
$5,000 for engine, etc. A rotary Silsby 
steamer was purchased, which has since 
proved its efficiency on several occasions 
when the \illage has been visiied by de- 
structive fires. 

P"ollo\ving arc the present officers of the 
fire department : — 

Chief engineer — M. F. Cleary. 

First assistant — Thomas Button. 

Second assistant — Del. Barber. 

Treasurer — Thomas Grady. 

Secretary — Y\rthur M. Delavan. 

The Cortland Protective Police is an effi- 
cient organization acting in co-operation 
with the fire department. F"ollowing are 
the officers : — 

Captain — A. Sager. 

Lieutenant — R. A. Smith. 

Sergeant — Geo. W. Davenport. 

Treasurer — C. P. W'alrad. 

Secretary — C. W. Collins. 

Property clerk — F. A. Bickford. 

Following are the officers of W'ater Witch 
Fire Company No. i : — 

P'oreman — A. G. Newton. 

P'irst assistant — B. Delavan. 

Second assistant — John Chamberlain. 

Secretary — O. D. Ra\-mond. 

Treasurer — J. W. I^owen. 

Property clerk — O. D. Ra}mond. 

The officers of Orris Hose ComiKUi}- are 
as follows : — 

President — C. S. Strowbridge. 

Foreman — Burnett K. "SUWer. 

First assistant — E. L. Rodgers. 

Second assistant — S. H. Strow^bridge. 

Secretar\- — H. A. Dickinson. 

Treasurer — F. R. Woodworth. 



Town of Cortlandville. 



291 



The officers of Emerald Hose Company- 
are : — 

President — Daniel Dolan. 

Vice-president — James Dowd. 

Foreman — John Dowd. 

First assistant — John Dallton. 

Second assistant — Thomas Purcell. 

Secretary — A. McSweney. 

Treasurer — Patrick Dwyre. 

Property clerk — Michael Healey. 

The officers of the Excelsior Hook and 
Ladder Company are as follows : — 

Foreman — F. W. Kingsbury. 

First assistant — Earl Stimson. 

Second assistant — Frank Howard. 

Secretary — Charles Thompson. 

Treasurer — John Phelps. 

Property clerk — Arthur M. Delavan. 

Cortland and Homer Horse Railway 
Company. — This company was organized 
in 1882 for the purpose of constructing a 
street car line which should connect the two 
villages of Homer and Cortland. Different 
lines of omnibuses had hitherto run between 
the villages and their patronage was such 
as to warrant the prime movers in the en- 
terprise in going forward with the work. 
During the summer of 1883 the track was 
laid from the southern portion of the village 
to the point where the D. L. & W. railroad 
crosses the road to Homer, and from Ho- 
mer to near the same point. Here an un- 
expected obstacle was encountered in a 
refusal of the D. L. & W. Railroad Company 
to allow the street car line to cross its tracks. 
The question was taken into the courts and 
a decision from the Court of Appeals was 
given in favor of the horse railway com- 
pany. The tracks will now be made con- 
tinuous to Homer village. 

At a meeting of the stockholders of the 
company, held the first week in March, 
1884, the following directors were elected 
for the ensuing year: — 

Chas. H. Garrison, R. H. Duell, L. D. 



Garrison, J. C. Carmiciiael, W. H. Clark, 
J. D. Schermerhorn, Wm. N. Brockway, 
S. E. Welch, C. C. Taylor, L. J. Fitzgerald, 
E. A. Fish, J. M. Milne and Coleman 
Hitchcock. 

At a subsequent meeting of the new- 
board of directors the following officers were 
chosen : 

President — Chas. H. Garrison. 

Vice-president — J. C. Carmichael. 

Secretary — J. M. Milne. 

Treasurer — S. E. Welch. 

Attorney — R. H. Duell. 

Engineer — F. E. Knight. 

Executive com. — L. J. Fitzgerald, W. 
H. Clark, J. D. Schermerhorn. 

MANUFACTL'RIXG INTERESTS. 

We have not to go very far into the past 
in search of the beginning of manufactur- 
ing in Cortland village ; at least upon a 
scale that would call for any special atten- 
tion in this work. While this place has al- 
ways possessed important advantages as a 
manufacturing center, and particularly so 
since its railroad connections have been 
developed, yet it was many years after it 
had become entitled to creditable mention 
among the thriving interior villages of the 
State before its manufacturing industries felt 
that forward impulse which has within the 
past decade made its name familiar in al- 
most every State of the Union, and given 
it a growth in population that is almost 
phenomenal. 

To establish manufactures in e\ery bus- 
iness center is the hopeful desire of pro- 
gressive citizens the country over ; for it is 
well known that they are the never-failing 
key to advancement. But it is often only 
after years of patient waiting th^t the bold 
spirits, imbued with energy and persever- 
ance, are found who will take the initiatory 
steps in great undertakings. When this is 
once accomplished, there are seldom want- 



292 



History of Cortland County. 



in^ onoiigli others who will follow in tlic 
cstablislimcnt of other industries and the 
community' takes on now life. The manu- 
facturinyj industries of Cortland, a large pro- 
portion of wliich have been established 
within the past ten years, have been almost 
uniformly successful, and this fact should 
act as a stimulant to others. Aside from 
the one feature of water power (and that 
sooner or later gives way to steam), Cort- 
land possesses facilities for the manufact- 
urer that are almost luiexccUeil. Promi- 
nent among these are her ship|)ing advan- 
tages — a feature that is of more importance 
in this connection than any other. 

The Syracuse, l^inghamton and New 
York Railroad connccls at Hinghamton 
with the New York, Lake Erie and West- 
ern, and Delaware, Lackawanna and West- 
ern Railroads ; at Syracuse with the New 
York Central and West Shore roads ; the 
Utica, Ithaca and Elmira connects at El- 
mira also with the Erie and Delaware, Lack- 
awanna and Western, and at I-'reeville with 
the Southein Central, and the Cazenovia, 
Canastota and De Ruyter Railroad also con- 
nects at Canastota with the New York Cen- 
tral — thus giving a choice of shipment 
over five of the greatest rival lines in the 
State, and there is good reason for predict- 
ing that these ample railroad connections 
will ere long be supplemented by otliers. 
The village authorities are alive to the im- 
portance of offering a warm and liberal 
welcome to all contemplating manufact- 
urers, which fact is becoming widely known 
and cannot fail to attract capital. 

Tile heaviest manufacturing interest in 
Cortland at the present time is that of road 
vehicles — wagons, carriages and cutters. 
In connection with this industry Cortland 
village is known throughout the United 
States and in many foreign countries. 

Wagon making in Cortland was begun 
at an early day, one of the first manufact- 



urers being Joseph Crantlall, who began 
the business in the spring of 1820. He was 
an enterprising, progressive man and car- 
ried on cpiite a large business for that 
period.' The first shop used by Crandall 
stood on tlic site now occupied by Barney 
Doud's tavern on Port Watson street ; this 
old shop was burned. Crandall's second 
sIio[) was the building now owned by W. P. 
Randall and occupied b}' Niver's livery sta- 
ble. Crandall was succeeded in that shop 
by Wilber & Collins, who afterward sold to 
William K. Parker. He was the last man- 
ufacturer of wagons in that building, which 
was sold to Henry Smith, who used it as a 
sash factory for a time and sold it to Mr. 
Randall in 1848. Here he kept one of the 
most extensive livery stables in the county 
for a period of thirty years. At one time 
during his career in this business, in the 
palmy days of staging from Syracuse to 
Binghamton, Mr. Randall kept about one 
hundred horses. 

The manufacture of wagons in Cortland 
attracted but little attention until the foun- 
dation was laid for one of the largest estab- 
lishments in the world — that of the Cort- 
land Wagon Compan\'. In the year 1869 
L. J. Eitzgerald and O. C. Gee began mak- 
ing wagons in the usual manner of similar 
works in villages, in the building now occu- 
pied by the office of the Cortland Democrat ; 
there they turned out about 150 wagons 
annual!)- and the business was continued on 
about that basis until 1872, when Mr. Gee's 
interest was purchaseil by Chas. W. Kinne. 
The new firm .soon put in operation their 
plan of building platform wagons for the 
general market. New buildings were erect- 
ed on Railroad street, and the new firm 
turned out 500 wagons the first year of their 

1 .\iiiong Craiiclnll's employees wa.s a lad wlio Uaveled 
from PeeUskill to Cortland on foot, remaining in the es- 
tablishment as shop boy for seven months. Mis name 
was William li. Kirk, now an old, respected and wealthy 
citizen of Syracuse. 







2; 



■J 



y. 



o 
■J) 

u 



Town of Cortlaxdville. 



293 



partnership. The two men were full of 
business energy and they united their best 
efforts in carrying out the idea of building 
an excellent vehicle and pushing the sale to 
to such a number annually as would enable 
them to greatly undersell all competitors. 

The wisdom of the plan was rapidly dem- 
on.strated. The third year (1875) they 
built and sold i ,000 wagons, and the next 
year 1,500, at which time the firm took the 
name of the Cortland Wagon Manufacturing 
Company and erected their wood-working 
shop on the site of their present immense 
factor)', near the railroad depot of the D., 
L. & W. road. In the year 1876 2,200 wa- 
gons were built and sold, and in the follow- 
ing year Mr. Kinne died, leaving the re- 
sponsibility of a large and growing business 
on Mr. Fitzgerald's shoulders ; but he has 
proved fully equal to the work. In 1878 
the production of the works was the same 
as in the preceding year, and on the 1st of 
January, 1879, the present stock organiza- 
tion was formed — the Cortland Wagon 
Company — and incorporated, with a cap- 
tal of $100,000. The directors were L. J. 
Fitzgerald, W. D. Tisdale, Hugh Duffy and 
M. D. Welch. During that year between 
5, 000 and 6,000 wagons were manufactured, 
which number was increased in 1880, and 
in 1 88 1, to 8,000. 

In the fall of 1880 the middle building 
and the east building, which connects the 
north and south buildings, were erected, and 
on the first day of April, 1 88 1 , the old works 
on Railroad street were abandoned and the 
whole business centered at this point, be- 
tween the S. B. & N. Y., and U. I. & E. 
railroads, with special tracks from both roads 
running into the works. Here the facilities 
were still more largely increased, until they 
are now manufacturing and selling 12,000 
platform spring wagons, buggies and phae- 
tons, per year; thirty railway cars of an 
extra large size being owned by the com- 



pany and employed in the transportation 
of their products to all parts of the United 
States. 

The present directors of the company 
are the same as given above, with the ex- 
ception of Mr. Welch, who withdrew. Mr. 
Fitzgerald is president ; Hugh Duffy, vice- 
president and general superintendent ; W. 
D. Tisdale treasurer, and F. Cyrus Straat 
secretary. The business has been extended 
to embrace the manufacture of buggies and 
the company is now without doubt the 
largest manufacturers of spring wagons in 
the world. From 300 to 350 men are em- 
ployed ; about $18,000 are paid in wages 
monthly, and the works are valued at 
$500,000 and cover nine acres of ground. 
It is an industry of which any city or vil- 
lage might well be proud. 

C. B. Hitchcock's Buggy and Cutter 
Works. — In the spring of 1877 C. B. 
Hitchcock came to Cortland from Cincin- 
natus and began the manufacture of cut- 
ters, on Port Watson street. He was a 
practical carriage painter and had been 
proprietor of a carriage manufactory in 
Cincinnatus, whence he removed to satisfy 
his ambition to do a larger business. In 
the first }-ear of his trade in Cortland he 
made and sold 100 cutters, from which 
moderate success grew his belief that the 
business could be almost indefinitely ex- 
tended. To this end he purchased the old 
Methodist Church building which had been 
removed to the corner of Elm street and 
the Syracuse, Binghamton and New York 
railroad, and in the following year turned 
out 250 cutters and 100 buggies. Addi- 
tions were made to the works in 1879 and 
the product increased to 550 cutters and 
200 buggies. Since that time annual ex- 
tensions have been made to the buildings, 
to meet the necessities of the rapidly in- 
crejising sales, which reached in 1883 about 
10,000 cutters and 2,000 wagons. The 



^94 



History of Cortland County. 



works now comprise a wood-working;' sliop 
and engine liouse, 6o by lOO feet in di- 
mensions ; blacksmith shop, 30 by 1 50 
feet; painting and stock building, 100 b)' 
120 feet; a fi\e-stor\- building, 30 by 300 
feet, occupied by the repositorj-, trimming 
and shipping departments ; and other small- 
er buildings. This is now the largest cut- 
ter manufactory in the world and the busi- 
ness has grown from $4,000 in 1877 to 
about $500,000. On the 1st of Januarj-, 
lS<S4, a stock compau)- was organized, with 
$150,000 capital. It is the intention of 
the compan}- to greatly extend the works 
and begin the manufacture of agricultural 
implements. The officers of the company 
are C. B. Hitchcock, president; H. L. 
Gleason, secretary and superintendent ; H. 
C. Henry, treasurer. 

The R. C. Tillinghast Carriage and Cut 
tcr Works. — A more recent, \^et scarcely 
less successful, manufactorj- in the line of 
work under consideration is the one whose 
name is just given. In the latter part of 
1 88 1 a copartnership was entered into b}- 
R. C. Tillinghast and F. A. Warner, for 
the manufacture of carriages and cutters. 
The main building on Owego street was 
erected early in the year 1882 and under 
the immediate supervision of Mr. Warner, 
who is a thorough-going, practical carriage 
maker, manufacturing was begun. The 
business developed at once and before a 
year had expired large additions were 
needed to the buildings. The first year 
between 300 and 400 carriages and about 
100 cutters were made and sold. This 
number has now increased to about 1,500 
carriages and 2,000 cutters. The works 
comprise six large buildings and their prod- 
uct annually now reaches a value of 
$150,000. 

The Cortland Omnibus Companj'. — 
Raymond Smith came into the town of 
Homer in 1841 and began farming. In 



1850 he removed into the village where 
he established a large wagon shop near the 
lower bridge. He continued the business 
successfull}' until 1863, when he died. His 
son, W. T. Smith, succeeded in tlie shop, 
where he continued until the year 1881, 
during which period he had acquired an 
excellent reputation for building omnibuses. 
This branch of his business increased raji- 
idly and led to his removal to Cortland and 
the organization of the Cortland Omnibus 
Compan)-. From a hundred to a hundred 
and seventy-five omnibuses are now made 
by the company annually and are shipped 
to all parts of the United States. The pop- 
ularit)- of these vehicles has been gained 
chiefly upon their lightness and strength 
and their tasteful styles. In March, 1882, 
a stock company was formed wliich took 
control of the works, with Mr. Smitii as 
superintendent. This is, probabh", the 
largest manufactory of omnibuses in the 
United States. 

The E.xcelsior Top Compan\-. — This im- 
portant enterprise is closely allied with the 
wagon manufactories alread\- described and 
is another of the young but very successful 
industries of Cortland. It had its origin in 
March, 1881, when L. K. Tenney and 
Graham Straat rented a portion of the old 
Gee shop on Port Watson street and began 
the manufacture of carriage tops in a small 
wa}', under the above name ; the)* then 
employed but one man. The business rap- 
idly increased and in No\-ember, 1SS2, was 
transferred to Wm. R. Stoppard and Fitz 
Bo\-nton. This firm continued until the 
last of the )-ear 1883, when the enterprise 
passed into the hands of W, H. Newton and 
Chas. E. Selo\'er, under the firm name of 
Newton & Selover. The increase of the 
sale of their goods necessitated frequent 
extensions of their works, and in 1882 
ground was purchased on Elm street for a 
new factor)'. This was occupied on the 



Town of Cortlandville. 



295 



lOth of January, 1883, and is a building 
three stories high, 96 by 40 feet in dimen- 
sions, with an adjoining structure 30 b\' 60 
feet. Here about sixty-five employees 
find work and a product vakied at $160,000 
was turned out in tlie vein 1S83, which was 
shipped from Maine to Cahfornia. Car- 
riage tops, dashes, cusliions and backs are 
made, which give satisfaction to carriage 
builders wherever they are used. 

Whoever has read thus far of the wagon 
manufactures in Cortland \illage, and its 
allied interests, will not fail to be impressed 
with the fact that here are established some 
of the most important industries in the 
country ; and it will not be a difficult task 
to show that these are supplemented by 
others entirely different in character, but no 
less important to the village and of no less 
wonderful growth. For example, the wire 
works of the Wickwire Brothers, which is 
one of the enterprises that first gave an 
impetus to manufacturing at this point, is a 
marvel of success and of the deepest inter- 
est as regards the character of its work. 

Pre\ious to the year 1874 the Wickwire 
Brothers were engaged in the retail hard- 
ware trade in Cortland — a business which 
led them to the idea of establishing a woven 
wire factory in the village. Thej- accord- 
ingly put in a small hand loom and began 
operations, producing about 1 50 square 
feet of wire cloth per day. This product 
was placed upon the market and the de- 
mand rapidly increased. More looms were 
added and the second year after beginning 
the new industry the -firm abandoned the 
hardware trade to devote their entire en- 
ergies to the other branch. Weaving wire 
by hand is a comparatively slow process, 
a fact which \\as early noted by the elder 
Wickwire, who determined to produce a 
power lotom. He is possessed of a good de- 
gree of inventi\e ability, and with the open- 
ing of the jear 1877 he had the satisfaction of 



seeing in operation a successful power loom 
of his own design. These machines were 
put in place of the old hand process, re- 
ducing the cost of their product and thus 
still further extending their trade. Thus 
far the firm had purchased their wire of 
other manufacturers. Seeing the advantage 
it would be to them to draw their own wire, 
they erected the large wire mill near the 
depot of the U., I. & E. railroad in the 
year 1880 and began the manufacture of 
wire on a large scale — the only weavers 
of wire goods in the country who draw 
their own wire. This building is four stories 
high, of brick, and is 40 by 165 feet in 
dimensit)ns, with a w'ing 40 by 70 feet and 
engine house 40 by 34 feet. Three large 
frame buildings in rear of 3 1 Main street 
are occupied with the weaving, wood-work- 
ing, painting and shipping business. Forty- 
five looms are operated, and a force of 100 
persons is employed. A forty-horse engine 
is used here while the wire mill demands 
two engines of 1 50 horse power each. The 
entire history of this great manufactory is 
but a recital of Increased demand for goods, 
with proportionate e.xtension of facilities 
and gradual cheapening of products. From 
a business of about $10,000 in 1874, it has 
gr.own to more than $200,000, and from 
an output of about 150 square feet of 
cloth per day, it has increased to 30,000 
square feet. The price of fine wire cloth 
has been reduced by this firm from five 
cents a square foot, to two and a quarter 
cents. Such is a brief outline of this great 
industr)', which has conferred and is con- 
ferring an inestimable benefit upon Cort- 
land village as well as enriching its pro- 
prietors. It is such establishments that 
lay broad and strong the foundations of 
prosperity in any village where they are 
located. 

The working of iron in Cortland county 
has never been carried on \ery extensively, 



296 



History of Cortland County. 



although in retrent years it shows good 
evidence of prospective development. The 
village of Cortland in its early years had 
its complement of blacksmith shops, one 
of the first of which was that of Jacob 
Wheeler, who was in the business at a very 
early day. In those days the village black- 
smith was a more important personage than 
at the present time, cspeciall)- if he was a 
man of ingenuity and a good workman. 
This was undoubtedly the case with Jacob 
Wheeler, as he advertised in the local paper 
for a journeyman who understood making 
axes. His shop was located on the site of 
the Cortland Machine Conipan\-'s buildings. 
From the early blacksmiths to the first 
foundr)' and machine shop was an easy 
transition. This was established in 1832 
by Daniel Larned on the site of the Cort- 
land Machine Company's building. Five 
years later he transferred it to the Freers. 
Anthony and S. D. Freer were sons of 
John A. Freer, who came from Duchess 
county and located on lot 74. For more 
than twent)' years they conducted the 
foundry and machine shop and did a large 
business. From the year i860 the estab- 
lishment changed hands several times un- 
til it was finally acquired by the pres- 
ent company, which was incorporated 
in 1875. The Victor mowing machine 
is made by this company and also certain 
special wood -working machines, which 
bear an excellent reputation and have 
a large sale. The main building, at Nos. 
14, 16 and 18 Port Watson street, is a three 
story brick structure, iio by 57 feet in 
dimensions, occupied by the storage and 
salesrooms and the office. In the rear are 
the foundry, machine shop and the wood- 
working shops, all well supplied with tools 
and conveniently arranged, with a sixty- 
horse power Buckeye engine for driving the 
machinery. The working force at present 
consists of thirty men, nearly all skilled 



mechanics. The officers of the Cortland 
Machine Company are C. S. Chamberlain, 
president; A. T. Dickinson, vice-president; 
S. B. Elwell, secretary and treasurer, and 
J. C. Yager, general manager. 

Another extensive foundry and machine 
shop is that of the Cooper Brothers, which 
is located on the west bank of the Tiough- 
nioga river, and occupies the old paper-mill 
buildings, a description of which has already 
been given. This property was purchased 
by the Cooper Brothers in July, 1881, and 
fitted up in a modest way with machinery 
for repairing and general work. Their suc- 
cess was excellent from the outset and in 
1882 they felt warranted in building a new- 
foundry with a cajiacity for casting two 
tons of iron per day. They have also added 
largely to the machinery equipment of their 
establishment and are now prepared for 
almost all kinds of general work. 

An industry of this village which merits 
especial attention from the historian, not so 
much from its magnitude as from its age, is 
that of Horace Dibble's carding-mill. In 
the year 1821 Mr. Dibble, then a young 
man who had not long before finished his 
trade of wool-carder and cloth-dresser, came 
through Cortland on foot. He spent the 
night at Merrick's Hotel, on the site of the 
Barber block, and next morning proceeded 
on his way through Homer in search of em- 
ployment. Passing the old building on 
Otter creek, in rear of which then stood a 
saw-mill, he was struck with its favorable 
location, the excellent water power and its 
adaptability for a carding-mill, and resolved 
if it were possible some time in the future 
he would become its owner and establish 
his business there. It is claimed, but not 
upon very- good authority, that the build- 
ing was then occupied b}' Wm. Sherman, 
afterward the well known merchant of Ho- 
mer, as a nail factory. However this may be, 
the building came into possession of Martin 



Town of CortlandviIle. 



297 



Merrick about the year 1824, who fitted it 
up with wool-carding machinery. He con- 
ducted the business until 1833, when it was 
offered for sale. Horace Dibble was in an- 
other county at that time, working at his 
trade. Learning that the object of his early 
ambition was in the market, he came im- 
mediately to Cortland and bought it. Here 
he has remained, carding wool on the orig- 
inal machine, for a period of fifty-one years 
— an example of contentment and industry 
rarely met with. The great gnarled wil- 
lows which line the banks of the race-way 
running from the old building have grown 
from little sprouts set by Mr. Dibble be- 
tween the years 1847 'i"'^ 1852. The old 
building remains nearly the same as when 
it was erected and is both a well known 
landmark and interesting as one of the old- 
est remaining structures in the village. 

Manufacturing in Cortland has been 
directed during the past ten years into 
numerous new and novel channels, the 
products of which have gone into success- 
ful competition with those of the largest 
cities in the Union. The business of whole- 
sale chair- making has developed from the 
earlj' methods followed in small cabinet 
works, scattered throughout the country, 
to startling dimensions through the medium 
of mammoth establishments, one of which 
is located in Cortland. The business was 
originally started as a general furniture fac- 
tor)- on Port Watson street (on the premises 
now occupied by the Cortland Steam Mill 
Company) in the year 1874, by the firm of 
Hayes & Dellow. It was transferred to 
Orchard street in the following year, where 
Lewis S. Hayes became sole owner. It was 
subsequently transferred to what was known 
as the Cortland Furniture Company, in 
which Mr. Hayes was a partner. In 1879 
the works were removed to their present 
location on South Main street and South 
avenue, where new buildings were erected 



expressly for the manufacture of a line of 
folding chairs which Mr. Hayes had pat- 
ented in 1878. The business has since been 
extended to embrace a large variety of fold- 
ing and adjustable chairs, platform rockers, 
etc., which are sold throughout the United 
States and in South Africa, Japan, Aus- 
tralia and the Sandwich Islands. This is 
one of the important industries of Cortland. 

Another unusual industry which is help- 
ing to give Cortland its enviable reputation 
is that of the Sanford Fork and Tool Man- 
ufacturing Company, an organization which 
was effected principally through the efforts 
of De Forest Sanford, a son of the origina- 
tor of the celebrated Sanford pitchfork. 
The company was organized and began 
operations in 1883. The works are on Elm 
street and comprise a main building 50 by 
32 feet in dimensions, and the manufactur- 
ing building, 40 by 1 00 feet, in which is all 
of the machinery, driven by a 60-horse 
power engine. Robert Nixon is president 
of the company, and E. O. Rickard secre- 
tary and treasurer, Mr. Sanford being 
superintendent. Although this industry is 
yet young, it begins under the most favor- 
able auspices and can scarcely fail of being 
an important factor in the manufactures of 
the village. 

A novel industry has been started since 
1882 in the Cortland Box Loop Company's 
works. This comprises the manufacture 
of carriage loops, buckle and harness loops, 
which are pressed into perfect shape. The 
company is composed of E. H. Brewer and 
C. W. Stoker, two of Cortland's enterprising 
young men. Their business promises to 
increase largely. 

The lumber interest of Cortland, both in 
manufacture and the sale of rough stock, is 
largely in the hands of Henry F. Benton. 
He established his yards and planing mills 
on the corner of Railroad street and the S., 
B. & N. Y. railroad in 1866, a small plan- 



298 



History ok Cortland County. 



in<^-mill being put in the following year. 
The rapid growth of the village in later 
j-ears anil Mr. Benton's energy and deter- 
mination to keep ahead of the deniand.s of 
his patrons, has given him his now exten- 
sive establishment. Three acres of ground 
arc occupied b\' him, about one acre of 
which is under cover. He handles from 
three .ind a half to four million feet of lum- 
ber annually, and manufactures large quan- 
tities of doors, sash and blinds. About 
thirty workmen are employed. A glazing 
dei)artment has been added, which used 
1,500 bo.xes of glass in 1883. 

.\ casual \'isitor to Cortland might over- 
look theCortland Machine Cooperage, which 
is located at the corner of Mill aiul East 
Ri\cr streets. This establishment was put 
in operation about the year 1870 by C. 
\V. Kinne, who sold out to Todd & Wal- 
lace ; the\- were succeeded b\' Todd & Dol- 
phin. This firm soon afterward dissolved, 
when John G. Dolphin continued the bus- 
iness three or four }-ears. Thomas F. 
Brayton next took it for a time, and it is now 
in the hands Robert Ni.xon, who has greatly 
extended the business. A three story 
building with basement is occupied for the 
manufacturing, and another structure 15 
by 30 feet for storage. The factory has a 
capacit)- for producing from 60 to 100 bar- 
rels, or 100 to 150 firkins pvv da\', with a 
large number of pails and tubs. The goods 
are sold over a large area, extending as far 
west as Iowa, and be.ar the best reputation. 

Marble Working. — The only establish- 
ment of this character in Cortland is that of 
S. M. Benjamin. He came to Cortland in 
1850 and helped build the first baker's 
oven with a Mr. Bancroft. In 1852 he en- 
tered the employ of Doud & Clark in their 
m.irble works. In 1 860 he, with his brother, 
J. W. Benjamin, bought the establishment, 
under the firm name of Benjamin Brothers, 
which continued until 1882, when J. W. 



Benjamin died. Since that time S. M. Ben- 
jamin has conducted the business alone. 

; It is now a prominent industrj- of the town 
and count}'. 

The manufacture of pottery is one of the 
oldest industries in the world, having been 
practiced by the Egyptians some thousands 
of years ago ; and the most wonderful 
feature of it is the fact that there has been 
ver)' little improvement in the methods of 
manufacture since that time. To all intents 
and purposes, the same little revolving hori- 
zontal wheel is used to-day in connection 
with the human hanils, for shaping jars and 
jugs that is referred to in the Bible. To come 
down to the present time, this is also one 
of the oldest industries in Cortland. In 
1829 a small building was erected near Ot- 
ter creek for this purpose, by Sylvester 
Blair. His clay was brought from Ambo\-, 
N. J., to S\M-acuse on boats and tlrawn from 
there by horses, while the manufactured 
ware was shipped down the Tioughnioga 
river in arks or was sold from wagons about 
the country. This was the oiil}- potter)- 
within a long distance of Cortland, and the 
business was a prosperous one for that 
period, reaching about $io,000 a )'ear. In 
1835 t^'i^ pottery was sold to Mason & Rus- 
sell, who a few years latter transferred it to 
Chollar & Darby. These gentlemen in- 
creased the business to $12,500 a year and 
conducted it ten years. In 1849 they sold 
out to Madison Woodruff, who had then 
worked in the establishment eighteen years. 
He added new buildings and pushed the 
business with so much energy that it was 
increased in 1858 to $1 5,000 a year. He 
has conducted it ever since, but of late 
years he has de\-oted less attention to it. 

! Mr. Woodruff" has lived in Cortland more 
than fift)' years and has witnessed its 

j growth from about 400 inhabitants to its 
present extent. 

Cigars are manufactured in Cortlanel b)' 



Town of Cortlandville. 



299 



I. H. Holcomb, who established his business 
in 1873. He now employs five workmen 
and manufactures more than 200,000 cigars 
annuall)-. I lis goods are ncarh- all sold in 
Cortland. 

In Januar}-, 1884, M. I'.. Holton and 
Henry Corcoran purchased tlie bottling 
works established by H. C. Harrington, 
now located at No. 34 Union street. All 
of the popular summer drinks, ales, lager j 
and porter are bottled b\- this establishment, 
for family and other uses. I 

This brief sketch of the prominent manu- 
facturing interests of this thrixing village 
will, we think, aniph- fortifx- our statement 
that Cortland as a manufacturing center is 
destined to take a foremost position among 
the villages and cities of the Empire State. 
With a proper recognition of the importance 
of such establishments b_\- the community 
and x'illage officials, and liberal encourage- 
ment after they are established, such con- 
summation will be doubl)- assured. 

FINANCIAL IXSTITL'TIOXS. 

In conjunction with the manufacturing 
and mercantile interests which we have re- 
viewed, has been built up in Cortland the 
necessary number of prosperous and wisely i 
conducted financial institutions to accom- 
modate the business community. The first 
of these was the Randall Bank, established 
b\' \Vm. Randall, and continued with the ' 
unfailing confidence of the entire community 
and surrounding villages for many years. 
Upon the death of his father the banking 
business was continued by his son, William 
R. Randall, until it was finallj- closed. 
During all of that extended period the 
doors of this staunch institution were never 
c' -s'-d to the public, who alwa}'s found am- 
ple acLoii.niodation for their business needs. 
The bank occupied the rooms now used by 
the Cortland Savings Bank, in the building 
on the corner of Main and East Court streets 



— a structure that has changed but very 
little since it was erected. 

Hiram J. Messenger came to Cortland in 
I 860, and to his subsequent efforts may be 
ascribed in a great degree the impetus in 
growth and business that was given to the 
village within the few succeeding years. In 
1863 he erected the Messenger House 
block, then b\' far the most imposing brick- 
structure in the village. In June, 1864, 
he opened the Messenger Bank. In the 
spring of the same year he purciiased the 
tract of land on the west side of Main street, 
beginning near the north side of the Smith 
& Kingsbury hardware store and running 
south to the corner of Court street. He 
reconstructed the old seminar)- building 
into the hardware store, as it exists to-da\-, 
and in 1865 built the Taj-lor Hall block 
(then called Messenger Hall). He next 
erected the wooden structures which ex- 
tended to the corner of Court street, and 
which have been recently burned. In 1867 
he erected the Masonic Hall block. 

In the year 1864 Mr. Messenger began 
business in New York city and the greater 
portion of his time was thereafter passed in 
that place. 1 he bank which he founded in 
Cortland did a very prosperous business for 
several years, but for reasons which need 
not be detailed here its doors had to be 
closed in 1868, entailing considerable losses 
upon its depositors, and creating a good 
deal of feeling against the banker, as is 
common under such circumstances. Un- 
fortunate as this event was for Cortland, it 
is still undoubtedly true that the spirit of 
enterprise infused into the business public of 
the village by Mr. Messenger's rapid and 
extensive improvements, produced an effect 
the benefits of which were almost inestima- 
ble and which continue to this day. Mr. 
Messenger has been for some years engaged 
in real estate and insurance business in 
Cortland. 



300 



•History of Cortland County. 



The next bank organized in Cortland 
was tlie l'"irst National Bank, which was in- 
corporated under the national law in 1863, 
and was organi/.etl in I'Vbriiar)-, 1864, with 
the following directors, the capital stock be- 
ing $125,000: Thomas Keator, president; 
Garry Chambers, Artluu' Holmes, Riifus 
{■".dwards, James S. Squires, Lansing Carley, 
Nathan Bouton, Dan. C. Squires and Le- 
ander l'"itts. Thomas Keator, the organ- 
izer of the bank, died June 35th, 1879, and 
was succeeded by S. Keator as president. 
The career of the bank has been a flattering 
one, and a continuation of the charter for 
another twent)- years was api)licd for and 
granted February 24th, 1883, when it was 
reorganized with the same board of direct- 
ors. The hank has declared di\itiends of 
from ten to twelve per cent., free of taxes, 
every year, and the statement of July 23d, 
1883, shows a capital stock of $125,000; 
value of real estate, $l6,000; surplus and 
undivided profits, $95,000; deposits, $190,- 

370. 

The present board lit directors and offi- 
cers is as follows : — 

President — Samuel Keator. 

Vice-president — R. Bruce Smith. 

Cashier — E. Keator. 

Directors — Hon. A. A. Carley, M. Van 
Hoesen, Samuel Keator, Ransom Warren, 
T. H. Wickwire, Samuel Sager, Hon. O. U. 
Kellogg, R. B. Smith, V.. Keator, II. Cow- 
an, C. VV. Stoker, Robert I'urvis, K, C. 
Carley. 

The National Hank- of Cortland was or- 
ganized March ist, 1869, as the Bank of 
Cortland, with a capital stock of $100,000 
and the following board of directors : — 

James S. Squires, presiilcnt ; W'm. II. 
Sliaid<land, James A. Schermerhorn, H. P. 
Goodrich, Horatio Ballard, B. li. Wood- 
worth (cashier), 1". 11. llibbard, S. E. 
Welch, Samuel Sager, C. C. Tajlor, Lucius 
Babcock, Jerome liulbert, J. C. Pomero)-, 



S. R. Hunter, A. B. Lamont and George 
L. Cole. It continued as the l?ank of 
Cortland until the first day of January, 
1875, when it was chartereil as the National 
Bank of Cortland, with a capital of $100,- 
000, and the following board of directors : 
James S. Squires, president ; George L. 
Cole, Wni. II. Shankland, Ed. M. liulbert, 
Hamilton Putnam, A. B. Lamont, Byron 
A. Benedict, Wesley I looker, John S. Sam- 
son, Nathan Si)encer, .Sanuul Sager and 
Stephen R. Hunter. 

Following is a statement <if this baid< 
dated January 5th, 1884: — 
A'l sciinfS. 

Loans, - -.$290,891 8 1 

Bonds, (Circulauon) 50,000 00 

Reserve, 

Cash, .$32,400 15 

From Banks,.. 36,844 87 69,245 02 

Hanking House, F. and F., 16,500 00 

Redciiiplion I'lnid, 2,250 00 

$428,886 83 
LiahiHtics. 

Capital stock, .$80,000 00 

Surplus and Profits, 33,099 44 

Circulation, 45,000 00 

Deposits, 270,787 39 

$428,886 83 

Mr. Squires, after successfidl)' filling the 
office of president of the bank until January 
8th, 1884, resigned, and Wesley Hooker 
was elected in his stead. The present 
board of directors and bank officers are as 
follows : — 

President — Wesley Hooker. 

Vice-president — Geo. L. Cole. 

Cashier — Chas. E. Selover. 

Directors — Geo. L. Cole, Wesley Hook- 
er, Wm. II. Clark, Chas. H. Parker, I". 
Cyrus Straat, Robert Bushb>-, 15. A. Ben- 
edict, Chas. E. Selover, L. J. Fitzgerald, 
Hamiltt)n Putnam, l)a\id !•'. Wallace, Chas. 
W. Collins, Geo. J. Mager, I'". N. Harring- 
ton. 



Town of Cortlandville. 



301 



The Second National Bank of Cortland 
was organized the 25th day of November, 
1882, with a capital of $100,000, and the 
following directors : J. S. Bull, Fitz Boyn- 
ton, L. J. p-itzgerald, George C. Hubbard, 
J. R. Schermerhorn, George N. Bliss, Har- 
sison Wells, John D. Schermerhorn, M. H. 
McGraw, D. F. Wallace, E. A. Fish, H. F. 
Benton, M. S. Pierce and W. B. Stoppard. 
The bank is proving a very successful insti- 
' tution, and the statement of July 23d 1883, 
shows a capital stock of $100,000; surplus 
$6,200; undivided profit $1,487.50; de- 
posits, $94,000. 

The Cortland Savings Bank was organ- 
ized April 1 3, 1 866, a charter being secured 
through the efforts of Hon. Stephen Pat- 
rick, of Tru-xton, and the original trustees 
were William R. Randall, president ; Hiram 
J. Messenger, Thomas Keator, Jcdediah 
Barber, George \\'. Bradford, Perrin H. 
McGraw, Henry Stephens. P'rederick Hyde, 
Horatio Ballard, Henry S. Randall, R. Hol- 
land Duell, Hiram Crandall, Horace P. 
Goodrich, James W. Sturtevant, Alphonso 
Stone, Silas Blanchard, Raj'mond P. Bab- 
cock, Nathan Smith, Daniel E. Whitmore 
and Stephen Patrick. The bank was opened 
September 25th, 1866, in a small room on 
the second floor of Randall's Bank with 
Calvin P. Walrad as secretary and treasurer, 
and from this modest beginning its business 
gradually increased until it was necessary 
to secure the large room now occupied (for- 
merly Randall's Bank), and the deposits 
amount to nearly $500,000. The trustees 
are now Frederick Hyde, president ; G. W. 
Bradford, R. Holland Duell, Henry Brewer, 
Horace P. Goodrich, Charles C. Taylor, 
Abram P. Smith, Calvin P. \\'alrad, James 
C. Carmichael, Morgan L. Webb (treas- 
urer), Stephen Patrick, Madison Woodruff, 
Norman Chamberlain, Samuel E. Welch, 
Alphonso Stone, George N. Copeland, Hen- 
ry McKevitt, William H. Twiss and A. Le- 



roy Cole, and the statement of the bank, 
made January 1st, 1883, shows the assets 
to be $449, 1 5 1 .43 ; liabilities, $426,477.43 ; 
surplus, $22,674.80. 

MERCANTILE INTERESTS. 

During the seventy years which have 
elapsed since the first business establish- 
ments were opened on the site of this vil- 
lage, the mercantile interests of the place 
have kept pace with the demands of the 
community in whatever direction. The 
superstructure of these interests, laid by such 
men as the Randalls, Nathan Luce, the 
Bassetts, Samuel Ingalls and their contem- 
poraries, was worthy in every respect of 
the emulation of their successors ; and to- 
day the mercantile houses of Cortland will 
compare favorably with those of any other 
village of its size in the country. 

In early years all of the stores in the 
growing villages were such as are denomi- 
nated " general stores, " selling almost 
everything needled by farmers and house- 
keepers; and it is within the memory of 
many now living when the demand for 
special lines of goods first became sufficient 
to employ the time and effort of merchants 
in one particular direction. A brief review 
of the mercantile interests of this village will 
form a not unimportant part of its history. 

No history of early times in Cortland 
could fail to make frequent mention of Wil- 
liam and Roswell Randall, the pioneer mer- 
chants. These brothers came to Cortland 
from Brookfield, Madison county, where 
they had been engaged in business, in 181 3, 
and began trading on the corner now occu- 
pied by the Keator block. Roswell paid 
especial attention to the indoor business of 
the store, while his brother looked after 
their other extensive operations, embracing 
the building and operation of distilleries, 
asheries, buying and selling stock, farming, 
etc. They continued together for many 



302 



HlSTOKV OF CORTI.AND CoUNTV. 



years and finalK' dissolved partnership, 
when Rosuell built the old " Eagle Store, " 
a pretentious building for that period, stand- 
ing on the site of the new Squires block. 
In that building he did an extensive business 
for many )'ears. William subsequently 
built the brick building on the corner of 
Main and Court streets and established the 
Randall Bank. Of these brothers Mr. Bal- 
lard wrote : " They amassed wealth, were 
public-spirited and essentially aided in \'a- 
rious ways and at successive periods in the 
growth and beauty of the village. They 
have left their impress upon the topography 
of the village, which will not soon pass away 
— William as a successful financier, bank 
president and model agriculturist, exempli- 
fied in his splendid possessions ; Roswell as 
the finished merchant, faithful postmaster, 
accomplished brigade commander, the 
graceful host in the attractions of social life. 
These brothers gave enduring renown to 
Cortland. " Tiie family of William Randall 
consisted of Antoinette, Wilhelmina and 
William R., the two latter now living'in the 
village. The family of Roswell Randall 
were William P. and Henry S. The first 
named is still a resident of the village. The 
former died in 1877. He was educated as 
an attorney, became a prominent politician ; 
was a writer of decided abilitj- and filled an 
eminent station in life. 

Nathan Luce was a cotemporar}' in bus- 
iness with the Randalls and conducted one 
of the first stores in the place. He later 
built the original hotel, which afterwards 
became the well known Eagle Tavern. 

Asahel Lyman was a merchant before 
1 8 16, in which year he jauilt the block now 
owned and occupied b_\- John S. Samson. 
Further reference will be made to his es- 
tablishment and that of his sons a little fur- 
ther on. 

Luman Rice was an early business man, 
became largely interested in freighting 



down the river, as already alluded to, and 
had a brewery at Port Watson before 18 15, 
probabl}' the only one ever established in 
the town. In November, 1815, he adver- 
tised his brewery, " near Sweet's Tavern, 
Port Watson, " saying, " considering the 
vast difference between the effects on man- 
kind of ardent spirits and this cheap, whole- 
some and cheering liquor, it is hoped the 
community will find it to their advantage 
to patronize the establishment." F"orsome 
unknown reason he offered the brewery for 
sale in the next issue of the paper in which 
the above advertisement appeared. 

In reviewing the records of the present 
principal mercantile houses of the village, 
the names of many other early merchants 
will appear, with brief accounts of their 
stores. 

The Drug Trade. — It is only about 
twenty- five years since the ills of this com- 
munity seemed to demand that sufficient 
drugs should be kept on sale to warrant a 
man in devoting his entire store and time 
to that interest. Previous to 1856 drugs 
and medicines occupied a share of the 
shelves of groceries and the general stores 
and the placards of Brandreth's Pills, Jayne's 
Expectorant and other popular preparations, 
hung conspicuously beside those of Ja\a 
coffee, Young Hyson tea and mayhap silks 
and velvets. Then it was not necessary 
for the Cortland county housewife to go 
shopping from store to store in order to ob- 
tain her weekly supply of household neces- 
sities. On the other hand, she could enter 
any one of the several general stores in this 
village and purchase her sugar and tea, her 
calico and sheeting, her "Yankee notions" 
of whatever kind, her new bonnet and her 
confectionery for the little one, while her 
husband was investing in nails, crockery, 
farming tools, a new hat, a pair of boots, 
or what not. In 1847 the business por- 
tion of Cortland village was almost entirely 



Town of Cortlandville. 



j^j 



confined to Main street between the Cort- 
land House and the old Eagle Tavern, and 
near!}' all of it was on the eastern side of 
the street. Daniel Bradford kept what was 
called a drug store then, but his stock was 
almost too comprehensive to deserve that 
exclusive title. J. W. Sturtevant & Co. 
had a general store, with a strong leaning 
towards dry goods ; and general stores 
were kept by W. O. Barnard, co rncr of 
Main and Mill streets, Orin Stimpson, Asa 
Ljnian and James Van Valen ; Henry 
Brewer had a harness store ; J. McFarlan 
a furniture store ; Homer Gillett a grocery 
where C. F. Thompson is now located, and 
L. Cudworth and I. M. Seaman also sold 
groceries ; A. & S. D. Freer kept the onh^ 
hardware store, and Andrew Dickson kept 
a dry goods store and the post-ofiice in a 
building then standing where the Keator 
block is now located. These establishments 
embraced the business of Cortland \ illage 
thirt\--five years ago — a short period to 
witness the development and growth of 
what has since that time been added. They 
were the predecessors of the more pre- 
tentious establishments representing all 
branches of trade, which we shall proceed 
to notice as among the more prominent 
mercantile stores of Cortland \'illage. 

In the year 1847 G. \V. Bradford, then 
a young man, came to Cortland and entered 
the store of Daniel Bradford as clerk. He 
remained here nine years and in 1856 
opened a drug store in the same store which 
he has occupied ever since — a period of 
twenty- nine years, the only example of a 
merchant remaining in one location and one 
line of business in this village, for so long a 
period. His store has been somewhat en- 
larged and improved, but otherwise is iden- 
tical with his first place of business. Mr. 
Bradford is a respected citizen and success- 
ful business man. 

The first store opened in Cortland for 



' the exclusive sale of drugs and medicines 
was that of A. Sager, and was located near 
the corner of Main and Court streets, on 
the present site of the Schermerhorn build- 
ing ; this was in 1857. In 1861 Mr. Sa 
ger responded to the call of his country, 
' joining the 76th regiment, and sold his bus- 
i iness to Dr. T. C. Pomeroy. He was dis- 
' charged on account of disabilities in May, 
1863, when he returned and again engaged 
in the same business in the old Barnard 
block, corner of Main and Mill streets. This 
was then and for manj- years pre\Mous, per- 
haps, the most prominent building in the 
village. It was of brick, three stories high 
in front and two in the rear, and was built 
b)- W. O. Barnard, who was for many years 
one of the leading merchants of the village 
and located on that corner. When Mr. 
Sager began business there L. Dexter had 
a billiard saloon in an old two story wood 
building adjoining the Barnard block, in the 
second story of which was Henry Wood- 
ruffs tailor shop. Mr. Sager continued 
business until the spring of 1865, when he 
took Thomas Dalton in partnership ; the 
firm continued one year when Mr. Dalton 
withdrew. In April, 1866, the buildings 
above referred to and their grounds were 
purchased by Mr. Sager and Mr. Dexter, 
the former taking the corner building and 
the latter the wooden structure. In 1870 
Mr. Sager became associated with W. A. 
Pierce, under the firm name of A. Sager & 
Co. This firm continued a year and seven 
months, when Mr. Pierce withdrew. In 
1872 the owners of the corner rebuilt the 
structures into their present commodious 
and attractive form. The present firm of 
Sager & Jennings was formed by the admis- 
sion of E. F. Jennings, in the spring of 
1 88 1, and is doing a large and growing 
business. Mr. Sager's services in the army 
are referred to in the history of the 76th 
regiment herein. 



304 



History of Cortland County. 



About the year 1868 a drugstore was 
established by Abner L. Smith, who in 
course of time sold to Brown & Arnold, 
ami the store then passed into possession 
of the late George H. Arnold. He sold in 
1 88 1 to Johnson & Barney and in 1883 W. 
B. Johnson bought out his partner and is 
now conducting the business alone at No. 6 
North Main street. 

In the year 1880 the present firm of 
Ikown & Maybury was formed ; composed 
of Charles F. Brown and M. M. Maybury. 
Their drug store is located at No. 3 North 
Main street. 

Dry Goods. — One of the first, if not the 
very first store in Cortland devoted to the 
exclusive sale of dry goods was that of J. 
W. Sturtevant & Co., which was established 
in 1846 at the location now occupied by 
Dickinson & McGraw. The business was 
conducted there by that firm for more than 
twenty years and was favorably known 
throughout the county and surrounding 
towns. The firm was composed of J. W. 
Sturtevant and E. H. Doud and was at first 
located where Dickinson & McGraw now 
are. They conducted the business there for 
more than twenty years and were very suc- 
cessful. E. A. Fish was admitted to partner- 
ship in 1 86 1, and the store was afterward re- 
moved to what is No. 19 North Main street. 
The general character of the store was aban- 
doned about 1862, and in 1869 Mr. Doud's 
interest was purchased by C. P. Walrad, 
when the firm name was changed to Stur- 
tevant, Fish & Co. Mr. Walrad came to 
Cortland in 1856 as a clerk for Sturtevant 
& Doud. In 1872 Mr. Sturtevant's inter- 
est was purchased by the junior members 
of the firm and Fish & \\'alrad successfully 
carried on the business, removing in 1879 
to more commodious quarters in the new 
Schermerhorn building. On the 5th of 
March, 1883, Fish & Walrad sold the es- 
tablishment to Geo. J. Mager, and during 



the same month Mr. Walrad again became 
a member of the firm, which is now Mager 
& Walrad. Such is the history of this 
staunch house, one of the oklest in this line 
in the town. 

S. E. Welch is one of the oldest dry 
goods houses in the county, having first be- 
gun in 1845 in Upper Lisle. Previous to 
that time he had obtained a thorough 
knowledge of the business b)' working in 
stores in McGrawvillc. In the fall of 1846 
he opened a store in McLean, where he 
remained until 1853, coming then to Cort- 
land. He has been constantly in the bus- 
iness here since then. In 1S69 he, in con- 
nection with J. Rose, built the Union Hall 
block in which he opened his store. This 
building suffered from the fire which de- 
stroyed the Garrison block in Feb., 1884. 
At this time he began business at his pres- 
ent location on Port Watson street. Mr. 
Welch has been entrusted with difterent re- 
sponsible public and private trusts and has 
been supervisor of the town for several 
terms. 

The direct predecessor of the firm of 
Warren & Tanner was that of Wells & 
Mills, which began business about 1862. 
It was then changed to Mills & Kinney and 
in 1868 to Mills & Warren. In April, 1872, 
the firm of Warren & Tanner was formed 
by a union of George L. Warren and James 
E. Tanner. The store was formerly located 
one door south of the present location, 
which was taken in 1882. 

In March, 1864, Adolphus F. and Abram 
T. Tanner came to Cortland from Dryden, 
and opened a dry goods and notion store 
in the Messenger House block. The firm 
was successful and remained there until 
1 868, when they removed to the Moore 
block. When the new Garrison block was 
finished in 1878 they removed to a commo- 
dious store in that building, and added car- 
pets, etc. to their stock. In June, 1883, 



Town of Cortlandville. 



305 



Abram T. Tanner died, causing not only an 
irreparable loss to the surviving brother, 
but lca\-ing a vacanc)' in the community 
and in the hearts of man\- friends. After 
the burning of the Garrison block recently, 
Adojphus F. Tanner fitted up a handsome 
store in the new Standard building, where 
he is now located. 

In the 1879 P. K. Brewster, of Syracuse, 
removed to Cortland and began the dry 
goods trade. He was joined by C. N. 
Blowers in 1882, and the firm continued 
until the death of Mr. Brewster in June, 
1884, since wfiicli time Mr. Blowers has 
conducted the business alone. His hand- 
some store is in the Standard building. 

f. S. Samson's father came into the town 
of Homer in 181 l, bringing his son with 
him. John S. was elected sheriff of the 
count}' ill 1855, since which time he has 
lived in Cortland. He is now the owner 
of the old Lyman building, where he car- 
ries on the dry goods business. 

Books, Stationer)', Musical Instruments, 
etc. — The first store in Cortland devoted 
to the exclusive sale of books, stationery, 
wall paper and kindred goods, was that of 
the Apgar Brothers, which was opened in 
the Taylor Hall block 'about the close of the 
last war. The business was moderately 
successful, and in 1868 was sold to A. 
Mahan, an enterprising young man who had 
been engaged in the produce business in 
Virgil for several years previous. Mr. 
Mahan is a man of exceptional business ca- 
pacity and under his enterprising and dis- 
creet management the trade of the establish- 
ment was rapidly extended anil the range of 
stock enlarged. Musical merchandise was 
added, and subsequently sewing-machines 
and other specialities. In 1870 I). F. Wal- 
lace entered the firm where he remained a 
member until 1874, the business meanwhile 
becoming largely increased. In the year 
last named the firm divided their interests, 



Mr. Wallace retaining the book and station- 
ery branch and Mr. Mahan taking the mu- 
sical merchandise and sewing-machine in- 
terest into the new building which he 
erected on Court street, Nos. 9 and 1 1. 
During the ten years since that date, he has 
devoted his best energies to the building 
up of a large trade in musical instruments, 
sewing-machines, etc., which he has ex- 
tended throughout central New York. He 
is also a member of the firm of F. .A. Bick- 
ford & Co., dealers in guns and sporting 
goods, in the same building. ^Tr. Mahan's 
business abilit)- and his general character 
i as a citizen is fully recognized by the com- 
munity, as e\'idenced in their selection of 
him as president of the village for the year 
1883, an office which he filled with the most 
satisfactory results. In 1 88 1 he erected 
one of the finest residences in the village, 
in spacious grounds on North Main street. 

Since the dissolution of the firm of Ma- 
han & Wallace, the latter has carried on 
the book and stationery, and wall ])aper 
business in his store in the Ta\-lor Hall 
block, in which he has achieved the most 
flattering success, there being but two or 
three firms in the country who handle more 
wall paper than he, outside of the manufac- 
turers. About a year ago he became the 
owner of the valuable propert)- on the cor- 
ner of Main and West Court streets, the 
buildings upon which were recently burned. 
Mr. Wallace will erect on the site a block 
which will be a credit to the place. 

The firm of Bushb}' & Robinson was 
formed in 1883, and a stock of books, sta- 
tionery, wall [japer etc., was added to the 
railroad ticket agenc\' which had pre\-iousl\- 
been established by Mr. Robinson. .\fter 
a }'ear the firm separated, Mr. Robinson 
taking the book and stationery trade to No. 
24 Main street, and Mr. Bushby retaining 
the other branch of the business at the for- 
mer location. 



3o6 



History of Cortland County. 



I'"ui'iiiturc. — John Mcl'"arlaii is cmc of 
the pioneers of Cortland, at least in a bus- 
iness sense. He came from Now York city, 
whence he had i^onc from his home in 
Montgomery count}' and worked at the 
trade of cabinet-maker three \-ears. Dur- 
ing the cholera ejiideniic of 1852 he went 
to Canada, coming from there to Cortland 
in 1834. He was the first furniture manu- 
facturer in Cortland, his shop being located 
for a short time on Church street in the 
building now used as a dwelling b_\- Mrs. 
P-dgcomb. He remained there nine 

months and removed to Port Watson street, 
where he continued in the busniess about 
seventeen years, as the leader in that line in 
the county. At the end' of that time, in 
185 I, J. C. Carmichael became a member 
of the firm, which remained as Mcl'"arlan & 
Carmichael until 1866, when the junior 
partner bought the entire establishment and 
conducted it until Albert VV. Edgcomb 
purcliased an interest in the business. On 
September 1st, 1883, Mr. Carmichael's in- 
terest was purchased b\- S. M. IJallard, tlie 
firm becoming jiallard & Edgcomb. The 
store was removed to No. 32 South Main 
street where an extensive business is now- 
carried on. 

R. Beard began the furniture traile in 
Cortland in 1874. In 1879 he took R. B. 
Fletcher into the business, which firm con- 
tinued until 1883, since which time it has 
carried on the business as R. Beard & Son. 
The establishment is now located on Port 
Watson street. 

Harness making. — Harness making and 
selling was probably first established here 
by Wm. ]5artlit, on Main street in a build- 
ing which stood near tlie site of the Scher- 
merhorn residence. Henry Brewer, one of 
the pioneer business men of the village, 
came into tiie place wlu-n he was si.vteen 
years old and learnetl his trade with Mr. 
Bartlit .After finishing his ap])renticeship 



he formed a |)artnei'ship w illi ( )li\t'r Cilo\-er 
and purchased the stock of Mr. Bartlit. 
The firm continued for onh' a short time, 
when the first proprietor reijurchased tlie 
goods, liut soon sold out to Almy & Curtis. 
The stock was again transferred to Henry 
Phillips, who was the last proprietor at the 
original stand. Mr. Brewer began business 
on his own account in 1834, renting a room 
in the second stor\- of the small building 
then standing on the site now occupied by 
hi. H. Brewer. In January, 1862, this 
building was burned with the old Eagle 
Tavern. Mr. Brewer removed across the 
street, where he remained until 1S64, when 
he took the first floor and part of the second 
in the new brick building erected on the 
original site. He subsequently admitted 
his son, Ileni\' L. Brewer, to a partnership, 
undet the title of H. MiL-wer & Son, but 
upon the tailuie ot the junior member's 
health this partnership was dissolved and 
Mr. Brewer coiitnined the business alone 
until 1874, when he sold to E. H. Brewer 
& Co., and retired from active service. E. 
H. Brewer & Co. conducted the establish- 
ment until 1877, when J. .\. Schermerhorn 
w as ailmitted, and the firm name changed 
to Brewer & Scherme?rliorn, who continued 
in partnershi]) until 1879, when, b_\' the 
death of Mr. Schermerhorn, E. H. l^rewer 
became sole pro[)rietor. E. H. Brewer is 
also the senior iiK-mber of the Cortland Hon 
Eoo]) Com|)an\'. 

I. & M. Edgcomb began harness making 
here in 1856, at the location now occupied 
b_\- Mr. \'an ,\lstine as a shoe store (then 
the old Barnard block). The\- came to 
their [iresent location in 1S60. There has 
been no changt- in this lirni 111 all these 
\-ears, except the absence of Martin Edg- 
comb about three years in the ami)-. 

Nathan Peck carrietl on harness making 
in Cortland a long time, but stopped some 
twenty years ago. 



Town of Cortlandville. 



307 



Hardware. — The business in hardware 
now carried on by Xcwkirk & Hulbert is 
an outgrowth of the original foundry and 
machine shops cstabHshed by Daniel Lamed 
in 1832, which was afterward conducted by 
the Freers for many years, and since trans- 
ferred to the Cortland Machine Company. 
The Freers sold to Chamberlain & Benton 
in 1861. In 1865 Benton's interest was 
purchased by H. C. Smith, and Chamber- 
lain & Smith conducted the business until 
1873, when they erected the three-story 
brick building at No. 44 Port Watson street, 
and engaged in the hardware trade. The 
business was divided in 1874, the stock 
company known as the Cortland Foundry 
and Machine Company taking the foundry' 
and machine shops, and the Cortland Hard- 
ware Company succeeding to the hardware 
business. H. C. Smith then bought out the 
Cortland Hardware Company and con- 
ducted the business for a time, and sold to 
C. F. Chamberlain, who was succeeded in 
turn by F"loyd Chamberlain. In a short 
time, however, C. F. Chamberlain again 
purchased the business, and forming a co- 
partnership with C. ¥.. Huntington, under 
the title of C. F. Chamberlain & Co., con- 
tinued the business a year and then organ- 
ized the Chamberlain Manufacturing Com- 
pany. In 1879 W. S. Xewkirk and Ernest 
M. Hulbert, forming the firm of Xewkirk 
& Hulbert, succeeded the Chamberlain 
Manufacturing Company. Upon the com- 
pletion of the new Standard building the 
firm removed to extensive quarters in that 
block. 

The hardware, stove and tinware business 
now conducted by Smith & Kingsbury at 
No. 12 North Main street, was established 
in 1859 by E. D. Mallery, in the old Ly- 
man building, corner of Main street and 
Groton avenue. This was the second tin 
and hardware store in the village, and was 
started on a very small scale, the storeroom 



now occupied by C. H. Gaylord's grocery 
being devoted to the sale of hardware, and 
having a small tin shop in the rear. Soon 
after the business was established and dur- 
ing the same \'ear {1859), .Mallery sold to 
the firm of Mills & Goodrich, who carried 
on the business four years, in 1863 or 1864 
securing the frame building then standing 
on the corner of Main and Court streets 
(and which had been occupied many years 
as a seminary), and removing it to the 
present site turned it into a hardware store 
and tin shop. Mr. Goodrich then retired 
from the firm, and Myron H. Mills continued 
as sole proprietor for two years, when he 
sold an intere.st to Josiah Stephens. The 
business was conducted by Mills & Ste- 
phens about two years, and upon the re- 
tirement of Stephens, in 1867 or there- 
abouts. Mills continued the business alone 
until 1869, when he sold the hardware de- 
partment to Theodore Perkins, retaining 
the tin shop. In February of 1870 he 
formed a copartnership with I'". D. .Smith. 
under the firm name of Theodore Perkins & 
Co., and the tinware business was again in- 
cluded. \V. S. Newkirk succeeded Perkins in 
1871, and Newkirk & Smith conducted the 
business until 1 875, when the present copart- 
nership of Smith & Kingsburj- was formed. 

H. M. Kellogg began the hardware bus- 
iness in 1876 with Frank Place, and pur- 
chased his partner's interest in 1879. He 
was entirely burned out in the disa.strous fire 
which destroyed the Garrison block on the 
20th of February. 1 884. He is now estab- 
lished at No. 28 Xorth Main street. 

Xelson & Call are engaged chiefly in the 
sale of carriage makers' supplies at 19 S. 
Main street. 

Boots and Shoes. — In the Cortland 
Journal of 1824 we find Xorman Curtis 
advertising the boot and shoe making bus- 
iness, at his shop a few rods east of Lyman 
& Blair's store. He kept on hand a good 



3o8 



History of Cortland County. 



assortment of Icatlur and statctl tliat liis 
work was all made b\- the good old fash- 
ioned method of sewin<j. John Bemcnt 
was also a shoemaker at that period 
and was located oi)posite the Methodist 
chapel. It is not probable that the.se men 
were the first shoemakers in the place, 
t]ioun;h the\- ma_\- have been ; but we ha\e 
no earlier records. Wm. Elder and Wm. 
Fisk were long engaged in the business at 
a later date, on the site of Dickinson & Mc- 
Graw's store. The latter L;cntlcman was 
bought out by Dickinson & McGraw in 
1864, since which time they have carried 
on a successful trade at the same location. 

As far back as the year 1861 C. Van Als- 
tine began shoemaking in Cortland in a 
small building then standing on the grounds 
of the Schermerhorn residence on South 
Main street. A few years later this building 
was removed to the rear of the lot and Mr. 
Van Alstine went into the old Lyman build- 
ing for two years when he engaged in the liv- 
ery business. In 1 869 he formed a partner- 
ship with Henry Furdy and in 1873 removed 
to the Calvert block and began a wholesale 
and retail business in boots and shoes. 
Mr. Purdy died in 1874 and the stock was 
closed out, but Mr. Van Alstine again en- 
gaged in the business in 1875, in the Cal- 
vert block. PVom 1876 to 1878 he occu- 
pied the old wooden building that stood on 
the site of the Schermerhorn block and then 
went into the building recently burned, on 
the corner of Main and Court streets. He 
remained here until 1880, when he took his 
present store in the De.xter Hou.se block. 

A. R. & Jay Peck began the business in 
1883 and have a handsome store at No. 21 
-South Main street. 

Sackett L. Wright began the shoe trade 
in 1875 'ind still continues a successful bus- 
iness. 

Jewelers. — An account of the liassett 
family, who were the first jewelers in the 



\-illage, has already been given. The next 
workmen and dealers in this line, as far as 
we have been able to learn, was the firm of 
Boon & Ormsby, located two doors south 
of the Eagle Ta\'ern, whose business was 
transferred in August, 1834 to G. K. Stiles. 
Many people now living in Cortland will 
remember the building of the small wooden 
store now occupied by M. Michelson, some 
j forty years ago, in which Mr. Stiles carried 
I on his business more than twentx- years. 
Mr. Stiles remo\-ed to Brooklyn about the 
}-ear 1859 and a few years ago committed 
suicide by jumping into the East river. 

M. Michelson began the business here in 
1862 and has continued it ever since. De- 
los Sanders opened a jewelrj' store a num- 
ber of years ago and in 1882 sold out to J. 
B. Capron. He in tiu-ii transferred the bus- 
iness to C. W. l^arney in August, 1883. He 
is now located in a part of A. Mahan's store. 

C. E. Baldwin & Co. began the jewelry 
trade at 22 North Main street in May, 1882. 
In Januar)-, 1S84, Mr. Baldwin bought out 
his partner and has since conducted the 
business alone. 

J. C. Gray came to Cortland and estab- 
lished himself in this business in the year 
I 872 which he has successfully followed ever 
since. He is located at 5 North Main 
street. 

Ready-made Clothing. — The methods 
of clothing the masses of the people have 
undergone raelical changes within the past 
twenty years, and the consecjuent growth 
(>f the ready-made clothing business is one 
of the niar\-els of American trade. The first 
store in Cortland for the exclusive sale of 
clothing was that of Kent & Sperry, which 
was opened in the Messenger House block 
nearly twent)' years ago. The establish- 
ment was purchased by the Burdick Broth- 
ers in 1878 and sold by them to Reid & 
Wallace in j88i. In March, 1883, the firm 
became \\. M. Reid & Co., and in October 



Town of Cortlandville. 



309 



of the same year F. W. Collins became a 
member. This continued until April, 1884, 
when Collins bought out his partner and 
now conducts business alone. His store is 
located at 8 North Main street. 

The other clothing houses of the village 
are F. N. Harrington & Co., who has suc- 
cessfully conducted the business for a num- 1 
ber of years; I. Whiteson, 20 North Main 
street, who began in 1882, and A. Rosen- 
baum, 30 North Main street, who began in 
1883. Samuel S. Woodruff and John Mor- 
ris are tailors, both of whom ha\e had long 
and honorable business careers in the vil- 
lage. 

House Furnishing. — In the year i860 
the firm of Garrison & Collins was formed, 
for carrying on the grocer\- trade. Mr. 
Garrison had been in the business for some 
)-ears previous, and when Mr. Collins en- 
tered the firm, crocker\' and some other 
house furnishing lines were added. The firm 
continued together four years, when it was 
dissolved, Mr. Collins continuing the busi- 
ness and gradually going out of the gro- 
cery trade, to make wa\- for his present 
large house furnishing business. This is the 
only store of the kind in the place. 

Grocers. — The limits of our space will 
not permit of a detailed history of all the 
establishments that have sold groceries in 
the village ; their number is legion. One 
of the earliest dealers of whom we find 
mention was Homer Gillett, an estimable 
citizen, who was in trade before 1829. Hor- 
ace Jarvis was a grocer here for many years 
and afterward held the office of postmaster 
for over seventeen years ; he was a citizen 
who was respected by the entire commu- 
nity. In those days and for years after- 
ward all of the merchants in the place aided 
in supplying the tables of the communit\-, 
and exclusive grocers did not exist until 
long afterward. 

I. M. Seaman came to Cortland from 



Madison county in 1840 and began business 
in 1843; he ^^'3S afterward associated with 
L. Cudworth (Cudworth & Seaman) until 
1 846 ; they had a grocery and meat market, 
the only one of the kind in the village. This 
firm was succeeded by B. K. Aldrich, G. N. 
Copeland and D. C. Cloyes. The latter 
came to Cortland from Oneida county in 
1852, bought out Mr. Copeland and con- 
tinued the business until 1878. He was 
succeeded by W. B. Stoppard, who now 
conducts the store. 

The grocery now occupied by C. H. Price 
& Co. was for sixteen years used by Dan- 
iel Bradford, who for many years before was 
located where W'm. Riley now is. Mr. Brad- 
ford was succeeded by A. C. Carr and he by 
the present firm. 

L. D. Garrison has already been men- 
tioned as having been associated with C. W, 
Collins. The grocery firm of L. D. Garri- 
son & Co was located in the Garrison block 
until it was burned in Feb., 1884. C. H. 
Gaylord began business in December, 1880, 
I succeeding Geo. Williams. C. F. Thomp- 
l son opened the business in 1875, and the 
Sherwood Brothers also began in the same 
j^ear, succeeding Miller & Sherwood. R. 
S. Randall & Co. began in October, 1880, 
succeeding Smith & Meyers, and W. H. 
Bradford in 1882, occupied the store form- 
erly used by John and George Bennett. The 
firm of E. F. Squires & Co. is composed of 
E. ¥. & James S. Squires, the former having 
pre\iousl\- been associated with C. W. Sto- 
ker in the same business. They are located 
at 23 South Main street. H. B. Hubbard 
has a store at 24 South Main street, and is 
the successor of Givens & Hubbard. These 
are the principal firms in the \-illage in this 
line of trade. 

Photography. — Cortland village has 
been for man)' years favored with photo- 
graphic artists of excellent capabilities, the 
first of whom we find mention being Prof 



310 



History of Cortland County. 



Beck, who for a long period had a gallery 
in Homer. He established one in Cortland 
in 1852. The business is now well repre- 
sented by IC. M. Santee, who succeeded 
Page & Santee, and is a first-class artist. 

Bakers. — The first brick baker's oven 
built in this \illage was by Benjamin & Ban- 
croft, in 1845 ; but they were too early to 
find a sufficient demand for their goods and 
closed out in about a year. The Cortland 
steam bakery was established in 1873 by 
F2ggleston & Cobb, who put in steam power 
in 1875. About this time Mr. Eggleston 
retired and the firm became Cobb & Per- 
kins. In January, 1881, the confectionery 
business of L. D. Garrison was purchased 
and the works largely extended, until now 
it is one of the important business houses 
of the village. 

Hotels. — Readers have already become 
more or less familiar with the early hotels 
of Cortland and their proprietors. The first 
one was established by Samuel Ingalls in 
1810 and was long a popular house. Moses 
Hopkins, the leading pioneer, was the sec- 
ond landlord, his house standing where the 
Taylor Hall block is now located. Then 
followed the tavern built at Port Watson by 
the company of eastern men who believed 
that was to be the site of the future village 
and cit\-. About the year 18 1 8 Nathan 
Luce built the tavern that first stood on the 
site of the Messenger House and which was 
afterwards enlarged and known for many 
years as the popular Eagle Tavern. This 
was burned down in January, 1862, and the 
present hotel erected on its site. Relative 
to the building of this hotel the Hon. Ho- 
ratio Ballard spoke as follows at the dedi- 
cation ceremonies of Messenger (now Tay- 
lor) Hall in February, 1866: "In Janu- 
ary, 1862, the 'Eagle Tavern,' a name cher- 
ished in the memory of thousands of guests, 
was destroyed by fire. It was a calamity 
to our town and a loss to the public. But 



there were agencies at work bej'ond the 

penetration of lumiaii imaginings, which 
more than restored the loss. Just before the 
opening of our railway, a citizen (Hiram J. 
Messengeri then engaged in a limited mer- 
cantile trade in an adjoining town, removed 
to another county and entered upon a large 
field of action. He was successful. In the 
year i860 he returned to this, his native 
county, endowed with a fortune and a pub- 
lic spirit. He was not slow in discovering 
the sure e\'idences of an ad\ancing trade 
centering here. One of the first exhibi- 
tions of his good will and devotion to the 
public interests was his unexpected an- 
nouncement that if the site of the old 
' Eagle ' was tendered to him, he would 
cover it with a hotel not surpassed in cen- 
tral New York. The ofier was accepted 
and rising above the smouldering ashes was 
soon seen the stately pile, alike an orna- 
ment to the town and a boast of the county." 

Such was the origin of the Messenger 
House, which has ever since been kept as a 
first-class hotel. It was long under the ex- 
perienced care of Win. S. Copeland and is 
now conducted by Mr. Barry. 

David Merrick, as has already been re- 
corded, built a hotel just west of the site of 
the Cortland House, in an earl}- day, which 
he kept, and at a later date his son, Dan- 
forth, erected the Cortland House, then one 
of the largest public houses in the vicinitj-, 
and which was burned but a short time ago. 
It passed through several hands until the 
year 1868, when it came into possession of 
D. Bauder, who has kept it since that time. 
He is at this writing engaged in the erection 
of a splendid house on the burned site. 

The old Center House, which stood on 
site of the Arnold House, came into pos- 
session of Enos Stimson about the year 
1840. He sold out to C. J. Etz, of whom 
J. S. Samson purchased it about 1S50. He 
kept it one year as a temperance house and 



Town of Cortlandville. 



311 



sold to Daniel Rose. Following him in the 
proprietorship came Messrs. Winston, Mills, 
Curtis, Samuel Plumb, Cornelius Brown, 
Fairchild and probably others. In 1865 
D. J. Sperry took the propert}-, subse- 
quently taking in as a partner his son-in-law, 
W. F. Burdick. The_\- rebuilt the house in 
its present form in 1870. It next passed 
into possession of K. F. lUitterfield, who 
sold it to Arnold & Carr in 1881. 

The building of the Dexter House by L. 
Dexter in 1866 has already been men- i 
tioned. He kept a popular house, which [ 
is continued at the present time and since 
1881, by S. A. Williams. i 

The F"armer's Piotel is a smaller house, ! 
located on Port Watson street, owned and 1 
kept by Bernard Doud. j 

MC'CR.WVVILLE. ' 

McGrawville is a thrixing village in the I 
town of Cortland\ille, about fi\'e miles to 
the eastward of Cortland \illage, and con- 
tains a population of about 900. It has 
two hotels, three churches, the second 
largest corset manufactory in the Uni-ted 
States, a number of smaller factories, shops, ' 
etc., and is the center of considerable mer- 
cantile and other business. The village re- 
ceived its name in honor of Samuel Mc- 
Graw, who migrated from New Ha\'en, 
Conn., to Cortlandville in 1803 and located 
on lot 87, where he purchased 100 acres. 
In 1809 he removed to McGrawville and 
purchased about 200 acres. Mr. McGraw 
was a native of Plymouth, Vermont, where 
he was born in 1772. He was married to 
Miss Betsey Whitcomb in 1794 in Benning- 
ton, Vt., b)' which marriage he had eleven 
children, three of whom are still li\'ing, and 
the first four of whom, namel)-, William, 
Henry, Betsey, and Hiram, were boiii be- 
fore their parents remo\ed westward. 
Samuel, a younger son, is now a resident 
of Homer village. The children all became 



prominent in the early history of this vil- 
lage. Mr. McGraw died Feb. 6th, 1835. 

When Samuel Mc Graw came to this 
place he built a log cabin, in which he lived 
until 1 81 5, when he there erected a frame 
house. During this same period Simon 
Phelps moved in from the same place and 
located just east of the site of the village. 
During the same year Uncle Asher Graves 
moved in ; also Rufus Graves, Reuben Per- 
sons, Jonathan Taylor and others came to 
the vicinity of McGrawville. Elisha Co- 
burn, a nati\e of Springfield, Mass., came 
in from Oxford and located on lot No. 79, 
in 181 1, one-half mile south of McGraw- 
ville, where he cut timber and built an 
asher\- and for many )-ears manufactured 
"black salts;" his son, Elisha, now lives in 
the village. 

The year 1 8 n is the first date we have 
of Deacon Park Morgan, who was the suc- 
cessful tanner and currier of pioneer times. 
Of the old settlers still living, Daniel A. 
Thompson, a native of Columbia county, 
now 8j years old, came to the place in 1817 
when a young man of twent}- years. He 
has been in the blacksmithing business since 
that time in the village. Lucius Babcock, 
Reuben Doud, Wm. Shearer (the last 
named located where Reuben Shearer now 
lives), were all early settlers of McGrawville 
or its vicinity. William Pike, David Corey, 
Dr. Hiram Brockway, Revs. Peleg R. Kin- 
ney, Joseph R. Johnson, E. B. Fancher, and 
Rensselaer Merrill, an associate of Harry 
McGraw, are all prominent names in the 
history of this section of the town, but came 
upon the field somewhat later than those 
before mentioned. 

Samuel McGraw built the first log house 
in what is now the \illage of McGrawville, 
on the site of the premises now owned 
and occupied by Mason Kinney, and re- 
sided there until the year 181 1, when he 
built a frame structure across the road; 



312 



History of Cortland County. 



this building is not now standing. Henry 
McGiaw, liis son, became the first mer- 
chant in the village. He purchased the 
first goods ever brought to McGrawville of 
Roswcll and Wni. Randall, in Cortland vil- 
lage, and after carting them to his place, 
opened up in his father's old log cabin 
(1818). After trading here for a season 
only he built tiic second store in the place, 
a part of which is now occupied as the post- 
office. This was in the )ear 1822. About 
1835 he sold out to Marcus McGraw and , 
A. V. P. Wilcox. From 1841 to 1843 he 
rented the building to Greenman & Thomp- 
son ; then H. McGraw & Son (P. II. Mc- 
Graw) continued the business until the 
death of the father in 1849, when a com- , 
pany was formed, consisting of P. H. Mc- 
Graw, Deloss McGraw and Lucius Babcock, 
and business was continued from 1 849 to 
1854 under the firm name of P. H. Mc- 
Graw & Co., who had the third largest . 
store in the county. Upon the dissolution 
of the last named firm, P. H. & D. McGraw 
began in the produce business and have 
continued it from that date to the present 
time, trading also extensively in wool, cat- 
tle and general merchandise. 

In the McGrawville Express, Sept. 28th, 
1848, we notice the firm of Kinney & Mc- 
Graw advertising common leghorn hats for 
sale in their store.' McGraw & Green 
wanted 2,000 pounds of honey ; they kept 
staple and fancy dry goods. James San- 
derson, manufacturer of cabinet furniture, 
continued his business at the old stand on 
the P'reetown road. Geo. Pennoyer, at the 
old stand of L. Graves, manufactured car- 
riages. M. M. Webster offered the highest 
price in boots and shoes or leather for 2,000 
cords of hemlock bark, to be delivered at 
his tannery in McGrawville. Kinney & 
Thompson were also heavy advertisers. 

The first special line of groceries was car- 
ried by John B. Lament, who came to the 



place in 1851, and has continued in the 
business ever since. This store is the orig- 
inal horse shed owned by Henry McGraw. 
A Mr. Torrey traded in it a short time be- 
fore Lamont took it. Col. D. S. Lament, 
the well known private secretary of Gov- 
ernor Cleveland, is the son of J. B. Lamont. 

Blackmer & Bingham followed in the 
grocery trade, and after them Albert At- 
kins, who bought in with M. C. Bingham 
in 1872, and since 1875 has been trading 
alone. 

In the general trade of dr)' goods, etc., 
Chas. L. Kinney is the oldest merchant in 
the place. He began in 1844 and has since 
regularly followed the mercantile business. 
M. C. Bingham began in 1868. He suc- 
ceeded E. N. Blackmer and W. H. Tarble. 

The drug trade was probably represented 
in the stock first kept by Hiram McGraw. 
This was transferred in time to C. B. War- 
ren who, in 1866, formed a partnership 
with C. A. Jones under the firm name of 
War.ren & Jones, and who then purchased 
the small stock of J. C. Phelps and con- 
tinued until 1874, when Jones bought 
Warren out and has continued until the 
present time. In 1866 C. A. Jones also 
established himself in the drug trade, and 
still continues it. 

Eli Smith established a hardware busi- 
ness in McGrawville in 1843, dealing in 
copper, tin and sheet iron. Later he put 
in stoves and has of late years made a spe- 
cialty of that branch of business. A. J. 
Sweet carries a large assortment of hard- 
ware and has traded successfully in this line 
for over ten years. 

The furniture business was carried on in 
McGrawville from 1848 to 1852, b\- James 
Sanderson. He was succeeded by A. R. 
Kelsey to 1855 ; Col. Alfred Green, now of 
Cortland, and then R. B. Fletcher took it 
up and since 1864 R. H. Graves has carried 
it on. During the last few years Mr. Graves 




/f^^L.2.^ X^. y^^^ 



3i6 



History of Cortland County. 



Hiram Brockwa)'. He came here in 1832, 
but remained for only one or two years. 
Drs. Charles Kingman, Webster, Potter, 
Wiggins, Hill and Scranton practiced here 
later. Dr. Henrj- C. Hendrick is the oldest 
physician now in the place. He came from 
Willet to McGraw\ille in 1857. He prac- 
tices in the old school and is now in part- 
nership with Dr. Smith, who came 

here some fi%'e years ago. 

This village was incorporated in May, 
1869. Pierce \\'arrcn was the first presi- 
dent; W. H. Tarblc, clerk. On the 19th 
of Janiiar\-, 1869, the first meeting was 
held preparator)' to incorporation. It was 
held in the office of Pierce Warren, and C. 
A. Jones was made clerk, /»-o tcm. ; Thom- 
as B. Chaftee was appointed trustee t<5 fill 
vacancy; Ransom Warren, street commis- 
sioner; Hiram D. Core\-, clerk; Noah H. 
Osborne, pound master. The board voted 
$300 to repair streets and also gave names 
to the streets, the principal one being called 
Main street. The fire department was or- 
ganized at the same time, with R. H. 
Graves as chief engineer ; he was instructed 
to raise a company of not less than thirty 
nor more than fifty men. F"rank Wheelock 
is the present chief engineer. The company 
use a hand engine. 

The present officers of the village are : — 

J. W. Cudworth, president. 

W. J. \'an Auken, clerk. 

A. P. McGraw, R. H. Graves, Lewis 
Warren, Chas. S. Kinne\-, trustees. 

Churches. — The Presbyterian Church of 
McGrawville was organized March ist, 
1833. The meeting was held at the house 
of Lester Graves, under direction of the 
Rev. M. E. Johnson, and Rev. Mr. Fields. 
O. W. Brewster, P. Cravath, Aaron Smith, 
Jonathan Taylor, were elected and ordained 
elders. There were present at the meeting, 
Jonathan and Phoebe Taylor, Aaron Smith 
and his wife Sarah, Dr. Hiram S. Brockwa)-, 



Fidelia Brockway, Lester Graves and Olive 
Graves, Lyman and Eliza Graves, Austin 
Graves, Marcus McGraw, Zenas A. Bryant, 
Polly Graves, Chloe Tracy, Calista Coburn, 
( Mary J. Hicks, Minerva McGraw, Caroline 
H. Allen, Caroline Smith, Arminda Russell, 
James Morey, Lewis Da)'. The Rev. E. B. 
Fancher, the first pastor after the organization 
of the society, remained in charge 27 years; 
he died in 1865, and was the father of the 
present editor of the McGrawville Sentinel. 
Mr. Fancher was succeeded by Rev. W. H. 
Bates, two years; Rev. Geo. Ba\-less, ten 
)'ears; Rev. Chas. S. Coon, ten months; 
Rev. J. G. Blue, the present pastor, came 
in Jul)', 1882. Before the pastorate of Mr. 
Bates the form of the church government 
was changed from Presb)terian to Congre- 
gational, but during his pastorate was again 
changed to its former government. The first 
house of worship was erected in 1833, and at 
inter\-als of twenty-five years has since been 
extensively repaired and improved. The 
ruling elders are now J. Ralston Holmes, 
Deloss McGraw, E. P. F"ancher, H. C. Hen- 
drick, H. D. Corey, Wm. Carr. The 
deacons are John Tanner, Harvey D. Wa- 
ters. The trustees are P. H. McGraw, 
Noah Osborne, H. D. Corey. C. L. Kinne)-, 
G. L. Baker and Wm. Carr. 

The Baptist Church was organized in 
1 83 1 with sixteen members, whose names 
were as follows: Russell Warren and wife, 
Deacon Pierce and wife. Deacon Forshee 
and wife, Israel Palmer and wife, Joshua 
Rogers and wife, Russell Dodge and wife, 
Mr. Greenwood and wife. Elder Dye was 
the first pastor; he remained with the 
church until he lost his voice, a period of 
sixteen years. He was followed by Elders 
Savage, Day, Alfred Bennett, Stone, West- 
cott. Smith and Elder Grant, the present 
preacher, who came in June, 1883. The 
deacons are now Nicholas Starr and Chas. 
Kinne)'. The trustees are W. C. Shuler, 



Town of Cokilandville. 



317 



Chas. Kinney, Arthur Chapin, Ransom 
Warren, Jolm Kenfield and Cornelius For- 
shee. Tile first church edifice was erected 
in 1831; it has since been remodeled and 
impro\cd, the last time in 1865. The 
membership is 150. 

The original meetings held b\' the 
Methodists of McGrawville were in a school- 
house on lands then owned by Wni, 
Shearer, now owned b}' Reuben Shearer, 
his son, and on lot 59. John Lyon and 
wife, his sons William, James and Andrew 
and their wives, Alva Burnham and wife, 
David Short, Drake Se\-mour and wife, 
Mrs. Haskill and one or two others, were 
the original members of this society. In 
1834 the church building was erected in 
McGrawville and thereafter the society 
worshiped there. The church records 
reach back to the year 1843, ^^ which time 
L. E. Weaver was pastor and S. D. Brooks, 
local preacher. The stewards have been 
Jehiel Rose, Rufus Rowe, Stillman Holden, 
Linus Stillman, Wm. Hicks, Wm. Green- 
man and Ransford Palmer. The class 
leaders, Jehiel Rose, Luther Lyon, Alanson 
Houghton, Samuel Thompson, Ransford 
Palmer, Morgan Wolsey. The present 
pastor is W. D. Fox: '^class leaders, J. 
Walker, Lucius Brooks, J. C. Alger. Trus- 
tees, David I. Brownell, jr., Albert Atkins, 
Peter Baljay, P. H. Henry, Helmer Jacobs. 
The church has now_i5i members. 

SOUTH CORTL.VND. 

This is a small hamlet situated about two 
and a half miles southwest of Cortland vil- 
lage. There is but little business done here 
at the present time, although in earl\- da}'s 
the inhabitants in the \icinity entertained 
anticipations that it would be a thri\'ing 
business center. 

In the year 1822 Nathan W. Rowley 
came from Catskill and occupied a tract of 
some four hundred acres of land which he 



had purchased of speculators at his own 
home. He built a large two story house 
and kept a ta\ern in the place until his 
death in 1830. The house burned in 1858. 
He also was the first postmaster in the 
place, retaining the office until his death, 
when it passed into the charge of his son 
Philemon Rowley. His successors were 
Darius Sanders, P'nos Smith, Darius San- 
ders and A. P. Rowley, the present incum- 
bent, who took the office in 1861. 

In 183 I Philemon Rowley built the first 
store in the place. He was born in i 800, 
on the Hudson river and was married when 
24 j-ears old, to Mary S. Curtis, a daugliter 
of Gideon Curtis the pioneer merchant of 
Little York. Mr. Rowle\' came to South 
Cortland in 1826 and bought the place now 
owned by the heirs of Darius Sanders ; the 
latter was a brother of Charles Sanders the 
school book author. Mr. Rowley drew his 
goods from Albanj- for his store, which he 
conducted until the year 1833, when he 
went to Michigan to live. The store was 
then sold to Gilbert Edgcomb, after whose 
management for a time it was abandoned. 
The building was long used as a \yeaver's 
shop b}' David Sanders. There is now no 
store at South Cortland. The second store 
was built by W. Sturtevant in 1832, but it 
was used as such for only a short period. 

In early years there was considerable 
business done here, and the citizens were 
apparently justified in their hopes of its be- 
ing a thriving business center. A news- 
paper was published for a while — the 
Soiitli Cortland Luminary — and Mr. Row- 
ley ran two four-horse stages between Cort- 
land and Owego. Travel was heav\- anil 
the prospects were good for growth. But 
business was finally drawn to other sections 
and the hamlet has passed through the same 
experience of many others, sacrificing itself 
to aid in the growth of others more fortun- 
ately located. 



3>8 



HisTORV OF Cortland Colntv. 



In 1842 a Mr. Footc built a structure 
w licrc he lisL'd and manufactured combs for 
six or eight years. 

The grist-mill was built here in i<S34 or 
1835, by Gilbert lidgcomb, who had also 
a saw-mill on Big brook. In 1865 A. P. 
Rowlc\- bought the grist-mill, which he 
owned until tlie present \-ear, when he sold 
the propert)- to Daniel McNish. The mill 
lias not been run since 1883, and there is 
now none in the immediate vicinity. 

In a newspaper of June, 18 19, we find 
an announcement that Samuel Eaton had 
" commenced burning marl lime for the 
season at his pond 3 miles southwest of 
Cortland village." There are se\eral of 
these marl ponds near South Cortland, 
which have already been alluded to. Thej- 
ha\'e been a source of considerable income 
to their different owners since the first set- 
tlement of this section. 

The first religious society at South Cort- 
land was organized in 1839, when a sub- 
scription paper was circulated for the build- 
ing of a house of worship for the " Chris- 
tians," or Disciples ; the subscriptions were 
as follows: Zera Tanner, $100; Reuben 
Cadwell, $50; Reuben Cadwell, jr., $100; 
Alva Jarvis, $12.50; Richard Crandall, 
$3.50; Asa Wilcox, $5.00; James Swan, 
$15. The church was erected in 1840 and 
IClder Da\'id Wade was the first pastor; he 
remained but two or three years and was 
followed by I'.klers Huzzell and Wm. j. 
Grimes, who was the last regular pastor and 
remained about twelve years, leaving in 
1864. Since then the society has gradually 
declined and now has no organization. 

The Methodists never had a societ\' in 
the place, but some of that denomination 
formed a class and called to their aid min- 
isterial aid at various times. Ezra Rood, 
his son Reuben, Asher Wilco.v, Zina Ford 
and others were prominent in this work. 
The\' ne\'er had a church building here. 



Among the earliest settlers in this portion 
of the town we ma)- mention Wm. Hatfield, 
who came from Herkimer count)' and lo- 
cated on lot 62. lie had for neighbors 
Chaunce)- Jones, who settled where Daniel 
Terr)- now li\es. Timoth)- Allen, who 
located where Thomas Tillinghast lives. 
Christopher Bowman, who located where 
Silas Schermerhorn li\-es. Jabez Calkins 
and Hezekiah Howe. Abel Benedict also 
located at an early day on lot 61, as did 
also Reuben and Ezekiel Wordsworth. Zera 
Tanner came from Otsego county to South 
Cortland in 1832 ; he died in 1861. 

South Cortland and vicinity forms one of 
the best farming districts in the count)', the 
land being level or gently rolling, and the 
inhabitants are many of them well-to-do. 

kludgett's .mills. 

This is a station and hamlet on the D. 
L. & W. railroad, about two and a half 
miles southeast of Cortland village. The 
earliest settler in this vicinity was probably 
Leonard Tisdale, who came from Massachu- 
setts in 1 804, and located on the site now 
occupied by Charles Sprague. 

Ezra Corwin was an earl)- settler, and 
also Samuel McGraw. We have already 
alluded to the fact in the general county 
histor)-, that Nathan Blodgett and Jonathan 
Hubbard, the prominent pioneers, built a 
grist-mill at this point at an earl)- da)'. 
Mr. Blodgett came here in 1805 and pur- 
chased lands where his grandson, Alonzo 
Blodgett now lives. The mills at Blodgett's 
Mills was probably built within the following 
year; at an)- rate, it was very soon after 
his arrival. The two pioneers first put uj) 
a saw-mill and the grist-mill was subse- 
quentl)-, and not long afterward, erected. 
This property was divided in 1834. The 
saw-mill is now- owned by Byron Utley and 
the grist-mill by Philo Moses. 

The first store at this place was built by 



Town of Virgil. 



319 



James Burt about the year 1840, and about 
tlic year 1852 James Tanner built a store 
on tlie cast side of the ri\er, wlicre he did 
business a number of years. He also built 
the house, now used as a hotel b\- A. Skeel, 
in 1863, in which he carried on a shoemak- 
ing business until 1879. Mr. Tanner's son, 
Edgar, owns the store property and carries 
on the business there now. 

Teed & Wallace owned a carding-niill at 
this place man)- years ago, which they op- 



erated a long time, but the dates we have 
been unable tn obtain. It was afterward 
owned by R. P. Tanner who ran it for eight 
\ears when it was burned. 

The first store on the site now owned by 
John Hubbard was built by Nelson Owen. 
He was succeeded in business by James 
Freer; the building was subsequently 
burned. R. P. Tanner then began busi- 
ness on the site and was followed b\- Mr. 
Hubbard, the present occupant. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



HISTORY OF THE TOWX OF VIk(.;n„ 



THI^ townshij) of \'irgil was originall)- 
in the southwestern corner of Cortland 
county, on the southern boundarj- of the 
military tract. It has since been divided, 
the towns of Harford and Lapeer being set 
off from it. The whole of this town did not 
belong to the military tract, as the tract 
called the " Massachusetts ten townships " 
comprehends about one-half mile in width 
across the original south side, leaving, how- 
ever, the town nearly ten miles .square. It 
is situated on the height of land between 
the St. Lawrence and Susquehanna rivers. 
The waters part near Virgil Corners and 
mingle with those of the broad Atlantic 
through the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the 
Chesapeake Bay. The surface is variegated 
with hills and vallej's, watered by numerous 
springs and smaller streams of water. The 
timber is rather heavj-, consists of maple, 
beech, elm, basswood, pine, hemlock and 
cherry. Some of the hills have consider- 
able chestnut and oak, and interspersed 
through the whole is some white ash and 
birch. The soil is quite uniform and better 
adapted to grazing than tillage. The water 
is good, and most parts are remarkably 



well supplied for common purposes; but 
there are no large permanent streams adapt- 
ed to the propelling of mills and machinery. 
The Tioughnioga river runs through the 
northeast part of the town, remote from the 
principal part of the population. 

To facilitate the settlement of this sec- 
tion of the country, a road was projected. 
Connecting O.xford with the Cayuga lake, 
to pass through this town. Joseph Chap- 
lin, the first inhabitant, was entrusted with 
this work. The instrument by which he 
was authorized to engage in it was authen- 
ticated on the 5 th of May, 1792. He spent 
that season in exploring and surveying the 
route, the length, of which is about si.\t\' 
miles. He came to lot No. 50, which he 
owned, and afterwards settled, erected a 
house and prosecuted his work, having a 
woman to keep the house and cook for 
workmen. The work for cutting and clear- 
ing the road was done in 1793—94; so that 
he mo\ed his fimil}' from Oxford over in 
the winter of 1894-95, employing six or 
seven sleighs freighted with famih-, furni- 
ture, provisions, etc. 

Mr. Cliaplin married Mrs. Abigail Mes- 



320 



History of CouTi.ANn County. 



sender, w Im was the mother of Cjiiloon Mes- 
senger, oik- of the pioneers of Virgil Corners, 
and of Nathan Messenger. By her he had 
three sons and four daugliters. 1 lis son Jo- 
seph married a Miss Chatterton and final!)- 
died in the southwestern part of Illinois. 
He was distinguished in the locality where 
he resided as a man of intelligence and in- 
tegrity, was chosen a justice of the ])eace 
and a major in tiie militia, and was famil- 
iarly known, on that account, as " Major 
Chaplin." His famil)- were Harriet, who 
married a Mr. Patten and removed to Illi- 
nois, where she died ; Joseph, who was last 
heard of in Pennsylvania ; Aaron, now liv- 
ing in Jessop, Iowa ; Pollw who married a 
Mr. Cook and lives in Cazenovia ; (iideon, 
who died in Iowa ; Cornelius, who married 
a daughter of Sylvester Crain, of Virgil, 
removed to Stockton, Cal., where he died 
P""eb. 22d, 1874; Sylvester, now li\-ing in 
Harford, this county ; Catharine, who mar- 
ried one of the Shevalier faniih-, of Virgil, 
and now lives at Macomb, 111 ; and Jacob, 
now living at Union, Storey Co., Iowa. 
Daniel Chaplin, the second son of the orig- 
inal Joseph, had a faniil\-, but we ha\'e not 
found a record of it. 

Benjamin Franklin, the third^ son, was 
father of George A. Chaplin, who now lives 
in Marathon, and of Walter I,., who lives 
at Messengerville. The daughters were 
Sally, Ruth, Marietta and Isabella, two of 
whom are still living. Such is a brief rec- 
ord of the descendants of tlie first settlers 
of Virgil. 

In 1794 John M. I*" rank, who had a pat- 
ent for lot No. 43, came to ascertain its lo- 
cation and condition. He came along lots 
by marked trees, taking the present south 
line of the town, upon which his lot was 
bounded, made his discoveries and returned. 

The next year he came, made a begin- 
ning in the forest, erected a house, returned 
to his family and made preparations to 



move on. lie came from Montgomery to 
Cooperstow n, then down the Susquehanna 
to Chenango Point, thence up the Chenan- 
go and Tioughnioga rivers to Chaplin's, 
thence on the State road to a point near 
where the village now is, thence southerly, 
and so on over tlie hill to near where Mr. 
Hotchkiss now lives, and then to the build- 
ing he had elected. Tliey arrived in No- 
\'ember, 1795, after a journey of six weeks, 
and from that time till spring saw none but 
their own famil\-. The man whom he had 
employed to move them in brought the. 
famil)-, and Mr. Frank came out on foot 
and drove seven head of cattle and six 
sheep. The sheep went away a little from 
the house a few days after their arrival, got 
out of sight and were never heard of after, 
and it was supposed that the wolves took 
them The cattle were wintered on browse, 
and all lived except one )-earling. Samuel 
Marvin, who moved the famil\-, agreed fur- 
ther that he would clear two acres and fur- 
nish tlie family with provisions for one 
year for three hundred acres off the east 
side of the lot, which agreements were mu- 
tualh- fulfilled. It is well to understand, 
that, though the patents were for the whole 
scjuare mile, yet the State reserved to itself 
the right to retain one hundred acres in the 
southeast corner of each lot, and give an 
equal amount in Ohio, unless the person to 
receive the patent should give notice of his 
w isli to ha\e his land together; also charged 
the patentee eight dollars for surveying, and 
in default of payment, reserved fifty acres 
in one corner, called " the survey fifty acres." 
Mr. h'rank ga\e notice and saved the one 
hundred acres, but could not raise the eight 
dollars to save the fifty, though he oftcrcd 
;i cow for the mone\-, and also proposed to 
mortgage the whole lot in security ; conse- 
quently the fifty acres were alienated, and 
constituted the farm now owned by George 
P. Dann. 



Town of Vikgil. 



321 



The next inhabitant was John Gee, also 
a soldier of the Revolution. He drew lot 
No 21, bounded west b>- the town of Dr}-- 
den. He came in 1795, and two others with 
him, bringing their provisions with them 
on foot from Chenango Point, and built 
such a house as three men could, with only 
an axe, without a board, a nail or a pane of 
glass, and returned. He moved his family 
the ne.xt year from Wj'oming, arriving on 
the 7th of June. The family consisted of 
his father and mother, his wife and six chil- 
dren, to live in a building about sixteen 
feet b\- tweh'e.i 

With Mr. Gee the neighbors were : J. 
Chaplin, at the river, about twelve miles 
by the road, J. M. Frank, four miles with- 
out road, and Ebenezer Brown, twelve miles 
west in Milton (now Lansing). The near- 
est grist-mill was at Chenango l^oint, now 
Binghamton, and no store even there. His 
flour was brought up in a canoe to Chap- 
lin's, and generally from there on foot. In 
1798 Ludlow's mill was built at Ludlow- 
ville, which was a convenience to him and 
the very few others who had then settled 
in town. 

In the spring of 1797 John E. Roe came 
on from Ulster county, and made a begin- 

l.'Ml the ."itructuies for inhabitants were made rude. Gen- 
erally they were small, built up of logs, with a floor of 
plank split from basswood logs, door of the same, hung 
with wooden hinges, and the roof of bark peeled from 
elm or basswood, without chimney or glass window. 
This was the case with nearly all constructed previous to 
1801, when the first saw-mill was built. And I may also 
proceed to say in this place, that the farming utensils, 
household furniture, and all such necessaries and con- 
veniences of life, were rude and clumsy. The bedsteads 
were not French, but American, consisting of four posts 
of round limber, with holes bored to rccei\e the end and 
side rails, and bark drawn across instead of cords. The 
young children, of which the number was considerable 
in proportion to the population, were soothed to rest in 
sap-troughs and hollow logs for cradles. It was the lot 
of your speaker to enjoy the latter, vibrating on the 
plank floor before described; trenchers or wooden plates 
were, in many instances, used instead of earthen, etc. — 
Nathan Bouton's Historical I'amphlet. 



ning on his lot (the same afterwards occu- 
pied by himself and family, the site of his 
house now being occupied by Asa Price), 
; boarding with Mr. F"rank. He cleared a 
i spot, put up the body of a log-house, split 
plank and laid a floor, peeled bark for a 
roof and agreed with a man in Homer to 
put it on. He also cut and cured some of 
the wild grass growing in the swamp for 
hay, and returned. Preparations were then 
made for moving on, which was done in 
the winter following. He and his wife came 
in a sleigh with a young cow following 
them. When they came to the river oppo- 
site Mr. Chaplin's they found the water high 
and the canoe that had been used in cross- 
ing carried away. Mr. Chaplin's hog- 
trough was procured and Mrs. Roc was 
safely carried over in it. She then stood 
upon the bank to await the crossing of 
what remained. The horses being urged 
in, swam across with the sleigh, the cow fol- 
lowed, and came near being carried away by 
the current, but after a hard struggle made 
the shore in safety. They put up for the 
night, the horses being fastened to the 
sleigh, as no accommodations could be pro- 
cured ; and the\- ate from the bottoms of 
the chairs, to allay the keen demands of 
appetite. The snow was two feet deep, with 
no track, and the whole daj- was consumed 
in coming from the river to their new home. 
When they arrived they were surprised to 
find their house without covering, conse- 
quently the snow was as deep in it as out 
of it. Persons of less perseverance would 
have been disheartened. But no time was 
to be lost. The snow was cleared awa)- 
from a portion of the floor, a fire built 
against the logs, some blankets drawn across 
I the beams for a covering, the horses tied 
I in one corner with some of the coarse hay 
before them, and their first and several suc- 
cessive nights were passed. 

John E. Roe and Charlotte Roe were the 



322 



History ok Cortland County. 



parents of five children, who lived to ma- 
ture life. The eldest, Betsey N. Roe, was 
reputed to be the first female child born in 
town. She grew up an intelligent, exem- 
plary woman, early made profession of re- 
ligion, adorning the same b)- a life devoted 
to its interests. She removed to a western 
State, and since has died. 

S. M. Roe, Erastus G. Roe and Philip T. 
Roe were the other children of John E. 
Roe. Their history was common in that 
they had only the advantages of the com- 
mon school. All made profession of re- 
ligion and became officers in the respective 
churches where thej' became located, sever- 
al of which were weak and required much 
of their labor to sustain them. The eldest, 
S. M. Roe, was deacon in the Congrega- 
tional Church in Virgil. Afterwards he re- 
moved to Cortland, where he engaged in 
the butter trade. He was an elder in the 
Presbyterian Church there seventeen j^ears. 
John M. was a leading and efficient mem- 
ber and officer in the Presbyterian Church 
in Marathon. Erastus G. Roe returned to 
Fulton county. 

Thus in February, 1798, there were four 
families in the town, separated by long dis- 
tances from each other, almost without 
roads, suffering in many respects for the 
necessaries of life, exposed in their property 
and persons to the ravages of wild beasts, 
and far from sympathizing friends. But 
the dark, howling wilderness must be 
changed to fruitful fields, and these were 
the pioneers to lead on to this great work. 
Wild beasts were very numerous, especially 
deer. Mr. Roe related that he had sat in 
his house and seen twenty-five pass in a 
drove. There were also many wolves and 
bears, and Mr. Roe and Captain Knapp 
caught and killed fifteen wolves in one 
year; and during the time when they were 
prevalent, Mr. Roe lost by them fifteen 
head of cattle and a large number of sheep. 



Their ravages were general, and subjected 
the inhabitants to- the necessity of folding 
their sheep every night for about fifteen 
years. 

For a series of )cars the settlers suffered 
great hardships and privations, but they 
gradually diminished, so that in 1809 or 
'10 most of the necessaries of life were ac- 
cessible to the mass of the people. 

To the number above alluded to as hav- 
ing settled here in 1798 may be added 
James Wright, who located where Thomas 
Stanbro now lives; James Knapp, who set- 
tled where M. B. Mynard so long resided, 
on the corner opposite the " West Meeting- 
house;" James and John Glenny located 
just south of what was known as " Frog 
Huddle," and near the residences afterward 
occupied by H. P. Jones and Thomas Ham- 
montl ; Joseph Bailey settled w here William 
Givens afterward lived, on lot 11, and Wait 
Ball where Chas. Miller now lives. 

In February, 1799, Finos Bouton came 
into the town and settled where Plmory Gee 
now lives, on lot 41. He reared a family 
of five sons and eight daughters. The sons 
are all dead except John, who now lives at 
Virgil Corners. One of his sons was San- 
ford Bouton, who became a prominent cit- 
izen and held the office of justice for many 
}'ears and was also county poormaster for 
a long period. Three of the daughters of 
Enos Bouton are still living. Dana Miles 
also came in that year, and others who are 
not now known, so that the number who 
were ta.xed with highway labor in that year 
was twenty three. 

In 1 800 James Wright settled near where 
Punter.son West now lives. John Calvert 
near where N. Chamberlain afterward lived. 
Seth Larabee located near where James 
Oaks now lives. John Ellis settled where 
Jay Terpening lives, on lot 23. Moses 
Rice located where George Luce now lives. 
Abial Brow n where Abijah Haight after- 



Town of Virgil. 



323 



ward lived, in the "Gee District." Moses 
Stevens where Barnabas Tyler afterward 
lived, the property now being owned by 
T. Lormor, on lot 41. 

Some of the more prominent of those 
who came in the town and settled in 1801 
were Daniel Edwards, who located on lot 
^^, where William Glenny subsequently 
lived ; Nathaniel Bouton settled on lot 42, 
where he resided during his life. He was 
the father of the late Nathan Bouton, who 
may be called the historian of the town ; 
and of Joseph Bouton. He was a promi- 
nent and enterprising citizen. His son, 
Nathan Bouton, was born in Virgil in July, 
1802. Although his opportunities for ob- 
taining an education were not very favor- 
able, he learned readily, especially in math- 
ematics, and his father therefore resolved to 
make a surveyor of him. He began this 
study in 18 16 in Genoa. He obtained his 
instruments in 1823 and for forty-four 
years after continued to practice the 
profession in many of the towns of the 
county. He became a school teacher at 
the age of eighteen, and continued in that 
honorable work at different times for many 
years. He was a Member of Assembly in 
1857, and was a member of the Board of 
Supervisors at a later date. He was a dea- 
con of the Presbyterian Church for many 
years, and was always an uncompromising 
supporter of the temperance cause. One 
of his sons, Lewis H. Bouton, is a promi- 
nent attorney in Cortland village _ and a 
justice of the peace. 

Prince Freeman also settled in the town, 
on lot ]i^, where Samuel N. Rounds now 
lives ; and James Clark and his son where 
Wm. Terpening now lives, on lot 14. 

Jonathan Edwards came in and settled 
in 1802 on the farm now owned by Na- 
thaniel Lewis, near West's mill. He sub- 
sequently removed to the Corners and lived 
in the house now occupied by Dr. Tripp. 



He had two sons, Rufus and William, and 
three daughters, one of whom in after life 
became insane and killed her father. Rufus 
and William Edwards were among the early 
merchants at Virgil Corners, in the store 
that stood on the site now occupied by W. 
A. Holton. Rufus Edwards became a 
prominent citizen of Virgil Corners, and 
was one of the count}' judges. He now 
lives in Cortland village. Samuel Carson 
settled in this year near where Joseph Bou- 
ton afterward lived. George Wigant lo- 
cated in the house on the premises now 
occupied by George Hicks. Abner and 
Ezra Bruce settled near where Jay Terpen- 
ing lives. William Lincoln located on the 
hill southwest of the village, where Nehe- 
miah Sherman now resides. 

In 1803 Moses Olmstead located on the 
premises now occupied by Mrs. Horace 
Robinson, lot 23. Peter Powers and John I. 
Gee settled in the western part of the town, 
and Andrew Van Buskirk in the eastern 
part. 

In 1 804 Silas Lincoln settled where Sal- 
mon Curtis now lives, on lot 23. Alexan- 
der McNitt took the place of James Wright 
on lot 3, and Obadiah Glazier located near 
where James Colwell now lives, lot 24. 
Jeremiah Shevalier also located in the 
eastern part of the town, near where his son 
John afterward lived. 

The town was now becoming settled in 
nearly all of its different sections, but of 
course the rude dwelhngs were still a long 
distance apart. In 1 805 Simeon Luce set- 
tled on the hill that bears his name (now in 
the town of Lapeer) ; one of his daughters, 
Susan, became the wife of John Sheerar, 
one of the prominent farmers of the town. 
Isaac Barton located on the farm afterwards 
owned by Isaac B. Raymond, between \'ir- 
gil Corners and Cortland. Jotham Glazier 
settled where L. B. Ball now lives. Zophar 
Moore settled on the site of the "Corners," 



324 



lIlSIOKV OK COKTI.AN'I) COUNTV. 



and was the first postmaiter here. Oliver 
Ball located where M. H. M_\nard lonj^ lived, 
giving his name to the school-house which 
was built at the four corners there. Isaac 
Klwell settled a little north of Mr. Ball's 
and near the present residence of Jesse 
Trapp. Comfort Bruce, Shubel S. Marsh 
and James Monroe where located in the 
town as early as the year under consider- 
ation, but the exact dates of their arrival 
are not now known. 

In 1806 John Hill settled on lot 41, and 
Inlm Snider on the hill which has ever 
since borne his name. 

John T\-ler, father of Jeremiah rj'ler, 
who now li\-es at Virgil Corners, settled on 
lot ^T,, a little south of Virgil Corners, in 
1 8 10, where Gordon Tyler now lives. 
This farm has been in possession of the 
family ever since. John Tyler had ten 
children, five of whom were boys; of these 
latter, Jeremiah is the only one now living. 

It is manifest!)' impossible to follow the 
settlements in the town from this time on 
in detail, and we must content oursehes 
with a mention of some who in different 
wa\'s became well known as officials, bus- 
iness men, or through the influence they 
wielded upon the general welfare of the 
town. Many of these will receive attention | 
in our notice of the business and manufac- i 
taring interests of the professions. [ 

Isaac Bloomer came into town from Del- j 
aware county in February, 18 15, and set- I 
tied on the State road east of the village, I 
where he died in 1854. His son now lives 
near and owns the same farm on which his 
father settled. Isaac Spencer settled before 
181 5 on the farm now occupied by his son 
Isaac. He had four sons, Nathan, Isaac, 
Jairah and Harvey. The first named lives 
on the State road about two miles east of 
the village. Joseph Reynolds settled in 
town in 1808, was one of the earliest mer- 
chants, held the office of justice, was Mem- 



ber of Assembl}' in 1S19, county judge. 
Member of Congress and a brigadier- gen- 
eral of the militia. Much of his life was 
spent in Cortland. Gideon Messenger was 
an earl}- settler, and a step-son of Joseph 
Chaplin, tlie pioneer. Mr. Messenger used 
to state that he had been through on the 
State road from Chaplin's on the Tiough- 
nioga tt) the Ca\-uga lake when there was 
not a house in the entire distance. Mr. 
Messenger became prominent and was a 
supervisor of the town. Reuben Gridley, 
one of the foremost pioneers in the eastern 
part of the town, from whom " Gridley 
Hollow " was named, and who was the 
cause of the State road being opened 
through that section, was long a respected 
citizen. He removed to Michigan. John 
T\ier settled in the town in 1806, and 
although his residence during much of his 
life has been over the line in the town of 
Dryden, he has always identified himself 
with the interests of Virgil. He is still liv- 
ing with faculties but little impaired. He 
has alwavs been one ot the pillars of the 
Free-will Baptist Church in the western 
part of the tnwn. 

Ur. Green and Eli Johnson settled in the 
town about the year 18 13, on the next 
farm west of that owned by Isaac Bloomer, 
now owned b\' W'm. Barr_\-. John Giles 
was an early settler and lived where Sam- 
uel Sager now resides. Wm. Bell also 
came to the town earl\- and has carried on 
the blacksmith shoj) two miles east of the 
\illage for more than fift\- \ears. A man 
named Blaisdell was one of the first settlers 
in the \icinit)' of Messengerville, where he 
built one of the first saw-mills in the town, 
probably as early as 1805. Abram Smith 
settled early on the hill north of Gridley 
Hollow. He was the father of Nathan 
Smith, now of Cortland, and grandfather of 
Abram P. Smith, the prominent attorney 
and for several years county judge, now 



Town of Virgil. 



325 



living in Cortland village. Thoma.s Ryan 
settled in earl)- times on the hill near Mr. 
Smith's ; also Christopher Rorabacher, 
Samuel Woodward and John Woodward, 
and Stephen Benton, who reared a family 
whose names arc conspicuous in the his- 
tory of the town. 

But we cannot trace the settlers of the 
town farther in this . connection ; many 
others will appear farther on, and many 
who are doubtless worthy of recognition, 
as having taken honorable part in the set- 
tlement, clearing and general advancement 
of the communities where their li\'es were 
spent, may necessarih- be left to future pub- 
lications. 

Quoting from Mr. Bouton's pamphlet we 
learn that " the early inhabitants did not 
settle on prairie, where they could raise 
their provisions the first year, but the heavy 
forest must be cleared awa\ , which was a 
work of time, before the laborer could be 
fed from the soil he cultivated ; and must 
wait a \-ear or two more before he had grass 
for his cows, and the}' must run in the 
woods, and much time be spent in finding 
them and bringing them home. And fre- 
quently they could not be found, especially 
if the search were commenced late, when 
they would have lain down and the tinkling 
of the bell could no more be heard. The 
milk was also of inferior quality, owing to 
the leeks and other weeds upon which they 
fed. Money was very scarce through the 
country, and particularl)- in the new parts 
where there was little to be sold and much 
to be bought. It would be impossible to 
express to the understanding of this, or any 
audience of modern times, the difficulties 
experienced on this account. 

" It was impossible to collect enough in 
the year to pay the taxes. This difficulty 
was ver)- much owing, so far as the older 
parts were concerned, to the embargo which 
was then in force, restricting commerce and 



causing a stagnation in all departments of 
business, and though the newly settled parts 
had not much to sell, they felt severely the 
effect of this state of things. Another diffi- 
culty existing in this town particularly, was 
that land was not owned by the inhabitants, 
but must be paid for from the products of 
the same to add to the capital of rich men 
living at a distance. 

" Another embarrassment was one to 
which allusion was made in the description 
of the natural features of the town, viz. : 
The want of sufficient water power to pro- 
pel mills and machinery, thus taking busi- 
ness away, and while other places were ben- 
efited, this town was the loser. There was, 
however, a commendable degree of enter- 
prise among the people, and the crops were 
for a number of years abundant, compared 
with the area of ground cultivated. 

" Their hardships were also very much 
ameliorated by common participation and 
mutual sympathy. Hospitality prevailed 
and mutual dependence promoted harmony 
and fellow feeling. Thej- met, exchanged 
accounts of their trials, often with much 
humor and pleasantrj-, and cheered each 
other on. If a log cabin was to be raised 
for some new-comer they were all on the 
spot with strong arms and a hearty good 
will." 

When first settled. Homer, Solon, Cincin- 
natus and Virgil were in one town called 
Homer. At the town meeting in 1797 it 
was resolved that the township of Virgil 
shall constitute one highway district. 

In 1798 Virgil was represented and James 
Knapp was chosen assessor, commissioner 
of highways and overseer of highways, and 
returned eight names to be taxed for high- 
wa)' work. The poll tax was three days, 
and the number of days assessed was fifty- 
eight and one-half At the town meeting 
in 1799. held at the house of Moses Hop- 
kins, Virgil was honored with the office of 



326 



History of Cortland County. 



supervisor in the person of James Knapp ; 
Wait Hall was chosen assessor ; John E. 
Roe, overseer of the poor ; Wait Ball, com- 
missioner of highways, and Dana Miles, 
overseer of highways, and returned twenty- 
three names to be taxed. 

Thus this town continued with Homer 
through the year 1804, always having its 
proper proj^ortion of office and privilege. 

The township of Virgil having been set 
off from Homer into a separate town, the 
inhabitants assembled in town meeting, at 
the house of James Knapp, on the 2d day 
of April, 1805, and proceeded to choose 
John I. Gee, moderator ; Gideon Messen- 
ger, town clerk ; Moses Rice, supervisor ; 
Abner Bruce, John Gee nnd Joseph Chap- 
lin, assessors ; John Glenny, George Wig- 
ant and John I. Gee, commissioners of high- 
ways ; Jonathan Edwards and Peter Pow- 
ers, poormasters, and Shubel S. Marsh, con- 
stable and collector. Pathmasters, John 
Gee, Isaac Elwell, Samuel Carson, Jona- 
than Edwards, Comfort Bruce, Alexander 
McNitt, Obadiah Glazier, James Wright, 
Peter Powers, Joseph Chaplin, Elias Thomp- 
son, Peter Gray, Seth Jennings. Moses 
Olmstead and Abial Brown, fence viewers. 

Schools. — The inhabitants of Virgil were 
early awake to the importance of education, 
and were resolved that their children should 
have all the means in their power to pro- 
vide for its acquisition. Accordingly, in 
1 799, the few that were here came together 
and built a school-house a short distance 
easterly from the West Meeting-house. The 
first teacher was Charles Joyce, who taught 
two or three weeks. Ne.xt Rebecca Ball, 
daughter of Wait Ball, taught two summers. 
After her, Abigail, sister of Rebecca, was 
employed one term. The first school near 
the village was taught by Mrs. L. Edwards 
in her own house. Afterwards Moses Rice 
taught in what was known as the Reming- 
ton house in the winter of 1804-5. 



The Legislature had appropriated one lot 
in this town to the support of the Gospel 
and schools, and when the school law took 
effect in 181 3, the rent was added to the 
funds derived from the State, and has since 
been available for this purpose. In that 
year William Powers, Oliver Ball and Gid- 
eon Messenger, school commissioners, di- 
vided the town into seven school districts. 

The first grammar school was taught in 
1819 by Henry J. Hall, in the east part of 
the double log house of John I. Gee, lo- 
cated where T. L. Lincoln, afterward lived. 
This was the first effort of s}-stematic in- 
struction in that science in the town. It 
continued four weeks with thirteen scholars. 
Their names were L. Beebe Ball, Stephen S. 
Powers, James Ball, John M. Roe, John Har- 
ris, Wm. L. Gee, Nathan Bouton, Rufus and 
Harriet Edwards, Lemira Byram, Marietta 
Chaplin and Sally and Lucy Messenger. 

From 1837 to 1845, a school called the 
" Literary Institute " was taught one-half 
of each year by N. Bouton and William E. 
Gee, which was in a good degree success- 
ful. It was afterwards continued about two 
years by A. F. Frye. Other select schools 
have been taught since at different times. 
There was also a select school taught by 
Jesse Storrs in the part now Lapeer, which 
continued several terms. 

There was a great scarcity of reading 
matter in the early settlement. Newspapers 
were scarce and dear ; the usual price $2 
per annum, with less than half the reading 
matter we now have, at double the price. 
To remedy this defect, in part, the inhabi- 
tants set up a library called the " Virgil 
Library," with thirty shares of one dollar 
each, and a very good selection of books 
was procured in about 1807. Another li- 
brary was established about 18 14, with a 
capital of $200, called the " Virgil Union 
Library." Libraries were subsequently es- 
tablished in each school district. , 



Town of Virgil. 



327 



The first Sabbath- school was instituted 
in 1822, in connection with the Congrega- 
tional Church. Since that time the Sab- 
bath-schools have been conducted in the 
different churches and neighborhoods with 
various degrees of success. 

Churches. — The first religious meetings 
were begun in the town in 1802. Prayers 
were offered by I'rince Freeman, of Virgil, 
and James Wood, of Dryden. Moses Rice 
conducted the singing, and sermons were 
read by James Glenny. Since that early 
date religious meetings have been held every 
Sabbath, except in case of some remarkable 
emergency. Before that date there had 
been missionaries in the town, in the per- 
sons of Revs. Williston, Phelps and John- 
son, of the Congregational faith, and Root, 
Whipple and Cole, Baptists. Methodist 
preachers also labored here at intervals at an 
early day, and some meetings were held by 
the Universalists, which were addressed by 
Rev. Archelaus Green, a resident of the 
town. 

The first church society formed was the 
Congregational, on the 28th of February, 
1805, with eight members, under the charge 
of Rev. Seth Williston. Of this church Mr. 
Bouton writes in his reminiscences : — 

" The church was without stated preach- 
ing several years. The)- felt se\'erely their 
destitute condition, which will be seen by 
the following vote passed December 3d, 
1806: 'That the church will see to the sat- 
isfying of Rev. Dr. Darrow for two Sab- 
baths' service a year, at five dollars a Sab- 
bath, to attend on sacramental occasions, 
and also to take the oversight of the church 
for the present.' The church struggled on 
through various difficulties, with preaching 
part of the time, meeting in various places 
where they could, after the ' Center School 
House ' was burnt, in 1818, till this house 
could be used for that purpose. This house 
was put up in 1821, but it was two or three 



years before it was inclosed and made com- 
fortable, and the present seats were not 
built till 1 83 1. Its location, near the bury- 
ing-ground, was found inconvenient, and 
removed to this place in 1834. About two 
hundred and seventy persons have been 
added to the church, and it now embraces 
about seventy resident members. The min- 
isters who have preached statedly to the 
church are Rev. Messrs. Wallace, Hitch- 
cock, Dunning, Robertson, Bliss, Bradford, 
Chaffee, Headley, Walcot, Thacher, Bron- 
son, Bates, Otis, Kinnie, Burgess, Marshall, 
Humphreys, Kneiskcrn, Dunning and Of- 
fen." 

A Baptist church was organized in i 807, 
and was fully organized in 18 13. Meetings 
were held in private houses, with preaching 
by Elder Bennett, of Homer, Powers, Rob- 
inson and others, until about the year 1826, 
when the church organization was dis- 
banded. In June, 1830, it was reorganized 
and the following year the church building 
was erected. It has been repaired and im- 
proved at different times since then. Fol- 
lowing is a list of the pastors as nearly as 
we have been able to obtain them : W'illiam 

Powers, David Robinson, Andrews, 

Clark, Daniel Robinson, 1833: Na- 



than Peck, 1834; Mr. Ainsworth, 1836; 
Albert Cole, 1838; Stephen Jones, 1840; 
Mr. Lyons, 1847; C. D. De Witt, 1849; 
Mr. Ni chols, 1854; Sidney Wilder, 1855; 

George Crosson, 1858; Bctts, 1874; 

Phillips, S. H. Haskell, J. W. Stark- 
weather, S. W. Schoonover, S. P. Way. 

The first Methodist religious services in 
the town were held at the house of Robert 
Keech, on the State road, on the premises 
now occupied by Isaac Bloomer, in the year 
1 807 or 1 808. The services were conducted 
by Rev. Geo. W. Densmore. There were 
but two professors of religion present — the 
wife of Robert Keech and another, name 
not known. Preaching was continued from 



328 



History of Cortland County. 



time to time in private houses till about the 
year 1818, when Israel Reynolds, a local 
preacher, fornied a class on Snider hill. 
. This was continued until 1859, when the 
class was removed to Gridley Hollow and 
a church society organized. The house of 
worship, which had been built as a union 
church by the Universalists and others, was 
purchased and the society has been kept up 
since, as a part of the Virgil charge. In 
1830 and 1 83 1 the Rev. Wm. C. Mason 
was apjxiinted to the X'irgil charge, and 
under his ministrations a vigorous revival 
was experienced and a strong society was 
built up. They erected the house of wor- 
ship in 1 83 1, which was used for several 
years, when it was removed and the pres- 
ent handsome structure erected. The fol- 
lowing preachers have served the charge ; 
the time and order of some of the earlier 
terms cannot now be ascertained, but where 
it is possible the dates of appointment are 

given: W. Mason, 1829; Wood, 1S32; 

Smith ; Densmore ; S. Minier ; Benham ; 
Wadsworth ; W. Woodbury; E. North; 
T. Wire ; W. Fo.x ; W. Wyatt ; L. Tryon ; 
I. Wilcox; J. Jameson; S. Brown, 1843; 
S. Minier, 1844; C. W. Harris, 1845; ^■ 
Worthing and A. Hamilton, 1847 ! J- Hew- 
itt, 1848; O. L. Torrey, 1850; H. Ercan- 
brack, 1852; Z. Barnes, 1853; Abijah 
Brown, 1855 ; LB. Hyde, 1857; K- House, 
1858; G. Howland, i860; A. F. Brown, 
1863 ; O. N. Hinman, 1866; O. L. Torrey, 
1868; W. Bunnell, 1869; S. Luce, 1870; 
J. Steele, 1873; J. Gutsell, 1876; A. H. 
Shurtleff, 1879; and the present pastor, 
H. W. Williams. 

In the year 1822 a Free-will Baptist 
society was organized in the west part of 
the town, on one of the four corners near 
what was then known as " Ball's School- 
House." Meetings were held in the school- 
house until the year 1838, when the pres- 
ent house of worship was erected. This 



church has, at some periods of its existence, 
been vigorous and well supported, but in 
late years has somewhat declined. There 
is no regular pastor in charge at the pres- 
ent time. 

About the j-ear 1834, according to Mr. 
Bouton, " the Universalists formed a socie- 
ty, which increased to about thirty members, 
and continued their organization and meet- 
ings several years. Among the preachers 
who labored statedl)' with them were Revs. 
Brown, Sanderson, Doolittle, Brown, Fos- 
ter and Bullard." 

Roads. — The first road passing through 
the town, was the " State road." A road 
was slightl}- cut through from near the \'il- 
lage, in the direction of the head of the lake, 
called the " Bridle road." The next was 
one laid from the State road, commencing 
about two miles east of Virgil Corners, 
where Nathan Spencer lives, and taking a 
northeasterly direction till it intersected 
the road from Port Watson to Solon, laid 
Jul)- 2d, 1798. The ne.xt from the State 
road on lot No. 24, southwesterly to near 
where the "West Meeting-house" now is 
and turned and went over the hill to the State 
road again. Soon after a road was laid 
from the State road west of Virgil Corners, 
and continued on to Homer. In 1801 this 
road was altered and run nearly on its 
present line. About the same time a road 
was laid from where the \'illage now is 
southerly over Owego Hill, and the road 
leading from Frank's Corners nearly as it 
now runs, intersecting the road leading to 
the Gee neighborhood at the West Meet- 
ing-house, was laid soon afterwards. The 
road from Cortlandville to Virgil, where it 
now is, was laid in 181 6, and that over 
Luce Hill nearh' at the same time. The 
State road from Chaplin's this way was 
rather rugged, and it early occurred to the 
inhabitants that much of the hill might be 
saved by a road that might be constructed 



Town of Virgil. 



329 



from the State road, passing down the 
stream to Vanderburg's mill, continuing on 
past the saw- mill afterwards owned by 
Kirk, intersecting the State road near the 
house of Joseph Chaplin. This road was 
laid in 18 18 through to the grist-mill. 
This road required much labor and expense 
to make it passable. It was, however, cut 
and worked through, so that it was traveled 
in 1833, and remains a lasting monument 
to the energy and perseverance of Reuben 
Gridley, who was principally instrumental 
in its construction, though aided very much 
b)' funds appropriated by the town. 

Post-Offices. — Previous to 1808 there 
was no post-office in town, and all intelli- 
gence was transmitted by means of distant 
offices, or sent by inidviduals who might be 
going in the direction desired, which was 
attended with much delay and uncertainty. 
In that year a post-office was established, 
and Zophar Moore appointed postmaster, 
and the mail carried for some time b}' a 
man traveling on foot; afterwards it was 
carried on horseback for several }'ears. 
The postmasters at Virgil Corners, as far as 
we have been able to ascertain, ha\e been 
Zophar Moore, since whose administration 
and down to 1 840, w^e have no records. 
In 1840 N. Chamberlain was in the office. 
A. E. Heberd was the next incumbent and 
was followed by Wm. Snyder. W'illard 
Chatterton then took the office: then Mr. 
Heberd again, to be followed by Edwin 
Slafter. Patterson & Graves next had 
charge of the office and gave it up to Sam- 
uel Slafter. He was succeeded by N. R. 
Locke, and he bj^ F.. Winslow in 1865. 
Mr. Winslow has acceptably filled the of- 
fice ever since. 

An office was establisiied in the south- 
west part of the town, in 1825 or '26, first 
named Worthington, afterwards changed to 
Harford, and Theodore E. Hart was ap- 
pointed postmaster. An office was also 



located in the east part, called East Virgil, 
in 1845, ^''"J William Gray appointed post- 
master. John Lewis is the present post- 
master there. 

Militar}-. — Among the early settlers a 
large portion were soldiers of the French 
and Revolutionary Wars. Derosel Gee, 
Thomas Nichols and John Smith were en- ' 
gaged in the French War, so called, of 
1754-63. The following are the names of 
the Revolutionary soldiers who ha\e lived 
in the town: Joseph Bailey, John Gee, 
Seth Larabee, John AI. Frank, Dana Miles, 
James Knapp, James Wright, Nicholas 
Brown, Robert Ryan, John Smith, James 
Sherwood, Enoch Smith, John Snider, 
Thomas Russell, Seth Bouton, George Tot- 
man, Elias Thompson, Epaphras Shelden, 
Silas Lincoln, Jason Crawford, David Rob- 
inson, Altamont Donaldson, Abner Baker, 
Isaac Tillotson, Moses Ste\'ens, George 
Barlow, Simeon Leroy, Jeremiah Chase, 
John Stanbro, Cornelius Lament, Elisha 
Brewer, Thomas Kingsbury, Adam King- 
man, Moses Rice, David Darling, Stephen 
Kell)', Oliver Hopkins, \\'illiam Parker, 
David Crowcll, Robert Smith, Nathan 
Smith, Henry Turck, Nathan Walker, Tim- 
othy Robertson, Samuel Sole, Asa Parker, 
Thomas Nichols, Lemuel Barnes, Joel Mor- 
ten, John Green, Benjamin Glazier, Jon- 
athan Skeel. 

Of these Jeremiah Chase, Simeon Leroy, 
George Totman, Joel Morten, John Gee, 
Elisha Brewer, Cornelius Lamont, John 
Stanbro, Enoch Smith, Thomas Kingsbury, 
and Stephen Kelly, were living in town in 
1840. 

The scenes of the war through which 
they had recently passed were fresh in their 
minds ; and it is not strange that much of 
a military spirit should exist among the 
people. Consequently the call for the per- 
formance of military duty was soon made, 
and the call was responded to by five men. 



330 



History of Cortland County. 



of whom Gideon Messenger was one, going 
to Homer to train under Captain Moses 
Hopldns. Captain I lopkins liad previously 
held lower rank, but had exerted himself to 
get up a company of forty-five, by enlisting 
old men and boys to obviate the necessity 
of going to Marcellus to attend company 
drills. Soon the soldiers of Virgil were 
permitted to train in town, and the first 
meeting for that purpose was held at the 
house of James Knapp, where M. H. My- 
nard afterward lived, under the command 
of Captain John Ellis, afterwards Judge 
Ellis, of Dryden. The captains after him 
were successively Abial Brown, James 
Wright, Geo. Wigant and Joseph Chaplin. 
The company was then divided, and Wil- 
liam Lincoln commanded the cast company, 
and Enoch Allen the west. This was the 
condition of the military interest at the 
commencement of the war of 1812—15. 
Levies of troops were made and the com- 
panies in this town were called on for five 
or six men. In the west company a suffi- 
cient number enlisted ; their names were 
John Russell, Moses Woolfeen, and Henry 
Green. The east company drafted for 
three, and John E. Roe, Daniel Price and 
Ira Lincoln were drawn. John E. Roe 
procured a substitute. Daniel Price went 
and served three months, and Ira Lincoln 
was excused on account of ill health. At 
another muster David Snider was drawn 
and went, serving three montlis, the usual 
time for militia. There have also been li\-- 
ing in the town several others who were 
soldiers in that war. Among these were 
Joel Hancock, Edmund H. Robinson, Jacob 
Bronson, Barnabas Baker, Zachariah Low, 
John D. Barnes, Thomas Foster, Ezekiel 
Miller, Reuben Gridley, Joseph Miller, Jo- 
seph Terwilliger and Edward Griswold. 
There was a company of aged men and in- 
valids organized in 1813, after the example 
set in the time of the Revolution. Of this 



company Simeon West was captain, John 

S. Squires lieutenant, and William Powers 
ensign. 

The town was afterwards divided into 
four companies, out of which there has also 
been for most of the time an independent 
company. A company of riflemen was 
raised in about 1813, of which Joseph Rey- 
nolds was the first captain. This company 
was afterwards disbanded. A company of 
artillery was organized in 1828—29, of 
which Michael Frank was the first captain. 
It continued prosperous for several years, 
but was ultimately disbanded. Afterwards 
a company of infantry was raised, and John 
W. Morse was the first captain in uniform. 
This company was discontinued when mili- 
tary duty ceased to be called for. 

Mills, Machinery, etc. — The first saw- 
mill was built by Daniel Edwards, in 1801, 
nearly on the ground where Murdock's tan- 
nery was located. The first grist-mill was 
built near where the Tyler mill stood, by 
Peter Vanderhn and Nathaniel Knapp, in 
1805. The mill on this site was burned 
some years ago. Hutchings's grist-mill, in 
the edge of Dryden, was built in 1809 — 
mentioned because this town was much in- 
terested in it. Previous to the building of 
mills in Homer and in this town, scv-eral in- 
dividuals practiced going to Ludlow's and 
carrying their grist upon their backs. 
Among these were Joseph Bailey and Enos 
Bouton. After a few years, and when these 
mills were built, persons could go with a 
horse, get grinding done and return the 
same day ; and the yellow horse of Mr. 
Luce has been known to pace off the hill 
six times in a week, for the family and 
neighbors. 

About 1 8 14 or '15 Abner Bruce built a 
grist-mill south of Virgil Corners on the site 
now occupied bj- P. West's mill. It was 
burnt down in 1820, and rebuilt in a year 
or two. In 1827 it was bought by Josiah 



Town of Virgil. 



331 



Byram, and occupied by him for carding 
and cloth dressing till his death, in 1842. 
It was carried on subsequently by S. M. 
Byram, until 1875, when Mr. West took it. 
It has been fitted up at considerable ex- 
pense, and is doing a good business. 

A grist-mill was built at East Virgil in 
1 8 19, by a Mr. Vanderburg, which has 
done considerable business, and is now op- 
erated by E. D. Angell. Harvey Jennings 
also built a grist-mill in the southeast part, 
in 1833, which did some business till it was 
burnt in 1842. 

The first wool carding by machinery was 
done by C. Baker, at his mill (afterward 
Tyler's), in about 1814. In 1819 Henry 
Burgess commenced wool carding and cloth 
dressing near the same place, taking water 
from the same dam. His building was 
afterwards removed to near the place after- 
ward occupied for the same purpose by H. 
P. Jones. 

Early Births, Marriages and Deaths — 
The first child born in town was John, a 
son of Joseph Chaplin, who was drowned 
in the spring of 1798, aged two years. The 
first who lived to mature age was John 
Frank, in autumn, 1797. Next to him was 
James Gee, in March, 1798 ; Betsey N. Roe 
and B. F. Chaplin, in February, 1799, and 
Hiram Ball and Hiram Bouton, in the same 
year. 

The first marriage, as nearly as we can 
ascertain, was solemnized between Ruluff 
Whitney, of Dryden, and Susan, daughter 
of John Glenny, of this town, as earlj- as 
1800. In the autumn of 1801 Truman 
Terry was married to Rebecca, daughter of 
Wait Bali. 

The first death was that of a stranger 
passing through, who undertook to go from 
Ebenezer Brown's, in Milton (now Lans- 
ing), to Chaplin's, at the river. He became 
fatigued, lost his way, lay down with his 
pack under his head and died. This was 



in April, 1798, and only four or five per- 
sons could be got together. They placed 
some timbers about him, for a protection 
from wild beasts, and left him. One of 
their number went to Homer to make the 
case known to Solomon Hubbard, -esq., and 
ask direction. His advice was, that, as 
there was no coroner nearer than Pompey, 
the few inhabitants should get together and 
make such e.xamination as they were able, 
and proceed accordingly. The next day 
they assembled and had as much of an ex- 
amination as was practicable in the circum- 
stances concerning the cause of his decease, 
and it was agreed as before stated. They 
took some boards brought into town by 
John E. Roe, for the purpose of making a 
table, and fastening them together in the 
form of a bo.x, placed him in it and buried 
him in the grave which they had dug; his 
bones lie mouldering somewhere between 
the village and Mr. Sager's, near the hill. 
His son came subsequently, said his father's 
name was Charles Huflrnan, and took some 
shoemaker's tools found with him at his 
death. The first death of an adult resident 
was that of Mary, wife of Derosel Gee, in 
March, 1802. 

Previous to 1806, when the public bury- 
ing ground was deeded to the town by 
George Wigant, persons were buried on the 
premises where they died. The first grave- 
stone was erected to the memory of James 
Roe, esq., in about 1823. It was about 
1808 that the public ground was opened. 
It turned out that its locality was not gen- 
erally satisfactory, and within a few j'ears 
a place was secured for a cemetery, on lands 
formerly owned by Hon. J. Reynolds, and 
where he had buried his dead. A cemetery 
association, or organization, was formed 
according to the law in such case made and 
provided. Additions have been made since 
the first purchase, and it now consists of 
about six acres. 



332 



History of Cortland County. 



The cemetery referred to is not in a ro- 
mantic place, such as is frequent!}- chosen 
for tlie final resting-place of the dead, 
though in portions it is gently undulating, 
easy of access and very ne^it, commodious 
and respectable in appearance, and very 
creditable to the piety, intelligence and re- 
finement of the people of the town and all 
interested as ha\'ing relatives here entomb- 
ed. It was a long time before the public 
mind became thoroughly united on this 
locality, during which other and smaller 
grounds were, of necessity, being filled up. 
In later years families have been collect- 
ing the remains of friends from those scat- 
tered localities where they had been in- 
terred, and depositing them together in a 
family plat here procured for that purpose. 

Temperance Societies. — The first distil- 
lery was erected in 1803 or 1804 by James 
Wright. Intemperance prevailed, as in 
other places, till in 1829 si.\ distilleries were 
in operation. The moral and philanthropic 
in the community became alarmed and in- 
quired with solicitude what could be done 
to stay its ravages. Temperance societies 
began to be formed in difterent parts, and 
the inhabitants of this place, on consulta- 
tion, agreed to meet and form a temperance 
society. The fourth of July, 1829, was 
chosen as the time to organize such society, 
and Michael Frank to give the address, at 
the close of which a society was formed with 
about twent\' members. Beebe L. Ball 
was the first president of that society, and 
while he lived was its firm, judicious and 
ardent supporter. In 1831 a society was 
instituted in that part now Harford ; and 
one on Luce hill, and another on Snider 
hill, about the same time. 

Agricultural Matters. — Agriculture has 
engaged the -attention of most of the people 
of Virgil. They have been employed in 
clearing away the forest and cultivating the 
earth, which has "cncralh- vielded good 



return. The implements used were those 
incident to the time. The plows were of 
the common rude kind till the year 181 7, 
when the first cast-iron plow W'as brought 
in ^nd used by Mr. Ball. Some of the 
first settlers, of whom John M. Frank was 
one, cleaned their grain by throwing it 
across the barn-floor with a small scoop- 
shovel, and afterwards shaking it up in a 
hand fan made of a hollow log, when the 
refuse parts were brushed off with a quill. 
Afterwards a willow fan and riddle were 
used. It was very important that the grain 
should be cleaned, as there were no means 
of taking out dust at the mills as there are 
now. I*"anning-mills soon came to be used; 
the first, however, that is recollected was 
about the year 1 809. Considerable grain 
of the several kinds has been raised in the 
town, and for some years past much atten- 
tion has been given to the dairy, which, in 
1 85 1, brought in a return of $25,000. 
Some of the people in an early da}' directed 
their attention to the cultivation of fruit, 
especially apples. Very soon after his first 
settlement Joseph Chaplin sowed the seeds 
for a nurser}- of natural fruit, and Enos 
Bouton did the same soon after, and most 
of the oldest orchards are from these nurs- 
eries. The first nursery of grafted fruit 
was put out by Nathaniel Bouton, about 
1808, and 01i\'er Ball did the same soon 
after. 

The first barrel of cider made in town was 
b}- Enos Bouton, in 1818 or '[9. The ap- 
ples were bruised b}' a pestle hung to a 
spring sweep like that referred to in pound- 
ing corn. The pomace was pressed by a 
lever placed under a log, passing over the 
cheese, with a weight at the other end. It 
was sold for four dollars. 

The history of the Virgil Agricultiu-al 
Societ}' is gi\'en as follows in the pamphlet 
of Nathan Bouton, already so freely drawn 
upon: " In the count}' of Cortl;ind .m ag- 



Town of Virgil 



333 



ricultural society was early formed, and has 
continued witli \'aried success to the pres- 
ent time. Some individuals from this town 
attended its fairs with profit, but the dis- 
tance was such that few onl}- could be in- 
duced to attend. It occurred ti> a few 
minds that it might be practicable to hold 
a fair in this town, thus bringing the bene- 
fits of the institution home to the people 
here. It is said, I believe, with truth, that 
the two Lincohis, Theron and Wait, were 
the originators of this plan. When spoken 
of, it very soon awakened a great and pre- 
vailing interest on the subject, which re- 
sulted in the formation of the Virgil Agri- 
cultural Society early in 1854. The mem- 
bers were generally inexperienced in the 
matter, and other embarrassments tended 
to retard operations, but the adage ' where 
there is a will there is a way' proved true, 
and though it was a season of drought a suc- 
cessful fair was held, and several agricul- 
tural men from other towns came to wonder 
and admire. The fair was a success. The 
unquenchable ardor and indomitable en- 
thusiasm of a large portion of the people 
prevailed, and creditable fairs were held till 
1863, making the number of ten annual 
fairs. 

" After two or three years it was thought 
best to procure a piece of grouml where 
they might be held in successive years with 
convenience and security. A very suitable 
locality was secured on a lease of )'ears, to 
the amount of four acres, in a square form 
and surrounded with a substantial fence of 
boards set upright, eight to ten feet high, 
and a building of unassuming pretension 
reared in the center for a ' Floral Hall.' 
At first it was impossible to procure suffi- 
cient funds from membership and other 
sources to pay the premiums. At length 
it was proposed that we proceed to make a 
large cheese to awaken more interest in at- 
tendance u]Jon our exhibitions. A cheese 



was made and pressed in a cider-mill, in a 
hoop supported by the tire of a wagon - 
wheel, and afterwards turned by a machine 
of ingenious contrivance, and presented at 
the fair. The interest to see the cheese was 
great, and the premiums of that fiir were 
fully paid. 

"After the cheese became mature it was 
divided among those who had furnished the 
curd, and the aggregate weight was more 
than five hundred pounds. The example 
and success of our fairs awakened an inter- 
est in other towns around ; and other socie- 
ties were formed which had the effect to 
draw from the interest of this, and owing 
to this fact, and also to that of a constant 
current of opposition raised by certain in- 
dividuals who kept up a constant clamor 
against it, charging the administration with 
favoritism, etc. ; and it having had the de- 
sired effect of awakening an all-controlling 
and widely extended spirit of vigilance and 
enterprise on the subject of agriculture and 
kindred employments, it was thought best, 
on consultation, to disband and profit by 
what we had learned, and b\' what we might 
yet learn from other fairs held near us." 

Of those who held the office of president, 
the names are as follows : N. Bouton, S. G. 
Jones, Josephus Gee, C. A. Hotchkiss, J. 
G. T\'ler, Martin Luce and Wait Lincoln. 

The following are the names of those who 
held successively the office of secretary : S. 
G. Jones, C. B. Gleason, W. A. Wood, Or- 
rin C. Dann and A. Mahan, all of whom 
performed the duties of their offices with 
ability and fidelity. 

"The enterprise of the people of Virgil," 
says Mr. Bouton, " was put to a very sig- 
nificant test when the proposition for the 
construction of the Syracuse & Binghamton 
road was made. Though it was to pass 
only through one corner of the tovvn, the 
call was responded to by the payment of 
$11,100 to its stock, as I learned upon in- 



334 



lllSTDRV OF COUTLAND COUNTY. 



quiry of the lamented David Halo. It is 
needless to saj' that this whole anunint was 
lost by those who paid it. This sum was 
paiil with the sknuler hope of ail\;uUai,'e that 
could be entertained under the circum- 
stances, while other towns had the road 
passing them central!)-, where the people 
paid nothinix- Within a few years those 
residing in llic west part have been called 
on, very urgently, to aid in the citnstrnction 
of the Southern Central, passing through 
the hither part of Dryden, and considerable 
sums ha\e been jiaid for that riiad. Both 
these roads have been carried through, but 
neither of them has a station nearer our 
village than six miles, so that the ad\an- 
tages of such roads are not brought very 
near to us. There is, howex-er, one consid- 
eration left for us that is rather gratif\'ing, 
which is, that our town is not bonded for 
railroads or anj- other great object. Our 
town issued bonds for the jiayment of boun- 
ties in the time of the late ci\il war, which 
were felt to be an embarrassment while they 
remained, and an evident feeling of relief 
prevailed when the last of these were re- 
deemed ; anil the)' were brought together 
at a meeting of the auditing board, and 
one of the justices asked aloud, if any one 
had any objection to offer why they should 
not be destroyed ? No one raised an)- 
objection, and they were all placed in 
the stove, and every one seemed to breathe 
easier. 

" Much has been done here in the con- 
struction and support of common roads and 
bridges ; more, probabl)-, than in most 
other towns around, in proportion to space 
and population. The alteration of the 
State road, so called, so as to take most of 
the travel from Snider Hill, so called, 
through Gridley Hollow, has caused a 
great expense, especially to the people in 
the vicinity, and also to the town at large ; 
yet as this road is so located as to avoid 



most of the hills which abound in this por- 
tion of the town, it has been ailheretl to, 
and the consiilerable expense involved in 
sustaining britiges, etc., has been borne 
with as much ([uietude and resignation as 
could be reasonably expected. We now 
assume that the credit of our people, for 
enterprise on the subject of the different 
classes of roads ami bridges, should rank 
as high as that of any other tow n in this 
vicinity, or anywhere else. 

" Several events have transpired that have 
caused great sensation for a time, and made 
a lasting impression on many minds. The 
first was that of a boy lost in the woods. 
In Ma\-, 1796, Daniel Chaplin, son of Jo- 
seph Chaplin, and father of Mrs. Gleason, 
aged about fourteen years, set out to 
drive a cow to Mr. Frank, and took 
with him a few pountls of flour. The cow- 
became refractor)- and turnetl out of the 
road, and in endeavoring to get her back 
he lost the road and wandered in the track- 
less wilderness. The cow returned home, 
thus giving notice that he was lost. An 
alarm was given and about fift\- men as- 
sembled, which was a great number for so 
sparse a population. He was gone four 
days and three nights w-ithout food, and 
was found on the ' Bridge Road,' in Dry- 
den, b)- Aaron and James Knapp, of Ho- 
mer. They ascertained w-ho he was, and 
proceeded to help him home. He had the 
flour with him, but the weather having been 
rain)', it had become mouldy and the)- threw 
it away. He was very faint and weak, but 
being supported on each side he could walk, 
and the)- arrived at his father's house about 
midnight, where his mother had about 
thirt)- men in and about the house, and 
was preparing victuals for them to take in 
their search on the morrow. Mr. Chaplin 
was absent at the time. We shall not make 
the vain attempt to paint the scene caused 
by his arrival. 



Town ok Viroii. 



335 



"The next to be noticed was the great 
eclipse of the sun on the i6lliofJune, I 8o6, 
which, though not pecuhar to this town, 
made a deep impression, and was an event 
from which man)' others have been reck- 
oned. Aiiutlier event wiiich produced gen- 
eral solemnity, was that of a sweeping sick- 
ness, which occurred in the winter and 
spring of 1813. In a very few weeks four 
licads of families in that thin population 
were removed by death. Their names were 
James Roe, esq., Jacob Chatterton, William 
Gee, and Lydia, wife of Benjamin Glazier. 

"The season of 18 16 was very unfruitful, 
■generally denominated the cold season, fol- 
lowed by great scarcity of provisions, etc. 
In 1 82 1 tliere was much suffering on ac- 
count of scarcity of food for stock, and it 
was also a time of great pecuniary embar- 
rassment. In 1836-37 there was also a 
scant supply of provisions and a time of 
derangement in pecuniary matters, resulting 
from the insane speculations immediately 
preceding, in which many engaged with 
that recklessness characteristic of those in 
haste to be rich. It is unnecessary to say 
that these last were events common to the 
whole country, and affecting this town only 
as a constituent part of the same." 

Frequent allusion has been made to the 
division of the town. It had long been evi- 
dent to discriminating minds that this event 
must take place at some time, but the dif- 
ferent interests involved and the condition 
of political parties delayed it till 1846. It 
was then divided into tiirce towns ; the 
north half constituted one and retained the 
original name. The south half was formed 
into two ; the west part receiving the name 
of Harford, and the east that of Lapeer. 
Since that time a part of Virgil has been 
set to Cortlandviilc, and another part con- 
sisting of lot No. 20 has been attached to 
Freetown. Thus Virgil, from being one- 
fouith part of one town in 1796, has become 



the whole of three and a part of two others. 
The population has increased from thirty in 
1798 to 4,541 in 1845, 'I'ltl 2,410 in 1850, 
after the division. Stock taken on the Syra- 
cuse and Binghamton Railroad amounts to 
$1 1,100. Other statistics have been given 
in their proper places. 

It is worthy of note that Nathaniel ]5ou- 
ton, one of the pioneers of Virgil, was the 
projector of the New York and Erie Rail- 
road, and continued to advocate the same 
till an influence was awakened that resulted 
in its construction and completion. He 
conceived the idea of constructing a railroad 
from the city of New York to Lake Erie, 
direct through the then secluded southern 
tier; and in the year 1828 he examined a 
route through sufficiently well to know that 
it was a feasible one, and with the aid of 
Nathan Bouton he prepared and published 
the outlines of his plan in the Cortland Ob- 
server, a paper then issued in Homer vil- 
lage. 

His plan was copied in several periodicals 
along the line of the proposed road ; and 
from that time the subject of a New York 
and Erie Railroad continued to occupy the 
public mind until the grand project was 
completed. The decease of De Witt Clin- 
ton, whose death was announced in the 
same sheet that published Mr. Bouton's 
plan, was a cause of discouragement to 
him, for he had fondly hoped that his favor- 
ite project would receive the approbation 
and aid of that distinguished statesman ; 
but the nucleus was formed, the project 
was originated, and the work advanced. 
Mr. Bouton was anxious that it should be 
a State work ; he argued that it would be 
good policy for the State to engage in it — 
that it would annualU- yield a revenue 
which might be advantageously e.xijended 
for the support of schools. 

A few months previous to the final com- 
pletion of the road its worthy projector died 



336 



History of Corti.and County. 



at his I'csiclcncc in tliis town, where he hail 
lived forty-five years. He had lived to sec 
the place of his adoption transformed from 
a wild anil howlint,' wilderness into a de- 
lightful ami well-cultivated couiitr)-, inhab- 
ited by a moral, intelligent and industrious 
people. He had lived, too, to see the dis- 
tance between his residence and the Atlan- 
tic changed from a dreary journey of two 
weeks into a pleasant ride of only a few 
hours, and this town enjoying all the priv- 
ileges and possessed of all the elements 
which are necessary to promote the happi- 
ness of a people. 

No town in the county has a prouder 
record than \'irgil in the war of the rebel- 
lion. Her sons volunteered to the defense 
of liberty. and her representatives were au- 
thorized to expend her wealth freely in the 
common cause. The following list shows 
the names of those who enlisted in the 
army, and the amount of bounties paid to 
them under the different calls of the presi- 
dent for troops: — 

Calls of October 17th, 1863 and Feb- 
ruary and March, 1864. Amount of bounty 
jiaid $300.00. Total $12,600. — E. F. 
Hovey, Rolland C. Frank, Jared R. La- 
throp, Chester Hillsinger, John Schnotte- 
beck, Melvin \V. Diven, Eugene Johnson, 
Elias Joyner, Peter Conrad, Leander J. 
Webber, Riley E. Simmonds, Francis Has- 
kill, Henry Colligan, Nelson R. Conrad, 
Peter N. Palmeter, Horatio E. Moore, Reu- 
ben Hawley, Silas L. Griswold, Miles H. 
Hutchings, Jaspar Parker, William H. Hop- 
ping, John Summers, Charles H, Spaulding, 
Charles Winney, Henry Wain, Martin L. 
Sweet, Henry A. Dean, Otis Graves, Chas. 
Clark, John Sullivan, James Shields, John 
Stevens, John J. H. Allen, John Corbett, 
Thomas Benson, George Kelly, Ira Pooler, 
James Welch, Harry F. Morris, William 
Stevens, William P. F"erman. 

Call of July iSth, 1864. Amount of 



bount)' paid $1,000. Total, $46,000. Brok- 
erage, $1 , 1 75. — William B. West, James 
Gorman, John Manning, James Cooke, 
Thomas McFarland, William S. De Puy, 
Wilber R. Arnold, James Haskins, Nelson 
R. Mcintosh, C. Bradley Mix, Nathaniel 
M. Parks, Aaron Williams, Loren D. Gillen, 
Charles H. Lang, Andrew Olmstead, Ben- 
jamin Pelham, George R. Price, Seymour 
Skinner, James Shevalier, Hiram G. Con- 
rad, Nathan Sherman, P^verctt H. Jacob- 
son, James L. Thomas, Nelson Joiner, Hor- 
ace F. Baker, Edgar Parker, Elijah Moffat, 
jr., Vinus Johnson, George Butterfield, Hi- 
ram E. Baker, Albert Luce, Storry Kinney, 
Lafayette Darling, Thomas B. Hopkins, 
Eren Hackett, David B. Hammond, George 
W. Gross, Edward Harrison, Purdy H. 
Green, Samuel G. Dickinson, William Coe, 
Alfred D. Ascroft, De Forest Willard, Cal- 
vin S. Gray, Leander Ross, Horace Stafford, 
Frank D. Wright. 

Call of December 19th, 1864. l^roker- 
age, $165. — John Burnett, Andrew Par- 
ker, Patrick Brown, Charles Dogan, Eli J. 
Wood, James Brown, Charles Youngs, Syl- 
vester Ryder, Joseph W. Harris, Charles H. 
Flint, James H. Hanson. 

Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
calls October 17th, 1863, February and 
March, 1864, $12,600. Paid for filling 
quotas, call July 18th, 1864, $47,175. 
Paid for filling quota, call for' December 
19th, 1864, $165. Grand Total, $59,940. 

VIRGIL CORNERS. 

The j)lace bearing this name is a pretty 
little village situated in the southwestern 
part of lot 24, which is located a little west 
of the center of the town. At this point 
valle\'S from the eastward, westward and 
southward open upon a level plain, while in 
other directions lofty and steep or rolling 
hills arise. The village now comprises 
three churches, a hotel, four stores, three 



Town of Vir(;ii. 



2>17 



carriage shops, four blacksmith shops, har- 
ness shop, etc., with about fift_\- houses. It 
is six miles south of Cortland village and 
about the same distance from railroad com- 
munication at Messengerville, on the Syra- 
cuse, Binghamton and \ew York railroad, 
and at Dryden on the Southern Central road. 
It has a dail\- mail from Cortland village. 

One of the earliest settlers on the site of 
the N'illage was Jacob Chatterton, the an- 
cestor of the numerous fimilies of that 
name who lived in the tow n. He located 
in 1 800 on the site of Dr. Muncey's res- 
idence, where he subsequenth' died. 

Thomas Mott was one of the earliest set- 
tlers in Virgil Corners, where he came from 



Franklin, Delaware countv, in 1807 



Ht 



settled on the premises now occupied by 
Myron Ballon, just east of the \'illage, 
where he remained until his death. He 
had a large family, among whom was 
Thomas Mott, jr., who was born in Frank- 
lin in 1807. He spent a long life at Virgil 
Corners, where he held the office of justice 
of the peace for more than fort}' years and 
until his death, which occurred in 1882. 
Among the other children of the elder 
Thomas Mott were the second wife of Dr. 
Horace Bronson, who is still living at Virgil 
Corners ; Mrs. Joseph Reynolds, her hus- 
band being one of the first merchants in 
the place ; Mrs. Dr. Terr}', whose husband 
was one of Dr. Bronson's students, and 
Henr}- Mott, who died in Michigan. 

Samuel Slafter settled on the premises 
south of the Corners, where John Oakle\- 
now lives. He subsequently and at an 
early day removed to the village, where he 
engaged in the manufacture and sale of horn 
combs. He was postmaster at an early 
period. His son Edwin became a merchant 
in the place, as will hereafter appear, and is 
now a prominent citizen of Cortland xillase 

William Lincoln settled in an earl}- year 
on the farm now occupied b}- Abram Sager, 



and removed to the Corners some forty 
■ }'ears ago. He li\'ed in the Ikjusc now oc- 
cupied by Aaron Hutchings. He acquired 
the title of " Major, " through his services 
! in the State militia and was much respected. 
He had seven sons — Silas, Theron, Wait, 
William, Clinton, Le\-i and Oscar. The 
latter is dead. 

Timoth}- Green, sen., settled on the farm 
near the village on the south, where James 
Mitchell had subsequentl}- lived, before 
1810. He had three sons, Timoth}', jr.. 
Joel and Jesse. The last two were twins 
and removed to the West. Timothy spent 
the most of his life on the farm about a mile 
west of the village, and became an influen- 
tial citizen. He was elected to the Legis- 
lature, and was supervisor of the town. 
He removed to the Corners late in life, and 
died there. 

Nathan Bouton lived fir a number of 
years in the earlier portion of his life where 
Rufus Holton now li\'es and exerted an in- 
fluence for good upon the }oung com- 
munit}-. 

Moses Olmstead lived at an earl}' da}' 
three-fourths of a mile west of the Corners, 
on the farm where Horace Robinson now 
resides. He had three sons, William, 
David and James. The}' are all dead. 

The names of man}" of the earl}' settlers 
on the site of the little village called Virgil 
Corners, have already been mentioned. It 
was probably as late or later than 1810 be- 
fore there was much of a settlement at this 
point, the post-office having been established 
in 1808, with Zophar Moore as postmaster, 
as before noted. There were then two or 
three grist-mills in the town, several saw- 
mills, carding-mills, etc., and a population 
sufficient to make it evident that there would 
soon at least be a demand for mercantile 
business.^ 



1 Before the partially cleared farms produced a sufiicient 
amount of grain for the sustenance of the people, it was 



338 



History of Cortland Coumv. 



Tlic first mcrcliant at \'irgil Corners was 
probably J. K. Lamplieer, but the exact 
date when he began business here is not 
now accessible. His first place of business 
was on the site of Perkins's wagon shop. 
About the same time Gideon Messenger 
opened a store in a small way in a portion 
of the house now occupied by Charles John- 
son. Joseph Re\-nolc!s, who came here in 
1808, began mercantile business not long 
after the first store was opened, in the build- 
ing which is now used as a shop by Mr. 
Perkins. It stood then on the site of A. 
H. Peckham's store. The site now occu- 
pied by Wm. Helton's store was first used 
for mercantile purposes by W'm. Snider. 
He was succeeded by Rufus and Wm. Ed- 
wards and later by A. E. Heberd, who 
transferred the business to John Chamber- 
lain in about the year 1838 and two years 
later built the store now occupied by S. K. 
Jones. Chamberlain remained in the store 
on the Holton site about two years, when 
he bought out Mr. Reynolds, the purchase 
including the dwelling now occupied by ¥.. 
A. Crain. Wm. Snider again took the site 



common for the able-bodied, stalwart young men to go, 
as it was said, "out to the lakes," to work during harvest, 
that they might supplement the scanty amount grown on 
their own narrow fields. I might mention as a specimen 
of difficulties to be overcome, the scanty remuneration 
received by ministers of the gospel. One who had labored 
several years in a church made a statement which is de- 
rived from an authentic source to this effect : that he had 
not received money enough from the church to which he 
ministered to pay the postage on letters which he had re- 
ceived on their account, .\fterwards the .s'ame church 
secured the labors of a minister on a salary of fifty dol- 
lars. .\nother church passed a solemn resolution that 
they would endi-a-'or to raise ten dollars to secure tlie 
labors of a minister two Sabbaths during the year. .s;uch 
are some of the facts existing, incident to the settlement 
and progress of this town. These have doubtless given 
rise to some of the disparaging things that have Ijeen said 
long since, and have been repeated in modern times, 
taxing heavily even the" Charity wliich suffereth long 
and is kind." It will be the object of the writer, in a 
series of articles, to show that such opinions, if enter- 
tained, are unfounded, and merely indicate the ignorance 
i>\' prejuilice of thtisc wlio express them. — N. B<,iL"l"0.\. 



occtipied b)- Mr. j-folton and continued in 
business there tintil 1856, when he filled 
and closed out his business. He was fol- 
lowed b)- I'atterson & Graves. The store 
was burned abotit the year i860, when B. 
J. Jones purchased the lot and erected a 
new store. The premises were sold to Wm. 
A. Holton in 1873, who erected the present 
store in the same year. He now carries on 
a successful trade. 

Mr. Chamberlain failed in the store on 
Mr. Peckham's site about the )-ear 1845, 
and the business was closed out by Rufus 
Edwards. The store was next occupied b)- 
Piatt F. Grow and James S. Squires. 
Abt)iit the year 1850 the old building was 
removed to its present location and the 
present store was built b\- Dudley Benton. 
The building was partially occupied by S. 
M. Roe as a produce depot ft>r a year or 
more, when E. A. Crain took it and began 
mercantile business, which he continued 
about two \-ears. He was followed by 
Grow & Jones for about the same length 
of time. Eugene Edwards then took it and 
continued business abotit four years. He 
sold out to Wm. H. Smith, who afterwards 
associated with himself D. E. Wallace. ' Mr. 
Smith retired from the firm and in 1870 
W. A. Holton and A. H. Peckham pur- 
chased tile btisiness. They remained to- 
gether until 1873, when Mr. Peckham 
bought nut his partner, who bought and 
built upon his present location, as above 
stateti. Mr. Peckham has successftillv con- 
dtictetl till.' btisiness since I 873. 

Mr. llcbeid continuetl btisiness in the 
store built !)>• him in 1840 (now occupied 
b\' Mr. Jones) until 1847, ^^li^-"" I't: failed. 
He was followed by Winslow & Slafter (E. 
Winslow and E. P. Slafter) for three years, 
when Mr. Winslow took the business alone 
antl continued it successfully for eight years, 
or until 1858, having in the mean time pur- 
chased the building. At the date last men- 



Town oi' \'ikgii. 



339 



tioned lie leased the store to Charles Sny- 
der. About the year I S6o (irow & Jones 
(Piatt F. Grow and H. j. Jones) bet^an 
business there, continuing until the fall of 
i860, when Mr. Grow died. The business 
was closed up and the remainder of the 
goods sold to Mr. W'inslow. He continued 
in trade until 1868, when he sold the build- 
ing to Joseph Burt. Howard Hubbard was 
associated with Burt for about a >ear, when 
Burt sold his interest to \Vm. H. Smith. 
In the year 1869 A. H. Peckham became a 
member of the firm, which firm a year later 
sold the whole business to Mr. Hubbard. 
In the mean time the latter had transferred 
the building to Andrew Hutchings. In 
1876 B. J. Jones bought the store of Mr. 
Hutchings, and it has since that time been 
occupied with mercantile business in the 
hands of S. K. Jones. 

In the year 1868, a portion of the goods 
in the stock turned over to Joseph Burt 
came back into his possession. These he 
placed on sale in the building now occupied 
b)' Geo. H. Ladd as a shoe shop, where he 
continued until 1872. He then leased the 
Jones store for a \'ear or two, going from 
there to his present location. Mr. VVinslow 
has been postmaster since 1865, the office 
being kept in his store. 

This record gi\-es the histor}' of the mer- 
cantile business of Virgil Corners as far as 
it is now accessible. There have been at 
different periods, small groceries or confec- 
tionery stores kept, but none of especial 
importance. 

Physicians. — The first physician in the 
town was Elijah Hartson, but no details of 
his life are now accessible. He was, how- 
ever, with Drs. Moore, Green and Worden, 
here before i8it) or 1812. Dr. John Wood 
was here about the latter year and lived 
where S. Bouton now resides, west of the 
\illage. Dr. Ryan came to town before 
1820, in which \ear one of the most em- 



inent phvsicians of the county took up his 
residence at V'irgil Corners where he re- 
mained in successful practice during a pe- 
riod of more than fift\- \-ears ; this was Dr. 
Horace Bronson. The ancestors of Dr. 
Bronson came from Scotland and he was 
born in Catskill, N. V., Sept. 8th, 1796. 
His parents removed to X'ernon, Oneida 
count\', when he was four or fi\e \'ears old 
and became well-to-do farmers. Horace 
earl\- e\'inced a natural taste for study, es- 
peciall}- of natural histor)-, in \\ hich he for- 
tunately received encouragement from his 
parents. He entered Hamilton College, to 
which institution his father had already 
been a donor, and graduated in due time. 
He attended four full courses of medical 
lectures and took his degree of Doctor of 
Medicine from the Fairfield Medical Col- 
lege in 1819, then a famous institution of 
Western New York. 

By the advice of Dr. Lewis Kiggs, then 
of Homer, Dr. Bronson came to N'irgil in 

1820, as above stated, where he continued 
in practice until 1873, when he was incapac- 
itated for further labor b\- the sickness 
which terminated his \aluable lite on the 
30th of Januar)-, 1874. He became a 
member of the Cortland Medical Societ)- in 

1 82 1. Dr. Bronson was possessed of much 
more than ordinar_\- nati\-e ability and his 
acquired attainments were varied and useful. 
He was very industrious in his profession, a 
skillful practitioner and kind and forbearing 
towards his patients who foimd it difficult 
to pay for medical treatment. Dr. Bronson 
married Poll\- Ball by whom he had one 
son and two daughters. His second wife 
was Happy Mott, who now resides in Vir- 
eil Corners with her son-in-law, Charles 
Johnson. 

Dr. C. P. Weaver came to Virgil next after 
Dr. Bronson, and was followed bj' Drs. 
Wilson and Robinson, who came between 
1 84 1 and 1848. The next physicians were 



340 



History or Cortland Countv. 



Drs. Wm. Fitch, now of Dryden, and Jay 
Hall, now of Cortland village. 

In the spring of 1859 Dr. Wm. A. Mun- 1 
coy came to Virgil Corners from Wavcrly, 
Tioga county, N. Y., where he had pursued 
his studies and practiced one year in part- 
nership with Dr. C. M. Nobles, with whom 
he iiad studied. In 1874 Dr. Muncey grad- 
uated from the American Medical Univer- 
sity in Philadelphia, and in 1881-82 finished 
a course and graduated from the Eclectic 
Medical College of New York. He has 
been in constant practice in tlie town since 
his arrival. Dr. Chas. Laning came here 
at about the time Dr. Muncey came, but 
remained only for a short time. 

Dr. John D. Tripp is a graduate of the 
Long Island College Hospital, from which 
institution he graduated in the year 1865, 
immediately after which he came to Virgil 
Corners. He has remained here ever since 
and enjoys an extensive practice and the 
confidence of the community. 

Hotel. — There has never been but one 
hotel of much pretensions in Virgil Corners. 
The first record of it that we have been able 
to obtain is of the }-ear 1820, when it was 
kept by John I. Gee. Ezra Bruce next 
kept it, but it is not known at just what 
date nor how long. Nathaniel Knapp kept 
it also for a time. Eleazer Carpenter, and 
Reese & Fink were also proprietors at an 
early day. In 1840 it was kept by Jerry 
Terpening; then b)' Morgan & Terpening, 
and again by Mr. Terpening alone. Lewis 
Barton kept it for a time. A man named 
Humphrey and Horace Wilcox also had 
charge of the house. Later William Chat- 
terton kept it, it ha\ing meanwhile passed 
into possession of Dudlej- Benton, who 
made large additions and improvements in 
the buildings. William Benton then took 
the proprietorship of the house and was fol- 
lowed by Thomas Perkins for a short period, 
when the property came into possession of 



John D. Benton, who also made further 

improvements. In I 865-66 Culver & Glea- 
son took the house but kept it for only a 
year or two, being followed by O. S. 
Withcy. In 1869 F"rank French took the 
house and was succeeded at different dates, 
which are not of special interest, by John 
J. Isaacs, P^vans Griggs, Martin ^Liricle, T. 
Warren, John C. Keefe (1881), F. D. Has- 
kell. At about this time the property 
passed into possession of Geo. W. Lason. 
A. T. Niver then leased it in 1882, and 
Mr. Lason took it in 1883. The present 
year (i 884) John A. McKinne\' purchased 
the propert}- and is now keeping the house 
to the satisfaction of the public. 

A tavern was kept for a time before the 
last war in the large wooden structure lo- 
cally known as " Bunker Hill, " for a short 
time. This building «as erected in the 
year 1804 by James Knapp. It served the 
double purpose, so it is said, of creating a 
good deal of astonishment among the in- 
habitants on account of its size and mag- 
nificence, and of ruining its builder. It now 
makes a convenient wagon shop and is 
owned b\- J. C. Scamans. 

John Chamberlain kept something of a 
public house at an early day in the house 
now occupied as a residence by E. A. Grain. 
He was succeeded b\- a man named Tra\er, 
and Mr. Grain kept the house open to the 
public for a short time. 

E. Winslow. who has alread\' been often 
alluded to as one of the prominent mer- 
chants, was about the first if not the very 
first person to engage in harness-making in 
the village. This was in the year 184O. 
He was first located in the building that 
stood where Mr. Holton's store is now lo- 
cated. In 1845 lie sold out tile harness 
business to Jerome Hulbert (now a prom- 
inent citizen of Marathon \illage), to en 
gage in the boot and shoe business. He 
remained in one-half of the store, selling 



Town of Virgil. 



341 



boots and shoes, until 1852, when he be- 
came a member of the firm of Winslow & 
Slafter, as before stated. After Mr. Hul- 
bert moved a\va\- there was no harness- 
making in the \'illage until N. A. Gardner 
came in 1869. He is still doing some work 
in his liouse. II. H. Branch began the 
business in 1876. He left the village early 
in tlie present j-ear. Wayland Goodell is 
now working at the business in the second 
story of Peckham's store. 

Wagon-making has been carried on in 
Virgil from a very early period. Timothy 
Woods was prubabh- the first in the town 
and worked at the business before 1820. 
He was located north of the Corners and 
afterwards west of the " West Meeting- 
house." Archelaus Green was also engaged 
in this business before 1825. Jerry Tyler, 
now living at Virgil Corners, says that a 
Mr. Hr_\-ant. who was the father of Lewis 
Bryant, made wagons on Luce hill at an 
early date — probably as early as 1830. In 
1838 he made a lumber wagon for him. 
which his son Allen is still using in a very 
good state of preservation. Phillip Colwell 
was a wagon-maker here before 1840, and 
Samuel Sikes had a small shop as early as 
that, a little north of where Ebenezer Per- 
kins now lives. His old shop is now a part 
of Mr. Perkins's barn. The Sikes premises 
were purchased b)^ Mr. Winslow in 1844. 
libenezer Perkins began wagon- making on 
Cortland street in the shop now occupied 
by M. B. Williams, which he built in the 
year 1843. He sold out to J. C. Seamans 
and he to Sylvester Crain in i860. The 
business was continued there bj' Sylvester 
and E. A. Crain imtil 1875 when they sold 
out to J. C. Seamans. The Grains pur- 
chased the old Methodist church building 
in the )-ear 1876-77 and remo\-ed it to its 
present location, where it has been used as 
a wagon shop and undertaking establish- 
ment since. M. B. Williams now works at 



the business in the shop formerly occupied 
by Mr. Perkins. Mr. Perkins has a shop 
in the old building formerly used as a store 
by Joseph Reynolds. 

There are now three blacksmith shops in 
the village. One is operated by George 
Hicks, one by C. H. Seamans, and one by 
Geo. and J. C. Seamans. Michael Ehle 
was one of the early blacksmiths in the 
place. Isaac Seamans was the next, and 
built the shop now occupied by his son, I. 
M. Seamans. Before this shop was built 
Isaac Seamans was located near the Meth- 
odist parsonage. Ehle's shop was on the 
corner where Harry Williams now lives. 
The location of Hicks's shop was for several 
years occupied by William Adamy with a 
blacksmith shop more than thirty years 
ago. Mr. Adamy is now a resident of 
Union, Broome county. 

Joel Hancock was one of the early set- 
tlers in the village and was probably the 
first shoemaker here. After him David 
Sweet and Nathan Shultz were in the bus- 
iness. A man named Rogers had a shop 
near the Murdock tannery at an early day. 
Justin Smith was a shoemaker here before 
1850, as was also a man named Simpkins. 
Geo. H. Ladd began work in this line in 
1850, and has followed it ever since. N. 
R. Locke was in the business here from 
1856 to i860.' 

There being no power obtainable from 
streams within the village, little has been 
done in manufacturing, "and the isolation 
of the place from railroad communication 
has operated against its growth. It was 
formerly quite an important point on the 
stage route from Cortland to Owego, and in 
earlier years before trade was diverted to 
other distant points through the facilities 
for travel offered by railroads, there was 

1 Mr. Locke was the father of D. R. Locke, who has 
become famous as j writer under tlie nom di plume of 
"Petroleum V. Nashy."' He is coni»ected witli the 
Toledo Blade. 



342 



History of Cortland County. 



more business done here, undoubtedly, 
tlian at tlie present time. 

(ikini.EV HOLLOW. 

Tiiis little hamlet present.s a \'ivid exam- 
ple of the rajjid changes that are effected 
by time. It is still within the memory of 
man)- of the older citizens of Virgil, when 
there was much more manufacturing and 
mercantile business done here than there 
was at Virgil Corners. Now there is scarcely 
a pretense of either, outside of the substan- 
tial grist-mill. 

Besides its name of " Gridle\- Hollow," 
derived from Reuben Gridley, who was one 
of the most prominent pioneers in that re- 
gion, the hamlet has been known as East 
Virgil, and the post-office now bears that 
name. The place is situated on lot 49 near 
the southeast corner of the town, and the 
stream that has been called " Gridley creek " 
runs directly through it. High and pre- 
cipitous hills rise directh' from the settle- 
ment, on the north and south, while the bed 
of the creek in that vicinitx- has cut a deep 
and narrow ravine through the rocky form- 
ation in that region, adding much to the 
otherwise romantic scenery of the place. 

The names of manj' of the early settlers 
at this point ha\e already been given. The 
first mill was built by a Mr. Vandenberg in 
1 8 19, on or near the site now occupied by 
the mill of E. D. Angell. A saw-mill was 
also built at the same point and b\- the 
same man. This property passed into the 
hands of Reuben Gridle)- at an early day 
and he operated them for a period of about 
ten years. He subsequentlj' remo\ed to 
the State of Michigan, where he died. The 
present stone mill was built by Gaius Rudd, 
in the year 1S56, after the disastrous flood 
of that year had swept away every mill and 
bridge between Virgil Corners and the ri\er 
at the State Bridge. Rudd occupied the 
grist-mill, the saw-mill having been aban- 



doned, until the present owner, E. D. An- 
gell, bought it ; he is successful in its oper- 
ation. 

Abram \'an Buskirk was an earl)- set- 
tlor in the Hollow on the place which after- 
ward passed into possession of .Andrew Bru- 
sie at an earlj' day. He was an enterpris- 
ing and more than ordinaril}' intelligent 
and energetic man. He built a forge on 
the creek, which he successfully operated 
by water pow er for many years, the quality 
of his iron attaining an excellent reputation. 
He was a justice of the peace for several 
years. The great flood swept away the 
forge and it was not rebuilt. Mr. Brusie 
and his family finally removed from the 
town. 

Tile first merchant in the Hollow was 
William Gra}-. He built a store on the 
south side of the creek and did a large bus- 
iness. Hiram J. Messenger, now of Cort- 
land N'illage, became his partner, but the 
firm soon dissolved and Mr. Messenger built 
the store on the opposite side of the stream, 
and continued business there for several 
years, finally remo\ing to Messengerville, 
after the completion of the railroad. Mr. 
Gray continued in business until 1849, when 
he was attacked with cholera after return- 
ing from New York, where he had just pur- 
chased a large stock of goods. He died 
suddenly and his business was closed up. 
Among his sons were H. C. Gray, now of 
Harford Mills ; Frank Gray, of Janesville, 
Wis. ; Alonzo Gray, of Watkins, N. Y., and 
Jesse Gray, of Cortland. Wm. Gray was 
the first postmaster in Gridley Hollow (or 
East Virgil), established in 1845. 

Alexander McVean was an early settler 
at the Hollow and was justice of the peace 
for a period of forty years. He was, in 
connection with Isaac Benton, owner of 
the saw-mill before it was swept awaj'. Mr. 
Benton was born in the town at an early 
day, and carried on wagon-making and 



Town of Virgil. 



343 



blacksmithing at the Hollow, employing a 
number of hands and doing a large business. 
James McVean also had a blacksmitli simp 
there at one time, and Wm. H. Johnson 
carried on a tailor shop, while Jonathan Pot- 
ter did the shoemaking for the vicinity. 
After the death of Mr. Gray, Isaac Bloomer 
removed to the Hollow and occupied tlie 
store until it was carried away in 1856. 
About the 3-ear 1832 Hiram Baker built a 
saw-mill a mile and a half west of the Hol- 
low, and there was still another near that 
point. In 1837 Isaac Bloomer built a saw- 
mill a mile west of the Hollow ; but as the 
forests became cleared away there was less 
demand for such mills, and all that was left 
of them to be carried away ,by the flood 
went down in that calamity and the\' were 
not rebuilt. 

At the time that Gridlej- owned and op- 
erated the mill in the Hollow, he also ran 
a distiller)', which did a profitable business ; 
and another smaller one was located di- 
rectly on the top of Snider Hill, which was 
owned by Christopher Rorabacher. 

A church was built at the Hollow in 
1844, b\- the union of the members of the 
several denominations in that \icinit_\'. It 
finally passed under the charge of the Meth- 
odists, as before detailed. Services are now 
conducted there by the Rev. H. W. Wil- 
liams, of the Virgil Corners Methodist 
Church. 

In early years, and until the opening of 
the road through the Hollow to connect 
with the State road (about the years 1833- 
34), the Hollow was reached only from the 
north and south, down the steep hills ; con- 
sequently the opening of this road was looked 
upon as a great improvement. The diver- 
sion of trade to Virgil Corners and later to 
other points on the railroads, has reduced 
Gridley Hollow to a mere hamlet, with very 
little pretense of business of any kind, out- 
side of the mill and a small store kept b\- 



John Lewis, who is also the present post- 
master. 

.MESSENGERVILLE. 

This is a hamlet and station on the Syra- 
cuse, Binghamton and New York Railroad, 
and on lot 50 in the southeastern corner of 
the town, near the western bank of the 
Tioughnioga river. A small hamlet and a 
tavern existed near there before the comple- 
tion of the railroad, known as State Bridge, 
from the fact that the bridge over the river 
on the State road is located at that point. 
When the railroad was finished there prom- 
ised to be some trade and shipping attracted to 
this station, and H. J. Messenger, who had 
been in business at Gridley Hollow, built a 
store there and began trade. He has been 
succeeded by several others, among whom 
are Dickinson & Husted, Mr. Husted alone, 
Lincoln & Wait, and now by the Seamans 
Brothers. 

One of the first saw-mills in the town 
was built near this station by a man named 
Blaisdell, which was swept away in the 
flood of 1 856 and was not rebuilt. A steam 
saw-mill was erected at a later date by Eli 
Husted, which was burned a few years ago. 
Walter L. Chaplin is the postmaster at 
Messengerville. 

FR.\XK'S CORNERS. 

This is a mere hamlet situated about a 
mile south of Virgil Corners. It was here 
that the pioneer, John M. Frank, first lo- 
cated, giving the place its name. Promi- 
nent among the early settlers in the imme- 
diate vicinity was Charles Hotchkiss, who 
settled at an early day where his son, 
Alonzo, now lives. He had three sons, 
Alonzo, Devolso and Wolcott. The former 
is one of the prominent farmers of the town 
and a member of the Presbyterian Church. 
Marenus Terpening and his brother Noah 
settled early just north of Mr. Hotchkiss, 
where the\- li\ed man\- vears. 



344 



History of Cortland County. 



Caleb Whiting, who located at what is 
known as Babcock Hollow at an earl)' day, 
removed to Frank's Corners and for many 
years carried on an extensive marble- work- 
ing business. He was on the premises now 
occupied by George Dann, and now lives 
in Ca_\Higa county. 

A man named Asel Cannon had a black- 
smith shop at this point man\- )'ears ago, 
and Chester Simons carried on the business 
there at a later period for many years. 
John Ehle has also worked at the business 
recently. 

Lester Helton, father of W. A. and Rufus 
Holton, of \'irgil, and Mark and Luke Hel- 
ton, of Cortland village, followed wagon- 
making at Frank's Corners many years ago. 
A small store was kept there by Wm. H. 
Smith for a few years during the last war. 

Following is a list of the supervisors and 
town clerks of Virgil from the first organ- 
ization* to the present time. The super- 
visor's name is gi\^en first in each instance: — 

Moses Rice, Gideon Messenger, 1805-06; 
James Roe, Abner Bruce, 1807-09; James 
Roe, Moses Rice, i8io; Moses Rice, James 
Roe, 181 1 ; Moses Rice, James Chatterton, 
1 8 1 2 to 1 8 1 6, inclusive ; Gideon Messenger, 
James Chatterton, 18 17 to 18 19, inclusive; 
Gideon Messenger, Alvan Ryan, 1820; 
Gideon Messenger, James Chatterton. 1821 
to 1824, inclusive; Joseph Rej-nolds, Wm. 
Snider, 1825 to 1830, inclusive: Gideon 
Messenger, Wm. Snider, 1831; Joseph 
Reynolds, Kinne Grow, 1832; Joseph 
Reynolds, Wm. Woodward, 1833-34; Mi- 
chael Frank, \\'m. Woodward, 1835-36; 
Sanford Bouton, Augustus Heberd, 1837; 
Josiah Hart, John Chamberlain, 1838; San- 



ford Bouton, Augustus Heberd, 1839—40; 
Timoth}- Green, John Chamberlain, 1S41; 
Ogden Graj-, Norman Chamberlain, 1842— 
43 ; Timoth)' Green, Norman Chamberlain, 
1844; Timothy Green, Augustus Heberd, 
1845; Enoch Branch, Norman Chamber- 
lain, 1846; John Green, Wm. Chatterton, 
1847; Dudlc)- Benton, Wait Chamberlain, 
1848; Moses Tyler, Willard Chatterton, 
1849; Page Green, Willard Chatterton, 
1850; John Green, Samuel Slafter, 1851; 
Madison B. M)'nard, David L. Bronson, 
1852; Hiram Messenger, Willard Chatter- 
ton, 1853; Josephus Gee, Willard Chatter- 
ton, 1854; Isaac Raymond, Willard Chat- 
terton, 1855; Andrew Brusie, Alonzo Sni- 
der, 1856; Jonas Owen, Samuel Slafter, 
1857; Enoch Willet, Samuel Slafter, 1858; 
Nathan Spencer, Samuel Slafter, 1859; Jo- 
sephus Gee, Piatt F. Grow, i860; Josephus 
Gee, Charles P. Snider, 1861 ; Nathan Spen- 
cer, Alexander Mahan, 1862; Roswell, 
Price, Alexander Mahan, 1863; Roswell 
Price, Eber Sweet, 1S64; Nathan Spencer, 
G. H. Ladd, 1865; Nathan Smith, Alexan- 
der Collins, 1866; Roswell Price, Howard 
Hubbard. 1867-68; Nathan Bouton, Chas. 
Williams, 1869; S. M. Byram, Charles 
Williams, 1870-71; Roswell Price, A. H. 
Peckham, 1872-73; Roswell Price, W. A. 
Muncey, 1874; J. D. Tripp, W. A. Holton, 
1875 ; Roswell Price, A. H. Peckham, 1876: 
Roswell Price, H. H. Branch, 1877; Ros- 
well Price, J O. Seamans, 1878; W. P. 
Mynard, J. O. Seamans, 1879; W. P. 
Mynard, A. H. Peckham, 1880; Walter 
Chaplin, A. H. Peckham, 1881 to 1883, 
inclusive; Walter Chaplin, E. A. Grain, 
1884. 



Town of Marathon. 



345 



CHAPTER XXII. 



HlS'l'OKV OF THE TOWX OF MARATHON. 



THE town of Marathon was formed from 
Cincinnatus April 2 1st, 1818. It was 
first called "Harrison," and embraced the 
southwest quarter of the militar\- township 
of Cincinnatus. Its name was changed to 
Marathon in 1828, in consequence of there 
being another town in the State named 
Harrison. It was first named in honor of 
General Harrison. It is bounded on the 
north by Freetown, on the east b\' Willet, 
on the south by Hronme county and on the 
west by Lapeer. 

The surface of the town is rugged and 
hilly, the ridges rising from 500 to 700 feet 
above the valle)'s. The Tioughnioga ri\-er 
flows through the western part of the town- 
ship in a deep, narrow vallc)-, bordered b_\' 
precipitous hillsides. Hunt creek, in the 
northwestern part of the town, flows through 
a narrow, deep valley, and Merrill creek, in 
the eastern part, flows through a similar 
valley. The principal part of the arable ; 
land lies along the valleys; the uplands are 
broken and better adapted to pasturage. 
The soil is a sand_\- and gravelly loam. 

Marathon village is the only considerable 
business center of the town. Te.xas valley, 1 
in the northeastern part of the town, was 1 
laid out first and, it being on the State road 
and central to the four towns of Cincinnatus, 
Freetown, Willet and ]\Tarathon, was form- 
erly regarded as the most probable site of 
a thriving business center; but it is now a 
mere hamlet, while Marathon contains a 
population of 1,100, and is a growing and 
active business place. 1 

Dr. S. ]\I. Hunt, of Marathon village, has ' 
written some interesting historical notes ; 
upon this town, from which we make the 
following extracts : — i 



" The first white men wlio entered this 
valley in search of future homes were most- 
ly from the New England States, the east- 
ern counties of this State or some portion 
of the Susquehanna Vallej-. They cut out 
a narrow path near the river and marked 
trees as an additional guide to their way; 
erected some rudely constructed log-cabins 
and then returned for their families. They 
brought them in canoes b_\- the way of the 
Susquehanna ri\-er, the greater part from a 
distance above, the others from below, its 
junction with the Chenango. This entire 
section of the country was then 
■A vast wilderness, — 
.\ boundless contiguity of shade ' 
well adapted as a lo'dge for the longing as- 
pirations of the poet, Cowper. They sev- 
erally by severe toil and indomitable energy 
succeeded in clearing and planting a small 
piece of ground with corn among the stumps 
and roots, which, when matured, became the 
staple article of food for their families. But 
when the corn was harvested the)- had no 
means of reducing it to meal, except by beat- 
ing it in a mortar, which was usuall)- con- 
structed by scooping out the top of a stump, 
above which they suspended a pestle adapted 
to the size of the mortar ; attached it to a 
spring-pole, the elasticitj- of which aided in 
raising the pestle. Yet this substitute for 
grinding afforded but a slow and \er\- labori- 
ous process. There was then no grist-mill 
within fifty miles of them. Occasionally two 
of the neighbors joined in going to mill with 
a canoe, taking several bushels of corn for the 
settlement, making rather a pleasant trip 
down the stream, but, not unlike boys riding 
down hill on hand-sleds, their return to the 
starting point was slow and attended with 



346 



History of Cortland County. 



considerable labor. The nearest mill was 
then located somewhere on the Susque- 
hanna river. 

" The timber III' the town was generally 
of large size and \\ hen felled and cut into 
suitable lengths was drawn together, rolled 
into heaps and burned. The flats were 
mostl)- covered with hard timber, such as 
maple, beech, ash, etc., which was i-ecluced 
to ashes with less labor than hemlock, which 
more usualh' grew on the sides of the hills, 
and when in a green state tenaciousl)- re- 
sists combusticin. The latter timber, when 
consumed, aflbrtlcd no deposits of any value; 
but the ashes from hard timber were col- 
lecteil, leached aiui boiled into "black salts,' 
a staple article of commerce and at that 
time constituting about the only article they 
had to sell for cash or exchange for goods. 

"Their fruit was of the wiki kinds, such 
as berries of the different species. The}- 
had no apples, pears or plums foi- many 
years, except such few as occasional!)' were 
brought in by some person returning from 
an eastern \isit. They dispensed with tea 
and colfee ami most of the groceries now 
in use, excepting sugar antl molasses of their 
own domestic manufacture from the sugar 
maple. 

"Of fresh meats the)- procured a variet)-, 
such as venison and bear's flesh, and of the 
lesser quadrupeds of the woods and wild 
game of the different kinds, as well as the 
several species of fish w hich the streams af- 
forded in great abundance. While wild 
game could so readily be obtained, they 
could well dispense with the flesh of domes- 
tic animals, of which the)- h;id but few in 
number, and none to spare for the butcher. 
Their cattle in the summer season subsisted 
on w ikl herbage and in winter on cornstalks, 
swamp hay and brow se. 

"Residing at such distances from an)- 
settlement where goods could be purchased, 
the)- were obliged to dispense with man)- 



of the conveniences, if not the actual neces- 
saries, of life. Their clothing was of coarse 
fabrics, usuall)- flannel, home-spun, carded 
b)' hand and colored with butternut bark, 
for their outer garments. Their skirting 
was of the same material woven into checks; 
as a substitute for flannel they sometimes 
wore buff-colored buckskin for coats, pants 
and \ests. In summer tow cloth comprised 
their entire dress. At a subsequent period 
domestic fulled cloth was w orn as their best 
suits for man)' years. 

" Such was the condition of the pioneers 
of this section of the country in reference 
to food and clothing. Accustomed to 
coarse, simple food and constant habits of 
industr)-, the pioneers enjo)ed a good de- 
gree of health, strong, athletic constitutions, 
and were capable of performing much more 
labor than a comparative number of their 
descendants in these degenerate times. 
Rut while their corporal powers were 
strengthened, the mental faculties and ap- 
pliances were not much improved. With 
the exception of the Bible, very few books 
of any kind could be found in the neigh- 
borhood. Though destitute of most of the 
conveniences of life, the)- participated more 
freely in the domestic and social blessings 
than" the residents of a densely populated 
community. F"ree from the pride of dress 
and ostentation, they envied no man's supe- 
rior success, but each contributed aid to- 
wards his neighbor's prosperit)- and happi- 
ness. The)' had a reputation for honest)-, 
benevolence and usefulnes while li\'ing, and 
died respected. 

"There being no mail routes or post- 
ofiices in this entire region of country at 
the period under consideration, no letters 
I or newspapers were received, except occa- 
sionally by private conve)'ance. As late 
as during the last war with England a 
small weekly country paper was brought 
into town b\- a man on horseback and sold 



Town of Marathon. 



347 



to persons anxious to hear the news from 
the war. " 

The first actual settlers of tliis town were 
Dr. Japheth Hunt and wife, both aged 
people, two sons, James and William, and 
three daughters, Betsey, Nancy and Han- 
nah. The advanced age of the parents dis- 
qualified them as pioneers of a new country 
and unfitted them to encounter the hard- 
ships and prix'ations incident to such an 
enterprise. Their children, however, were 
of mature age, of robust constitutions, and 
possessed energ)- of character, which en- 
abled them to accomplish the laborious 
duties which now devoh'ed upon them. 
They entered the \alley of the Tioughnioga 
from the south, in canoes, in the \-ear 1794, 
and located on a piece of lanci on the east 
side of the river, about a mile south of the 
present village of Mar.ithon, since known 
as the Comstock farm anil now owned by 
Edward Moore. Their log house was 
erected a few miles north of Mr. Moore's 
barn, on a knoll, or rolling piece of ground, 
immediatel)- west, and near the present 
highway. Upon this rising ground were 
discovered a great number of e.\ca\'ations 
or depressions, of circular form, in close 
proximity, rendering the surface of the 
ground uneven. Each of these depressions, 
upon examination, was found to contain 
human bones, which had, apparenth-, been 
deposited there for several preceding cen- 
turies. Upon removing the road a few 
years since, from the top to the base of this 
hill, some of these depressions were opened 
by the plow, and were found to contain 
not onl)- human bones, but se\'eral curi- 
ously carved vessels or pots, of a substance 
resembling cla\', probabl\- wrought b\- the 
Indians to contain succotash, or boiled corn 
and beans, deposited in the grave, as is 
their custom, to supj)!}- their departed 
friends in their journe\- to the world of 
spirits. 



About the time that Dr. Hunt's family 
settled here a road was surveyed and par- 
tialh- cut through the wilderness from the 
south, near the river, until passing their 
land, when, diverging from the stream, it 
crossed the south line of lot number 72, 
about three-fourths of a mile east of the 
village of Marathon, and continuing in a 
northerly direction, intersected the State 
road at the farm recently owned b)' Mr. 
Charles Richardson, of Freetown, and ex- 
tending north to its terminus at the salt 
works, which ga\'e it the name of the " salt 
road. " 

Another road, about this period, was 
surveyed and [iartiall\- opened as a State 
road, b_\- the way of Oxford westerh- 
through the center of the town subsequently 
organized as Cincinnatus, and consequently 
on the north line ot the present town of 
Marathon, and crossing the river at Chap- 
lin's ford, now known as State Bridge, and 
thence westerl)' through the count)' b_\' 
\'irgil Corners. 

Dr. Hunt was an emigrant from one of 
the New England States, and had served 
his country in the Revolutionar\- War, in 
capacit}' of surgeon. He died March 7th, 
1808, at the advanced age of 97, and was 
the first person buried in the east burying 
eround of Marathon. His son William 
married Anna, daughter of Matthew Cole, 
an earl)- settler on a farm adjoining the 
southern line, being the present residence 
of Col. Lucian E. Crain. His son James was 
ne\'er married, and died at Genoa, Cayuga 
count)'. His daughter, Nanc)', married 
Abram Smith, and died about fort)'-five 
\'ears since, lea\'ing three children. Betsey 
Hunt married Oliver Mack, of Genoa, and 
Hannah, the )'oungest daughter, married 
Nathan Thorp, of the same place. 

Wm. Hunt, some time after the death of 
his father, sold the farm and located again 
two miles north of Marathon \illage, where 



348 



History of Cortland County. 



Stephen Johnson now resides, but finally 
emigrated with his sisters from Genoa to 
the " far West, " to some part of Indiana. 
In the latter part of the winter "f 1796 
John, the eldest son of Dr. Hunt, who had 
married Lydia, tiie daughter of Major 
Samuel Maliorj-, of Hillsdale, Columbia 
count)', was induced to move from that 
place into the new countr\- in the \ icinity 
of his father's residence. A man with 
horses and sleigh was employed to bring 
his effects and famil\-, which then comprised 
himself and wife, one daughter three years 
of age, and a son of six months. After 
several days' travel over rough roads, they 
arrived at O.xford, then a new settlement on 
the Chenango river, where their teamster 
left them and turned back in consequence 
of poor sleighing produced by a thaw. Mr. 
Hunt, ha\ing one horse of his own, har- 
nessed him to a hastily constructed sled, 
and placed a bed and a few necessary arti- 
cles of furniture and pnnisions, with his 
wife and children thereon, started west- 
wardl)' b}- the way of the State road for 
the place of his destination. The first da\' 
the\- proceeded about se\enteen miles into 
the wilderness on this rough road, passing 
over several of the smaller logs which had 
not _\-et been removed from the path, when 
night overtook them in a dense forest, 
which soon became xocal with the sounds 
of wild animals. Fortunateh' they soon 
came to a log cabin, recentlj- erected, co\- 
ered with bark, and having a floor of slats 
.split from logs, with a place for an entrance, 
but destitute of a door to exclude the air. 
By means of his gun and tinder he kindled 
a fire, and placed his horse close to the 
opening, with his provender in the sled, 
which served for a manger, and ha\ing 
hung up a blanket at the entrance, and 
placed their bed on the floor, being very 
weary, he retired to rest, and slept comfort- 
ably through the night. Hut his wife, un- 



accustomed to such privations, was less in- 
clined to sleep. The howling of the wolves 
also annoyed her, and she wondered how 
her husband could sleep so composedly in 
such a dismal place. The next morning 
they resumed their journey, and before 
noon came to the Otselic river, and were 
cheered with the sight of a house on the 
opposite side of the stream. This proved 
to be the residence of Wm. Tuthill, who 
kindly assisted them in crossing the river, 
and hospitably entertained them till the next 
da\-. This was at a farm subsequently 
owned by Ebenezer Crittenden. From 
this place they traveled west till the\- came 
to the intersection of the salt road, when, 
turning south along the latter path, at a 
distance of four miles they found the new 
home of his parents and family. His goods 
were subsequent!)- brought in canoes from 
Oxford down the Chenango river to the 
Forks, and up this branch (then generally 
called the Onondaga) to their new location. 

John Hunt purchased one hundred acres 
out of the southwest corner of lot No. 72, 
and moved his fiimily there, being on the 
east side of the river, upon which a large 
portion of Marathon \illage is located. 
Here his second son, Samuel M. Hunt, was 
born October 30th, 1793, being the first 
child born in this town. When a )'Oung 
man he chose the profession of medicine, 
and pursued that study with Dr. P. B. 
Brooks, afterwards of Binghamton. He 
has practiced medicine for thirty years, prin- 
cipal!)- in Broome county; but for three 
years past he has been located in Marathon 
village, on the same premises formerly the 
residence of his parents. 

As early as the beginning of the present 
century John Hunt was appointed b)- the 
governor and council a justice of the peace ; 
which office he held by successive appoint- 
ments to the period of his death, which oc- 
curred August 8th, 1815, at the age of fifty 



Town of Marathon. 



349 



years. His widow is still living, in the 
eight)-- fifth \car of her age. Their eldest 
daughter married Mr. Charles Richardson, 
of Freetown, and is now residing in the vil- 
lage of Marathon. Two other daughters 
arc _\'et li\'iiig. F"our others of their chil- 
dren lived to be married and settled in 
this section of the countrw but are now 
deceased. Abiam Hrink with his faniiK- 
moved into the present bounds of the vil- 
lage in the spring of 1800, and located a 
few rods south of Mr. Hunt's, on the north 
part of lot No. 82, then State land. He 
came from the present town of Union, be- 
low Binghamton, on the Susquehanna river, 
bringing his famil}- and furniture in a canoe. 
He was a son of Captain William Brink, a 
patriot of the Revolution, who had suffered 
much by the depredations of tories in the 
war at Wyoming, and subsequenth- lost a 
great amount of propert}' b}' the great ice- 
flood in that x-alle^-. Abram Brink was a 
robust and industrious citizen, and a valua- 
ble pioneer in clearing up the rugged wil- 
derness, and preparing it for the residence 
of posterity. He kept the first ta\'ern ever 
licensed in this town, from the commence- 
ment of the present century up to the time 
of his decease in 1824. Into.xicating liquors, 
as a beverage, were at that time considered 
as necessary as food in a tavern for the re- 
freshment of guests ; and although their 
deleterious effects were visible, not only in 
the physical, moral and mental prostration 
of all who indulged in the potation, yet the 
traffic was for a long period sustained by 
public sentiment and by the laws of the 
State. Mr. Brink was succeeded in the 
tavern by his onl\- surviving son, Chester, 
for a few years, when, influenced b}- a strong 
aversion to dealing in intoxicating liquors, 
he relinquished the business and emploj-ed 
himself in cultivating and improving the 
same farm, antl some other adjoining lands, 
which he had acijuired b)' purchase. 



A few years previous to the arrival of 
Mr. Brink here a famih- b\- the name of 
Alford had .settled about three-fourths of a 
mile south, on the State's lot, and some 
years after sold out to Daniel Huntle\', a son 
of Deacon William H untie)-, who resided for 
several years on the next farm south. A 
man by the name of Lee also lived a few 
years on the premises of Mr. Alford, hav- 
ing married his daughter. At the close of 
the last century a traveler from the north, 
in passing down this valley, after leaving 
the fordwa)' at Chaplin's, would find the 
following residents on the east side of the 
river : — First, the family of Mr. Hunt ; sec- 
ond, Mr. Brink ; third, Mr. Alford and Mr. 
Lee ; next, Dr. Hunt, and lastly, Mr. Cole, 
with-in this count)'. South and near the 
county line on the east side of the river, 
was the residence of General Samuel Coe, 
and directly opposite, on the west bank, was 
the house of Jonathan Cowdrey. 

Soon after this period John S. Squires 
located on a farm south of Mr. Alford, but 
shortly after purchased a farm in the pres- 
ent town of Lapeer, and removed his fam- 
ih- there into the forest at quite a distance 
from neighbors, it being the same farm 
where his son, Dan C. Squires, afterward 
resided. About the )-ear 1800 Ebenezer 
Carley moved into this town from Unadilla, 
and located on the west side of the river, 
where his son Alanson subsequently re- 
sided. He was commissioned captain of 
militia compan)- number one, organized in 
this section of the country. He had a large 
family of children. Ezekiel C. became a 
captain of the militia and also held the office 
of justice of the peace. Of this large fam- 
ily none are now living e.xcept two brothers, 
Alanson and Oren. 

It would be a difficult task, at this remote 
period, to ascertain the precise date of the 
arrival of each family of the first settlers 
here, as far back as the close of the last cen- 



350 



History of Cortland County, 



tur\", or the regular order as tntlie jiriorits' 
of time, in c\ery case, when thej' entered 
this valley. In F"ebniary of the )-ear 1805 

Patrick Maller\-, wlio some years after be- 
came a caj^tain of militia, a brother of 

Scjuirc Hunt's wife, arrived here with his 
wife and one child, and settlecJ on the farm 
one mile north of Marathon village, after- 
wards occupied b\- G. Penno\'er. He re- 
sided a few weeks with his sister's family, 
while erecting a log house for the reception 
of his own. This was early in the spring, 
when each famil}' was actively employed in 
manufacturing maple sugar. To secure a 
supply of such an important article for do- 
mestic use, it became necessar}' for him to 
tap his trees prior to furnishing his house. 
The farm was situated mostl)- on the west 
side of the river, and his maple trees were 
on the flat, directly across the stream. Be- 
ing busil)- engaged one daj-, assisted b}' his 
wife, in gathering and boiling sap, they 
were detained until approaching darkness 
reminded them that it was time to start for 
home. They entered their canoe and had 
just reached the eastern shore and found 
the narrow path that led down to the stream 
to Mr. Hunt's, when, to their surprise and 
consternation, their ears were saluted with 
the most clamorous, violent and discordant 
sounds, from directly across the river, they 
had ever heard. The woods were appar- 
ently full of monsters in pursuit of them, as 
their intended victims, and engaged in fiend- 
ish strife respecting the several shares of the 
spoils. How to escape from these mon- 
strous cannibals was the subject of an.xious 
thought and hasty deliberation. Mrs. Mal- 
lery advised a rapid retreat; but her hus- 
band, being a \cry stout man, aiul u isliing 
to retain his reputation for braverv, had a 
great aversion to "an attack in the rear " 
He therefore firmly grasped his axe, which 
he carried in his hand as an instrument of 
defense, and cautiousl}- followed his wife, 



vv ho alternatclv ran forvvard a few rods with 
speed and then fell back again, urging him 
to make a more rapid progress. Notwith- 
standing the captain's resolute intentions, it 
is probable that tlir ni.iich w.is not very 
slow : and the\- soon reached the house of 
their friends without suffering an attack, 
and gave the alarm of the approaching en- 
emy. But they were soon relieved of their 
fears, though somewhat mortified to learn 
that these savage monsters were nothing 
more tlian a class of nocturnal birds called 
owls, incapable of injuring either man or 
beast. 

Dr. S. M. Hunt, son of Ur. Japheth 
Hunt, was born in Marathon, on tlie 30th 
of October, 1798. His grandfather settled 
on the farm now owned b_v A. S. Johnson, 
known as the Comstock place. His father 
settled on the east side of the river where 
the Marathon House now stands ; there S. 
M. Hunt was born. He finished his edu- 
cation in the Homer Academv'. then one 
of the most famous educational institutions 
in Central New York. He studied medi- 
cine with Dr. Pelatiah Brooks and, after 
receiving his diploma, practiced his chosen 
l)rofession in Killawog, Upper Lisle, Maine 
and Marathon. He held the office of jus- 
tice of the peace, judge of the Court of 
Common Pleas and justice of the sessions. 
In 1852 he returned to Marathon, where 
he afterwards resided, with the exception 
of a few years at Killawog. He was mar- 
ried, at the age of twenty-three, to Maria 
Havens, daughter of Mordecai Havens and 
sister of Dr. Daniel and Charles G. Havens, 
the latter a prominent lawyer of New York 
city. Their children were D. Deloss and 
Duray Hunt, now of Marathon, and Dr. 
De Forest Hunt, of Grand Rapids, Mich., 
and Mrs. C. A. King, of Albany. Dr. 
Hunt vvas a charter member of the Masonic 
Lodge at Marathon, which suffered an irrep- 
arable loss in his death. 



Town of Marathon. 



35> 



According to Dr. Hunt's historical notes, 
already alluded to, mills for sawing lumber 
and grinding grain were not erected in 
Marathon until 1808, although the want of 
them was sadh' felt long before that. They 
were the first framed buildings on the site 
of Marathon \'illage. Malachi Church 
emigrated to Marathon in 1805, from 
Chenango count}', a distance of about fort}' 
miles. This journe}- was accomplished in 
three days of severe toil. He was born in 
Brattleboro, Vt, on the 15th of May, 
1769, and at the age of twent}' married 
Luc}- Blakeslee; the}- had a large famil}- 
of children. He was a blacksmith, but 
upon his arrixal in the place, found little 
encouragement for a mechanic, as there 
were then but a few residents. Ten or 
twelve v'ears after his arrival he built a 
framed house and shop on the west side of 
the river a few rods from the site of the 
railroad depot. There, with the assistance 
of his sons, he carried on blacksmithing 
several years. In 181 5 he was made a 
justice of the peace and held the office for 
many years. He was also made a deacon 
in the Baptist Church in 1823 and filled the 
office until his death in November, 1S46. 

Deacon Huntley, another prominent 
pioneer, came into the valle}' at an early 
da}- and located about a mile south of the 
village, where he worked at blacksmithing 
for a time. His son John was also a black- 
smith. 

Allen Rice was an earl}' settler in the 
valley, and seeing the apparent need of a 
blacksmith, put up a small shop, the first 
in the town. Although he had not a 
thorough knowledge of the trade, he did 
considerable work at it for a time, and then 
moved awa}-. He afterwards returned 
and built a shop for w-ooi-carding, near 
where D. Hillsinger's mill now stands. This 
proved to be a great convenience to the 
inhabitants. 



An incident in the life of Mr. Brink, 

whose settlement in the \illage we have 
already described, is worth}- of preserva- 
tion. He w,as returning from Lisle on foot 
one e\-ening, with a plowshare on his 
back, which he had taken to be repaired, 
and had just entered the woods on the west 
side of the river north of Killawog, when 
he heard an animal following his footsteps 
along the narrow path, and approaching at 
times so near to him that he could see his 
eye-balls shining in the darkness. Mr. 
Brink's sociabilit}- was not such as to incline 
him to a ver}- close acquaintance with the 
stranger, and keeping on his w-a}' he tried 
to drive the animal back b}- loud shouts; 
but without avail. He did, however, keep 
the pursuer at ba}- until he had nearly 
emerged from the woods, when the animal 
came uncomfortabh- close to his heels. It 
was a happy thought w-hich led him to la}- 
down the- iron plowshare and begin ham- 
mering on it with an iron bolt. This 
strange music actuall}- caused the animal to 
retreat into the forest. Mr. Brink con- 
gratulated himself the more when he learned 
that his pursuer was a large panther. 

About the year 1808, John Chamberlain 
moved into the town and built a saw-mill 
on the creek at the same place where David 
Hillsinger's saw-mill now- 'stands. Mr. 
Chamberlain was a carpenter, but had little 
experience as millwright; yet he erected 
his mill, [)ut in the wheels and gearing and 
all worked to his satisfaction, except the 
saw. This persisted in running out of a 
direct line to such an extent that a plank 
two inches thick at one end. would be cut 
down as thin as a shingle at the other. Mr. 
Chamberlain was unable to correct the 
difficult}-, and hnall}- became full}- con- 
vinced that the mill w-as influenced by 
witchcraft, a general belief in which was 
prevalent in those days. He was a godly 
man, subsequentl}- becoming a useful 



35^ 



History of Cortland County. 



])rcaclicr in the I'rco-W'ill Baptist denom- 
ination, and he was not wiUing to behevc 
that any good influence was at work in his 
mill; and he had heard of nian\- apparently 
well authenticate-d instances of similar evil 
beingworked through the agency of witches; 
the more he thought of it, the more firml)- 
he became convincetl that this was the 
source of his trouble in the mill, and he 
resolved to ilo everything in his pi)Wer to 
eradicate the influence. He accepted the 
prevailing belief that a witch could not be 
killed with ordinar\- powder and ball, but 
that if a silver bullet was used, fatal results 
would surely follow. He accordingly ham- 
mered out a silver bullet, put a remarkable 
charge of powder in his gun, followed by 
the costh- ball, and repaired to the mill for 
his battle with the invisible agency. Start- 
ing the saw, he stood near, with leveled 
gun, awaiting the first indication of way- 
wardness in the mill. It soon appeared as 
usual, when he blazed awa)- direct!}- at the 
saw. The eftect was certainly all he could 
have expected ; for the extraordinary charge 
caused the gun to "kick" him o\-er in one 
direction, while the hard silver bullet so 
bent the saw in the other that its days of 
usefulness were over. The effect on the 
witch was never ascertained. The services 
of an cxperi#nced millwright now had to 
be called in, and the mill was placed in ex- 
cellent running order and thereafter it 
worked satisfactorily. 

In the year 1808, the father of Thurlow 
Weed, the famous politician and journalist, 
removed to the town of Marathon, and 
there the boyhood of tlie future eminent 
citizen was passed. In response to the 
request of H. C. Goodwin, who published 
a history of the count\' man\- \-ears ago, 
Mr. Weed, then a resident of the citj- of 
Albany, wrote him the following interest- 
ing letter concerning his early life in the 
vicinitN' of Marathon : — 



•'.\l1!..vnv. M.iy 16th. 1858. 
■■ H. (.'. Goodwin, Esq.: 

•• My Dear Sir — Your letter ot 30th of .\pril 
lias remained i|uite too long unanswered, partly 
on account of severe illness in my family, but 
mainly bei;ause your kind and nut unusual re- 
(|ue.st embarrasses me. Several applications, sim- 
ihir ill character, from book-makers, I have 
simply cleclined. because, first, there is ncjthing 
in m\- life entitled to historic attention ; and, 
second, it am of its events were worthy such at- 
tention, it is neither proper or becoming in me 
to furnish the materials. So strong are my con- 
victions of propriety in this regard that, many 
years ago. after declining to furnish information 
relating to myself, asked for by the late Jabez 
D. Hammond. 1 declined also to read in manu- 
script what he had jirepared. The consequence 
of that refusal is. that I go down to jjosterity — 
if Hammond's [jolitical history oudives the pres- 
ent generation — as a • drummer in the war of 
181 2.' Now. I am entitled to no such distinc- 
tion; for I never learned, and never could learn, 
a note or stave of music. I remember to have 
gone, when a boy. once or twice to an evening 
singing-school : but after unavailing attempts at 
ipiavers and semi-quavers, the teacher snatched 
the gamut from my hand, and turned me out of 
the class. I will, however, in this instance, de- 
part so far from my usual practice as will allow 
me to furnish the dates you desire, though in 
doing so. 1 feel as 1 suppose one should feel in 
robbing a hen-roost. I "ill now give you some 
'reminiscences' connected with my early resi- 
dence in Cortland county. 

•■ In the winter of 1808, my father, — an hon- 
est, hard-working man. — whose industry, subject 
to the various draw-backs of sickness and ill- 
luck, which the poor only can understand, en- 
abled him to furnish but a scanty support for 
his family, in the hope of • bettering his condi- 
tion.' removed to Cincinnatus. in Cortland coun- 
ts where Nathan Weed, his youngest brother, 
resided. We were settled in a log house, upon 
a small clearing, about a mile from the Onon- 
daga river; or. for the purpose of fixing our 
locality. I had better say. about that distance 
from • Brink's Tavern.' Cincinnatus then, what- 
ever may be its present condition, was in its 
almost wilderness state. 1 have not been there 



Town of Marathon. 



05 J 



in half a century, and am told that there are no 
forests, or land-marks, or monuments b\' which 
1 could recall or identify the localities of which 
my mind retains familiar and distinct impressions. 
Inhabitants were then ■ few and far between.' 
Uur nearest neighbor was Mr. Gridley. a farmer, 
rather • well to do in the world,' who would 
work hard through • planting,' or • hoeing,' or 
' harvesting,' and then seek indemnity in a week 
or ten days' ■ spree,' on new, raw whisky. The 
most fore-handed family in the neighborhood 
was that of Captain Carley, (one member of 
which, Alanson. then a boy of my own age, 
was, some years since, a respected Member of 
the Legislature), among whose luxuries, as I 
remember, was a young apple orchard, and the 
only • bearing' orchard within a circuit of se\eral 
miles. 

" My first employment was in attenilance upon 
an ashery. The process of e.xtractiiig lye from 
ashes, and of boiling the lye into black salts, 
was commonplace enough: but when the melt- 
ing down into potash came, all was bustle and 
excitement. This labor was succeeded, when 
the spring had advanced far enough, bv the du- 
ties of the ' sap-bush.' This is a season to which 
the farmers' sons and daughters look forward 
with agreeable anticipations. In that employ- 
ment toil is more than literally sweetened. The 
occupation and its associations are healthful and 
beneficial. When your troughs are dug (out of 
basswood. for there were no buckets in those 
days), )our trees tapped, your sap gathered, 
your wood cut, and your fires fed, there is leisure 
either for reading or ' sparking.' .\nd what 
youthful denizens of the sap-bush will ever for- 
get, while • sugaring-off,' their share in the trans- [ 
parent and delicious streak of candy congealed ; 
and cooled in snow ? Many a farmer's son has 
found his best o])portunities tor mental improve- 
ment in his intervals of leisure while ■ tending 
sap-bush.' Such, at any rate, was my own ex- 
perience. At night you had only to feed the 
kettles and keep up your fires — the sap having 
been gathered and the wood cut ' before dark.' 
During the day we would also lay in a good 
stock of fat pine, by the light of which, blazing i 
brightly in front of the sugar-house, in the posture 
the serpent was condemned to assume as a pen- 
alty for tempting our great first grandmother, I I 



have passed many and many a delightful night 
in reading. I remember in this wa\- to have 
read a history of the French Revolution, and to 
have obtained from it a better and more endur- 
ing knowledge of its events and horrors, and of 
the actors in that great national tragedy, than I 
have received from all subsetpient readings. 1 
remember also how ha])py I was in being able 
to borrow the book of a Mr. Keyes, after a two 
mile tramp through the snow, shoeless, my feet 
swaddled in remnants of a rag-carpet. 

•• Though but a boy. I was large, healthy, 
strong, not laz\ , and, therefore, ambitious ' to 
keep up my row ' in planting and hoeing ])ota- 
toes and corn. The principal employment of 
the farmers of Cincinnatus, fifty years ago, was 
in clearing their land. Cattle, during the win- 
ter, for the want of ■ fodder,' were turned out to 
' browse ' in the • slashings.' As the work of 
clearing the land was too heavy for men single- 
handed, chopping and logging ■ bees ' were re- 
sorted to for aggregating labor. These seasons 
of hard work were rendered exciting and festi\ e 
by the indispensable gallon bottle of whisky. 
There were ' bees ' also for log house raisings. 
After the loggings, and as the spring opened, 
came the burning of the log and brush-heaps, and 
the gathering of the ashes. 

'• But little wheat was grown there then, and 
that little was harvested with the sickle, the 
ground being too rough and stumpy for cra- 
dling. 

" Our first acquisition in the way of ■ live 
stock ' was a rooster and four hens ; and I re- 
member with what a gush of gladness I was 
awakened at break of day the next morning by 
the loud, defiant voice of chanticleer ; and when, 
several days afterwards, I found a real hen's 
nest in a brush-heap, with eggs in it, I cackled 
almost as boisterousl}- as the feathered mother 
whom 1 had surprised in the feat of parturition. 
" The settlers employed in clearing and ' bet- 
tering ' their land, raised just enough to live on 
'from hand to mouth.' Their principal, and, 
indeed, only reliance for the purchase of neces- 
saries from ' the store,' was upon their ' black 
salts.' For these the. merchants always juiiil 
' the highest price in cash or goods.' 

'• I remember the stir which a ' new store,' es- 
tablished in Lisle (some seven or eight miles 



354 



History of Cortland County. 



down the river), by the Rathbiins, from Oxford, 
created in our neighborhood. It was 'all the 
talk ' for several weeks, and until a party of 
house-wives, by clubbing with their products, 
fitted out an expedition. Vehicles and horses 
were scarce, but it was finally arranged, — A, 
furnishing a wagon ; B, a horse ; C, a mare, and 
D, a boy to drive. Si.\ matrons, with a com- 
modity of black salts, tow cloth, flax, and maple 
sugar, went their way rejoicing, and returned 
triumphantly at sun-set with fragrant Bohea for 
themselves, plug tobacco for their husbands, 
flashy calico for the children, gay ribbons for the 
girls, jack-knives for the boys, crockery for the 
cupboard, and snuft" for ' grannie.' This expe- 
dition was a theme for much gossip. The w'on- 
ders of the ' new store ' were described to .staring 
eyes and open mouths. The merchant and his 
clerk were criticised in their de|)ortment, man- 
ners and dress. The former wore shiny boots 
with tassels; the latter, a ruffle shirt, — and both 
smelt of pomatum I I do not believe that the 
word ' dandy ' had then been invented, or it 
would have certainly come in play on that occa- 
sion. Thirty years afterwards I laughed over 
all this with my old friend. General Ransom 
Rathbun, the veritable proprietor of that ' new- 
store.' 

" The grinding of our neighborhood was done 
at ■ Hunt's mill,' which on one occasion was 
disabled by some defect in the flume or dam, 
and then we were compelled to go with our 
grists either to Homer or to ' Chenango Forks.' 

" I recollect, on more than one occasion, to 
have seen boys riding with a bushel of corn 
(bare-back, with a tow halter) to the distillery, 
and returning with the gallon bottle of whisky, 
balanced by a stone in the other end of the bag. 

" In the autumn following our removal to Cin- 
cinnatus I had ' worked out ' and earned leather 
(sole and upper) enough for a pair of shoes, 
which were to be made !))• a son of Crispin 
(Deacon Badger, if I remember rightly), who 
live<l on the river a mile and a half away. The 
deacon, I doubt not, has gone to his rest, and I 
forgive him the fibs he told, and the dozen jour- 
neys I made barefooted over the frozen and 
' hubby ' road in December, before the shoes 
were done. 

" I attended one regimental re\iew, or ' gen- 



eral training,' as it was called. It was an emi- 
nently primitive one. Among the officers were 
two chapeaux, to which Captain Carley, one of 
the two, added a sword and sash ; four feathers 
standing erect upon felt hats ; fifteen or twenty 
muskets ; half a dozen rifles ; two horse drums, 
and as many ' s])irit-stirring fifes.' Of rank and 
file, there were about two hundred and fifty. In 
the way of refreshments, there were gingerbread, 
blackberry pies, and whisky. But there was 
neither 'sweat-leather,' 'little jokers,' or other 
institutions of that character, upon the ground. 
Having, before leaving Catskill, seen with my 
own eyes a live governor (Morgan Lewis) review 
a whole brigade, I regarded that training as a 
decided failure. 

'•There were no events at all startling during 
my residence at Cincinnatus, — no murders, no 
suicides, no drownings, no robberies, no elope- 
ments, no ' babes lost in the wootls,' occurred to 
astonish the natives. .\ recruiting sergeant came 
along (it was in embargo times), and three or 
four idle fellows (Herrings and Wilders by name, 
I think), ' 'listed ' and marched oft'. 

" There were neither churches nor ' stated 
preaching ' in town. .A Methodist minister came 
occasionally and held meetings in private houses, 
or at the school-house. In the winter there was 
a school on the river, and the master, who 
' boarded round,' must have • had a good time of 
it ' on johnny-cake for breakfast, lean salt pork 
for dinner, and samp and milk for supper. 

" There were but few amusements in those 
davs, and but little of leisure or disposition to 
indulge in iliem. Those that I remember as 
most pleasant and exciting were ' huskings ' and 
'coon-hunts.' There was fun, too. in smoking 

• woodchncks ' out of their holes. 

■•Dining my residence there, .Mr. \\'attle> 
moved into tiie neighborhood. He came, I 
think, t'rom what was then called ' the Triangle,' 
somewhere in Ciienango county, and was a sub- 
land agent. 'They were, for that region, rather 

• stylish ' people, and became obnoxious to some, 
and caused a good deal of remark. One thing 
that excited esjiecial indignation was, that per- 
sons going to the house were asked to clean 
their shoes at the door, a .scraper having been 
placed there for that purpose. .A maiden lady 
(Miss 'Theodosia Wattles) rendered herself es- 



Town of :\Iarathox. 



355 



pecially obnoxious to the spinster neigitbors by 
• dressing up ' week-day afternoons. They all 
agreed in saying she was a • proud, stuck up 
thing.' In those days, ' go-to-meeting clothes ' 
were reserved for Sundays. 

" Leeks were the bane of my life in Cincin- 
natus. They tainted everything, but especially ^ 
the milk and butter. Such was my aversion to j 
■ leeky milk.' that to this day I cannot endure 
milk in any form. 

" In the fall and winter corn-shelling furnished 
evening occupation. The ears were shelled 
either with a cob. or the handle of a frying-pan. 
There have been improvements since in that as 
in other departments of agriculture. 

" Such are, in a crude form, some of my recol- 
lections of life in Cincinnatus half a century ago. 
That town, then very large, has since been sub- 
divided into three or four towns. Upon the 
farm of my old friends, the Carleys. the large 
and flourishing village of Marathon has grown 
up. .-^nd then, too, a substantial bridge has 
taken the place of the ■ dug out ' in which we 
used to cross the river. Of the sprinkling of 
inhabitants who had then just commenced sub- 
duing the forests and insinuating scanty deposits 
of seed between the stumps and roots, but few, 
of course, survive. The settlers were industri- 
ous, honest, law-abiding, and. with few excep- 
tions, temperate citizens. The friendly neigh- 
borhood relations, so necessary in a new country, 
existed there. .Ml tried not only to take care of 
themselves, but to help their neighbors. Farm- 
ing implements and household articles were 
pretty much enjoyed in common. Everybody 
' lent ' what they possessed, and • borrowed ' 
whatever they wanted. 

" You must judge whether these hastily writ- 
ten recollections of Cincinnatus would at all 
interest the few old inhabitants remaining there : 
and having so judged, you are at liberty to ]3Ut ■ 
them into your book, or into the fire. i 

■• Verv truly yours, i 

■' Thurlow Weed.'' 
J. Zechariah Squires, whose wife was 
Abram Brink's sister, came to the town 
from Binghamtoii in 1801, bringing his 
family in a canoe. He helped Mr. Brink 
build a log house near where William i 



Squires, his son, now lives. They lived in 
Mr. Brink's house a year or two and then 
located on the west side of the river, about 
a quarter of a mile south of Main street; 
there they remained for a time and then 
removed to a f;irm in Lapeer. 

Settlements in tlie Texas Valley were 
made very earl>'. It was the central point 
of the old town of Cincinnatus, when it 
comprised Willet. Freetown and Marathon, 
and about the time of the organization of 
Cincinnatus, in 1804, several families came 
in and settled at or near that point. The 
location was on the old State road and it 
was believed in view of this fact and its cen- 
tral situation, that a thriving village would 
grow up. These hopes were not realized, 
however. The Tioughnioga and the Otselic 
valleys were more rapidly settled for farm- 
ing purposes and mechanics and tradesmen 
also located there more rapidly than at 
other points in the town, or at " The Cen- 
ter," as it was then called. 

Thomas French, a man advanced in years 
and with a large family, moved to the 
" Center " soon after the organization of 
the town, built a small framed house and 
kept the first tavern in the place for a 
number of years. His son, Calvin, suc- 
ceeded him in the homestead, where he died 
some years ago at the age of eighty-five 
years. A few years later a man named 
Hammond removed to the Center, bringing 
a large family ; he located about eighty 
rods west of Mr. I-'rench, where he kept an 
inn for a time. He was also engaged in 
tanning and boot and shoemaking. His 
grandson is now carrying on blacksmithing 
at Texas Valley. 

Dr. Mordecai Lowe located at the Center 
about the year 18 12 and was engaged in 
the practice of his profession for several 
years. He was the only resident phj'sician 
in that region for fifteen or twenty years. 
He is remembered as a man of fair educa- 



356 



llisi'oRV ov Cortland Countv. 



tion, bright intellect ami successful in his 
practice; but his remuneration for liis labors 
was meager. He died of consumption 
about fifty years ago. His son married a 
daughter of Captain Mallery and removed 
to a western State, where his wife tlied, 
leaving a daughter who now lives with her 
aunt, Mrs. Nathan Smith, in Cortland vil- 
lage. Dr. Lowe's daughter married Will- 
iam Hinman, of Merrill Creek, town of 
Marathon. 

An elderly man named Barton, with sev- 
eral grown sons, were pioneers in Texas 
Valley. The family were better educated 
and possessed ability above the average of 
pioneers, who had few opportunities for 
improving their education and mental train- 
ing. Moses Barton was justice of the peace 
for some years and at one time one of the 
county judges. He emigrated to Michigan 
some forty years ago. William Barton, jr., 
held the office of justice of the peace some 
years and was elected Member of Assembly 
in 1824. Henry D. Barton, the youngest 
of the brothers, studied law and settled in 
a village on Seneca lake, where he became 
somewhat distinguished as a Democratic 
politician. 

Samuel Edwards was, with his sons, 
early settlers at the Center. The Leach 
famih', also, came there at an early day. 
Their names were Thomas, Alexander, 
Jonathan and Timoth}-, all large, powerful 
men, who did much to clear up the wilder- 
ness. 

The Meachams, including five brothers, 
settled early in the eastern part of the town. 
Their names were Simon, (jideon, Issacher, 
Isaac and Jonah; the}' located near Merrill 
creek. Jonah kept a tavern for a time, 
where llnmer Wightman's cheese factory 
is now located. 

The Sherwood family, consisting of Dan- 
iel, William L., Seth, Noah and Caleb (all 
now dead), came in and settled on Merrill 



creek a few years after the Meachams came. 
Daniel Sherwf)od ser\'ed as justice of the 
peace for several years, and was sent to the 
Legislature in 1822, where he ser\'ed three 
years. William L. Sherwood was also 
elected justice of the peace. Se\'eral other 
early settlers on Merrill creek might be 
mentioned with commendation, such as 
Capt. John Da\is and Roswell Hinman, 
whose wives were sisters of the Sherwoods ; 
also John and I'eter Fralick, all of whom 
were useful and respected men. 

The entire region between the Tiough- 
nioga valley and Merrill creek was covered 
with a dense forest, so thick as to be diffi- 
cult of passage, and the narrow path con- 
necting the two localities continued until a 
comparati\el)' late date to be a rough, 
muddy way that was not at all attractive to 
travelers. 

Along the northern border of the town 
and on the State road, about half-way be- 
tween the Center and the river, a few 
families .settled as early as 1812-15. Of 
these there were two brothers, Nathan and 
Eleazer Taft, and an old gentleman named 
Noah U^pham, whose lands are now owned 
by his grandson, Duane Upham. Nathaniel 
Bosworth located on the farm where Eleazer 
Meacham and his sons now reside. He 
was a man possessed of more than ordinar\- 
abilit}', of fine personal appearance and ro- 
bust constitution. He was commissioned as 
captain of the first artillery company or- 
ganized in this region of country. He 
made several applications to the State for 
a field-piece and finalK' succeeded in get- 
ting a small brass thiee-pounder. The 
captain then onlered the companj- to meet 
at Killawog, whither he had removed, to 
con\-e)' the gun to his former residence, 
where it was ordered to be kept. The 
ceremony of its reception and dedication to 
the use of the company, an able speech b)- 
the captain, the firing of the cannon and 



Town of Marathon. 



357 



the military parade, proved highly inter- 
esting to the large gathering of people who 
came from far and near to \\ itness the dis- 
play. Many of them had heard of heavy 
artillery, and of its use in hard-fought bat- 
tles; but comparati\el_\- few had c\cr seen 
a cannon, and imagined that the gun would 
be as large as a man's body and taking a 
ball as big as a man's liead. Several of the 
citizens voluntered to escort the gun to its 
destination and followed the company on 
its march of six miles, witnessing the first 
loading and firing at Marathon, where a 
short halt was made. After arriving at 
their destination and partaking of refresh- 
ments, the militar)' drill was resumed and 
general enjoyment reigned, when a casualty 
occurred which precipitated the entire as- 
semblage into the deepest gloom. In load- 
ing the cannon a premature discharge oc- 
curred, which horribl)- mutilated and fatal- 
ly injured a man named \\'ebster, and the 
clay ended in sorrow. Captain Bosworth 
was afterward justice of the peace several 
years. He was the father of Joseph S. 
Bosworth, who was born in the town in 
1808, practiced law in Binghamton and 
subsequent!)' in New \'ork city, where he 
became very successful and popular, and 
was elected chief justice of the Superior 
Court. 

Barnabas Wood and wife, with a family 
of four adult sons and one ilaughter, came 
into the town in 1805 and settled at first 
on the " salt road " east of the village ; af- 
terward the family, with the exception of 
Erastus, located at the ri\-er on a farm north 
of the village, where Martin Brooks now 
lives. Two of the sons, Erastus and Parley 
P., were noted for their legal pretensions 
and their aversion to matrimon}-. Barna- 
bas Wood, jr., was one of the first consta- 
bles elected in the town. He also, like his 
brothers referred to, continued in celibacy 
till considerablv advanced in \-ears, when he 



married a daughter of Judge Lewis. Au- 
gustus, the youngest son, was a person of 
strange and eccentric habits. He claimed 
to hold frequent personal communications 
with denizens of the other world, and his 
mind was occupied with such delusions to 
the almost entire neglect of his personal 
appearance, dress or cleanliness ; he refused 
to have his beard shaved off, a habit which 
gave considerable offense in those days, or 
to change his clothing as civilized people 
deem necessar\-. The family, believing he 
was insane, finally sought the assistance of 
neighbors to compel him to conform to 
habits of common decenc}-. Accordingly, 
several young men of the vicinity volun- 
teered to give the eccentric man a general 
ablution as often as once in two weeks. 
Wood did not take kindly to this kind of 
treatment, and at length decided to submit 
to it no longer. P'or purposes of personal 
defense he took a common case knife, 
ground it sharp on both edges and to a 
point and skillfully fitted it in a handle, 
making a very dangerous dirk. As the 
time approached for another bath, Wood 
watched for his enemies anil when he saw 
their approach, retreated to the attic of the 
house where he took refuge behind the 
chimney, the top of which protruded but a 
little above the roof Reaching up he se- 
cured a number of bricks from the chimney 
top to aid in his defense. The assaulting 
party arrived at the house and ordered him 
to come down, and when he positively de- 
clined, they advanced to capture him ; but 
he used the bricks with such effect that the 
party was forced to retreat. A ladder was 
then put up against the house and the lead- 
er of the party had nearly reached a point 
of \'antage, when he was hit by a brick 
which would have knocked him to the 
ground, had he not been caught by one of 
his comrades. A general and precipitate 
assault was then made and W^ood was cap- 



358 



History of Cortland County. 



tured, but not without his using his dan- 
gerous blade with smnc unfortunate conse- 
quences. Tlic late Alanson Carley was one 
of the part}' and received a wound on his 
check which left a scar that remained 
tlirough his life. Wood was plunged into 
the river and given repeated washings that 
partially overcame his peculiarity. He was 
soon after taken charge of by the overseers 
of the poor as a pauper, and after the divis- 
ion of the town, each of the four towns con- 
tributed equally to his support. The board 
and care of the pauper was let to the low- 
est bidder and annually caused a good deal 
of local excitement. This method of pro- 
viding for the poor was continued for some 
years, until the more humane plan now in 
vogue was adopted. 

It is manifestly impossible to follow all 
of the early settlements in detail in all parts 
of the town ; but we have noted most of 
the important ones, who were most instru- 
mental in clearing it of the primeval forest 
and laying the foundation of the present 
prosperity and wealth of the communit}-. 
The stage line from Syracuse to Bingham- 
ton ran through the valley, following the 
course of the river, and gave the inhabitants 
of early years their chief coinmunication 
with the outer world ; but the rapid growth 
of the village was much retarded from want 
of railroad communication, until the con- 
struction of the Syracuse and Binghamton 
road, as heretofore described. Upon the 
consummation of this undertaking it soon 
became apparent that the town of Mara- 
thon, and especially the village, was to be 
one of the localities which would be partic- 
ularly benefited therefrom. The dairying 
interest, which had already gained some 
prominence, increased rapidh- ; manufact- 
uring interests received an impetus and 
population v\'as invited to the locality. 

The first town meeting in the old town 
of Harrison was held at Marathon, March 



2d, 1 8 19. Beginning with that date, the 
following is a list of the supervisors and 
town clerks of the town, the supervisor's 
name being given first in each year: — Dan- 
iel Steward, I.ulher Keyes, 1820-21 ; Chas. 
Gerard, John C. Schoonmaker, 1822 ; John 
Davis, Luther Keyes, 1823; John Schoon- 
maker, Cephas Comstock, 1824-25 ; Cephas 
Comstock, Daniel Sherwood, 1826; Cephas 
Comstock, James B. Church, 1827; Alan- 
son Carle)-, W'm. Squires, 1828; Alanson 
Carley, Wm. Barnes, 1829 to 1831, inclu- 
sive, at which time the name of the town 
was changed ; Cephas Comstock, Caleb 
Davis, 1832; Cephas Comstock, Wm. 
Barnes, 1833; James B. Church, George 
Peck, 1834; Alanson Carle\-, Wm. Barnes, 
1835-36; Cephas Comstock, Wm. Barnes, 
183710 1839, inclusive; Alanson Carley, 
Wni. Richardson, 1840; James F. Jones, 
Wm. Richardson, 1841; Wm. Richardson, 
James Comstock, 1842; Patrick Mallery, 
Wm. h. Smith, 1843 ; James Comstock, 
Anson Peck, 1844; James Comstock, Wm. 
Barnes, 1845; Edward Moore, Wm. Barnes, 
1846; James Comstock, E. C. Carley, 1847; 
E. C. Carley, S. Anson Peck, 1848; E. C. 
Carley, Wm. Barnes, 1 849 ; Ezra W. Strat- 
ton. Nelson C. Roe, 1850; Geo. W. Crock- 
er, Cyrus W. Newell, 1851 ; John Van Ars- 
doU, Israel W. Taft, 1852; Lucien E. 
Crane, Israel W. Taft, 1853-54; Israel 
W, Taft, Eli B. Husted, 1855; Lucien B. 
Crane, Eli B. Husted, 1856; Ira Lynde, L>- 
nian Adams, 1857; Alanson Carle}-, Lj-man 
Adams, 1858; James Comstock, Anson 
Peck, 1859; Anson Peck, Lewis A. Hazen, 
i860; Cephas Comstock, Wm. Esmay, 
1861; Cephas Comstock, James A. Coffin, 
1862-63 ; Patrick Mallery, Wm. W. Powers, 
1864-65; Wm. Squires, Wm. W. Powers, 
1866; Patrick Mallery, John Q. Adams, 
1867; Patrick Mallery, Frank I. Maybury, 
1868 to 1870, inclusive; E. C. Carley, 
Theo. L. Corwin, 1871 ; Wm. A. Bentley, 



Town of Marathon. 



559 



Randolph R. Maybury, 1872-73 ; Patrick 
Mallery, R. R. Maybun-, 1874; \Vm. A. 
Bentley, R. R. Ma\bury, 1875 ; E. C. Car- 
ley, Jerome Pollartl, 1S76; Geo. P. Squires, 
M. B. Aldrich, 1877; Patrick Mallery, \V. 
B. Aldrich, 1878; Geo. A. Hulbert, Carley 
Adams, 1879; Albi-rtus A. Carley, Hosca 
B. Aldrich, 1880; Lncien E. Crane, A. 
Carle\- Adams, 1881 ; E. C. Carley, Jerome 
Pollard, 1882; E. C. Carley, Jerome Pol- 
ard, 1883. 

Town officers for I 884 : — 

E. Clark Carley, supervisor. 

Thomas W. Reilley, town clerk. 

John A. McVean, David Wallace, Geo. 
A. Hulbert, Moses R. Aldrich. justices of 
the peace. 

Geo. H. Chaplin, highwa\' commissioner. 

Homer Wightman, E. W. Meacham, 
John L. Smith, assessors. 

Joseph A. Cole, collector. 

William Esma\', John W. Livingston, 
Frederick Tarble, inspectors of election. 

C)Tus B. Northrup, Deloss C. Hammond, 
overseers of the poor. 

Joseph A. Cole, W'ni. Da\idson, Samuel 
A. Heaney, constables. 

This town came forward at the breaking 
out of the war of the rebellion and gave 
freeh' of her resources and men in defense 
of the Union. Following is a list of all 
recruits from the town to whom bounties 
were paid, besides whom man\- enlisted 
whose names are not now available, while 
many sleep the last sleep on unmarked 
battle-fields or in the quiet cemetery: — 

Call of October 17th, 18C3, February 
and March, 1864. Bounty, $300. Total, 
$7,200. — Benjamin F. Whitford, Jerry Grif- 
fen, Abel N. Barlow, Charles T. Shaft, Al- 
bert F. Smith, Oliver C. Hosier, Edward 
Burgess, Simon Rockfeller, William Boice, 
Eugene Wilcox, William F. Gilman, Geo. 
H. Ralph, Edgar C. Carley, John W. 
Waterman, Garry Shaple)', George Jackson, 



George Prentis, William P. Smith, Oren 
Withey, Alexander Thompson, George B. 
Smith, David G. Conger, Edward James, 
Elson F. Quinn. 

Call of July i8th, 1864. Bounty, $ I, ooo. 
Brokerage, $775. Total, $3 i ,000. — Clement 
Arnold, Henry S. Bacon, Edward A. Bar- 
low, Charles A. Bunnell, Ransom Coon- 
radt, James M. Coonradt, John L. Chase, 
Hiram Clark, Abram Clark, James Davern, 
John Dykeman,Abel Foster, Jerry S. Gross, 
Twing R. Hett, Lenden P. Hillsinger, Al- 
bertus C. Hillsinger, Nathan James, Na- 
thaniel Knapp, George W. Miller, Webster 
Pierce, Charles A. Potts, Oren C. Reed, 
George Sherwood, Albert J. Spencer, Wm. 
Sullivan, Lorenzo Thomas, Francis F. 
Tompkins, Arthur Terpining, Roscoe Valen- 
tine, Stephen M. Wood, Eliakim S. Weld. 

Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
calls of October 17th, 1863, February and 
March, $7,200. Paid for filling quota, call 
of July i8th, 1864, $31,775. Grand total, 
$38,975. 

MARATHON VILLAGE. 

But a few years prior to the opening of 
the Chenango canal in 1837, what is now 
the thriving village of Marathon hardly 
deserved the name of village; it was in 
reality a mere hamlet of small dwelling 
houses, destitute of commercial interests ; 
there was not a physician, attorney, minister 
or priest residing here; there was no store 
in the place and very few sho])s, while an 
occasional tailor or shoemaker came into 
the place for a brief visit, to mend or make 
the clothing and shoes of the people. The 
houses were mostly quite small, generallj- 
of one story or at the most a story and a 
half in height and very few if an\- were 
painted previous to 1820. 

About the year 1840 the village began 
to assume a considerable degree of activity 
and growth ; but the process was slow and 



36o 



History of Cortland County. 



it was not until coniparati\'ely late years 
that it has become a stirring business cen- 
ter for the inhabitants of a large section of 
surrounding country. At about the time 
of the establishment of the first store in 
the village there were not more than a 
dozen houses here. The east side of the 
riv^cr, from its favorable location in respect 
to public travel, offered better inducements 
for growth and improvement, than the op- 
posite side. The stage road from Cort- 
land to Binghamton.the principal thorough- 
fare through the valley, ran along that side 
of tlie stream and there was also located 
the only tavern and the post-office, all con- 
tributing to the advantages of that section 
of the place. The western side of the 
ri\'er at this point did not, previous to 1850, 
present man)- indications of an earh" ex- 
tension of the village in that direction. 
There were a few respectable dwellings 
there, occupied mosth- b}- farmers; but 
with tile exception of a grist-mill, saw- 
mill, fulling-mill and carding- machine, a 
cabinet shop and blacksmith shop, there 
was little of a business aspect in that 
localit)'. When, however, the building of 
the railroad and its location on that side of 
the river were assured, business men and 
mechanics were attracted thither and an 
impetus was given to the growth of that 
portion of the village which is still felt. 
The building of this railroad (finished in 
1854), while it practically killed many of 
the smaller stations along the line, was the 
real basis of the growth and prosperity of 
Marathon \-ilIage, giving it connection with 
the New York, Lake Erie and Western on 
the south and with the New York Central 
on the north. 

Mr. Brink, whose settlement has already 
been alluded to, as the first tavern-keeper 
in Marathon, was also the first to erect a 
structure suitable • for the purposes of a 
store and lease it to whoever might be dis- 



posed to make the first mercantile venture. 
The building stood a few rods north of 
where the bank building is now located, 
and was rented to William Snyder; he could 
not have been very heavily supplied with 
capital, as he returned from a trip to New 
York for the purchase of goods without 
having bought any, giving as a reason that 
there were no fresh goods in that city at 
the time. He later became, however, able 
to purchase in very large quantities. 

Luther Keyes rented this store after 
Snyder left it and put in a small stock of 
goods, including what \xas then thought to 
be a necessary article in all similar establish- 
ments — whisk}'. He there sold this bev- 
erage freely and, as justice of the peace, 
administered the law, probably to some 
of his own customers, in the same store. 
He made a failure of his enterprise and 
was sold out to satisfy the claims of his 
creditors. His successor in the store was 
David Manrose, who was cquall)- unsuc- 
cessful. James Burgess was also engaged 
in trade in the same building for a few 
years. 

The late John M. Roe, formerl)' .1 mer- 
chant at Freetown Corners, traded in this 
store for a time, while awaiting the building 
of a larger structure for the reception of 
his goods in 1837, on the site of the Hazen 
Block. Mr. Roe continued in trade there 
for a number of years, a portion of the 
time with William Richardson and subse- 
quenth" with IraLynde. The latter finally 
bought out the establishment and continued 
the business for a time, selling out to L. A. 
Hazen, and the building to Henry Carter. 
While Mr. Hazen occupied the store the 
building was burned, but the insurance on 
the structure and goods was nearl\- or quite 
sufficient to cover the loss. 

Messrs. Carley & Brink built the store 
now occupied by J. & G. A. Hulbert. Mr. 
Carley and Anson Peck were the first pro- 



Town of Marathon. 



361 



prietors to engage in trade there and Mr. 
Carley subsequently purcliascd Peck's in- 
terest and continued the mercantile business 
successfully for several years. 

The old store on the opposite side of the 
street was also prosperous under the man- 
agement of George Peck and his brother- 
in-law, A. Hibbard, and afterward under 
the management of Peck & Dickson. Some 
years later the building was occupied for 
the manufacture and sale of hats, during 
which time it was destroyed by fire. 

In the \-car 1853 P2. C. Carle)- erected 
the first store on West Main street, where 
Daniel E. Whitmore now is. Mr. Carley 
did business there for about two years, and 
was succeeded b\- A. A. Carley and C. C. 
Adams, and afterward by C. C. Carley and 
Adams & Birch, in 1868. Mr. Whitmore 
has occupied the store eight or ten years. 
D. D. Hunt built the store just west of the 
bridge and C. C. Adams went into business 
at that location, where lie has since re- 
mained. 

D. D. Hunt began business in a general 
way in 1855. In 1869 he built the Man- 
sard Block, to which he removed from the 
building now owned b\- G. W. Webster, 
l^'rom about the time of his removal until 
1875 he was in partnership with Oscar 
Wilde; he was then alone until Ma\-, 1882, 
when his son-in-law, C. M. Chapman, came 
into the firm under the style of Hunt & 
Chapman, and the\- carr)- a large stock of 
hardware, groceries and drugs, and enjoy a 
liberal patronage. 

Mack & Husted ha\e been in iKU'tnership 
for a number years, in the hardware trade, 
and are among the prominent business men 
of the village. 

The Peck block was erected in 1854. 
I.\niaii Adams began in the dry goods 
trade in 1853. In 1865 he formed a part- 
nership with James H. Tripp and for seven- 
teen \-ears thereafter the\- carried on a suc- 



cessful trade, the firm name becoming a 
household word throughout a wide extent 
of territory. I-'or some years the\' have 
done a collection business and in 1883 es- 
tablished the private banking house, which 
is soon to be succeeded by a National Bank. 
W. C. Sanders succeeded Tripp & Adams 
in mercantile business in March, 1883. 

L. C. Ball came to Marathon from Har- 
ford in I 874 with a business experience of 
about ten years. He became a member of 
the dry goods firm of Pollard & Ball. 
After three _\ears the firm was dissolved and 
Mr. Ball has since continued the business 
alone. 

L. F. Ward has recently established him- 
self with a stock of clothing and furnishing 
goods. 

The boot and shoe trade of Marathon 
was begun by E. B. Husted in 1855. 
Since that time A. G. Smith and Water- 
bury & Talmadge have engaged in the bus- 
iness. E. A. Hazen began business in 
1858 and now carries a stock of boots and 
shoes, clothing, etc. The old building on 
this site was burned in the fall of 1861, and 
in 1862 E. E. Hazen built the new block 
which now bears his name, E. A. & E. E. 
Hazen were associated in business for sev- 
eral years. 

The grocery trade in Marathon, as a 
separate line, was begun in 1855 by Geo. 
E. Swift, who still continues the business in 
a small wa}-. David M. Hunt began the 
trade at about the same time and has for 
many years past dealt in groceries and 
drugs. The firms of Corwin & Son, Hunt 
& Chapman and Tiftan}- & Pulford are all 
enterprising dealers in groceries and are well 
patronized by the public. 

William Dellow began the manufacture 
and sale of furniture in Willet soon after 
1850, and removed to Marathon in the 
spring of 1875, where he has carried on 
the same business since. Da\'is & Bov- 



362 



History of Cortland County. 



den began in tlie same line in the spring 
of 1884. 

It was about tlic year 1801 before aii}- 
thing was done in iMarathon to provide 
milling facilities for the inhabitants. John 
Hunt erected the first grist-mill on the east 
side of the river about twent)- rods north 
from the present ri\er briilge. Some \-ears 
afterward John and William Smith built a 
grist-mill on the west bank of the river, 
where L. A. Burgess & Son's saw-mill now 
stands. The first saw-mill was built by 
John Chamberlain in 1808, to which we 
have already alluded. Benjamin Adams 
rebuilt the grist-mill in the present more 
con\enient location, and after running it for 
a while sold to A. Carley, the present 
owner, who has had it repaired and reno- 
x'ated throughout and all modern improx'e- 
ments added; the mill has a capacit)- of 
500 bushels in t\\ent\^- four hours. A. Car- 
ley & Son deal large!)' in flour, feed, etc., 
snppl\-ing the retail trade in surrounding 
towns. 

James Li\'ingston built a saw- mill in the 
fall of 1859, just abo\e the \-ilIage on Hunt 
creek. It was burned in 1866, but imme-. 
diateh- rebuilt. It is now owned by Wil- 
liam Dellow & Son. The Livingston 
brothers built a steam saw-mill in 1870, 
which was removed to State Bridge, and 
burned in 1877. Tlie Burgess circular 
saw-mill, built about the \ear i860, was 
run twelve or fifteen years and it, too, 
burned. 

James Livingston, one of the earl)- black- 
smiths of Marathon, was born in Schoharie 
county in 18 16, and, after two or three re- 
movals, came to this village in 1837 and 
began working at his trade, which he has 
ever since continued. His old shop was 
built in 1865, and the new one — the Liv- 
ingston Machine Shop and Bending Works 
— in 1878. The son, James Livingston, 
jr., put in machiner)' for bridge building, 



and the establishment is now vevy prosper- 
ous and an important factor in the manu- 
facturing interests of the village. 

O. il. Smith began blacksmithing in tlie 
\illage thirt)--one )ears ago, and erected 
his present shop in 1867. His old sliop 
was sold to I{. D. Baker in 1865, who has 
made additions thereto and is engaged in 
carriage-making. Jerome Vunk began 
blacksmithing and carriage building in 
1 88 1. 

The dair)ing interest of Cortland county 
has developed a large demand for first class 
butter packages. To meet a portion of this 
demand has been the business of S. M. 
Wood for more than twenty years past. 
He began the cooperage business in 1 86 1. 

He bought the factory opposite the depot 
in 1874, and, after carr)-ing on a large bus- 
iness at that location for seven years, pur- 
chased his present lot, erected his buildings, 
and is extensively engaged in the manu- 
facture of firkins, tubs, barrels, etc. 

The Stockwell Wagon Company is one 
of the largest manufacturing enterprises in 
Marathon, employs thirty hands constantly 
and turns out about 300 wagons annually. 
W. E. Stockwell, a man of large experience 
in this business, is general manager of the 
works. The compan)- was incorporated 
in May, 1882, the first officers beings G. P. 
Squires, president ; D. E. Whitmore, vice- 
president; Wm. A. Stockwell, secretary; 
Lyman Adams, treasurer; W. E. Stock- 
well, superintendent. 

Directors; G. P. Squires, D. E. Whit- 
more, Wm. A. Stockwell, L. Adams, F. 
H. Sweet, D. B. Tripp, C. H. Bouton. 

The building was begun in June, 1882, 
and finished in October following. During 
the fall of 1 883 the company exhibited 
samples of their wagons at the various 
county fairs in Central New York and car- 
ried off, in e\er\- instance, the first pre- 
miums. The most careful attention is paid 



Town of Marathon. 



363 



to the production of the best wheels it is 
possible to make, while in the ironing the\' 
use the best refined iron, Norwa}- iron bolts, 
bolting on more of the iron than is gener- 
ally done. The result is a wagon that it is 
very difficult to excel. The present officers 
of the company are : Geo. L. Swift, presi- 
dent; D. E.W'hitmore, vice-president; Wm. 
A. Stockwell, secretary; L\-man Adanis, 
treasurer; W. E. Stockwell, superintendent. 

Directors: Geo. L. Swift, W. A. Stock- 
well, J. H. Tripp, D. E. Whitmore, L\nian 
Adams, G. E. Tarbell, Clark Pierce. 

Horace Dickinson built a tannery in Mar- 
athon at a comparativel}' early date, and 
was also engaged for some time in the boot 
and shoe business. He sold his tanner}- to 
Mr. D. Shattuck and some time later built 
a new one. About the )-ear i860 another 
large tannery was erected b)' the firm of 
Phillips & Bentley, which gives emplo\-ment 
to about fifteen men and furnishes a mar- 
ket annually for several hundred cords of 
bark. John Dumphy built the largest tan- 
ner}- in this vicinit}' in 1877 and now em- 
ploys from 60 to 100 men and turns out 
about 600 sides of leather a da}'. This is 
one of the most valuable additions to the 
material interests of the village. 

The old cooperage of S. M. Wood & Co. 
passed through the hands of !■;. W. Hayes 
into those of C. M. Chapman, who put in 
extensive machiner}- for the manufacture 
of wheel-barrows, toy wagons, sleds, etc. 
From seven to nine men are employed. 

Tavern-keeping in the old building al- 
read}' described was relinquished about the 
year 1833. This business in the days of 
stage coaches and travel with private con- 
veyances was far more prosperous and im- 
portant in small villages and along the main 
thoroughfares at the period mentioned and 
down to the time of railroad construction, 
than it is at the present time. A mail stage 
then ran from Bint/hamton to Cortland each 



way on alternate days, connecting with sim- 
ilar lines to S}'racuse, and the business of 
countr\- hotel-keeping was one of profit. 

In 1833 David Peck purchased a small 
house, put up an addition to it and fitted it 
up for a tavern. This was the beginning 
of the present Marathon House, which has 
passed through numerous hands, being 
usually enlarged or impro\'ed by each new- 
comer, until it reached its present commo- 
dious and comfortable dimensions and char- 
acter. C. J. & A. Tarble succeeded Mel- 
\in W. Conger as proprietors of the house 
on the 1st of February, 1884. 

The hotel known as the Carle}- House 
was erected in 1854 b}- A. Carle}'. The first 
structure, before it was entirely inclosed, 
was blown down by a severe gale of wind. 
It was at once rebuilt and has been under 
the management of Moses Rogers for seven- 
teen years past. It bears the reputation of 
being a thoroughly first-class countr}- hotel. 

Brown's Hotel was originall}' built for a 
cigar manufactor}-. It was burned down in 
1877 and immediately rebuilt. 

Law}-ers. — Ira L. Little, the oldest at- 
tornev' in Marathon, was admitted to the 
bar in 1855 and soon after removed to tiie 
\-illage, where he has since practiced his 
profession with a good degree of success. 
He was born in \\'alkill. Orange Co., N. Y., 
July 26th, 1830. He was educated in Har- 
ford, studied law with Benjamin S. Bent- 
ley, in Montrose, Pa., and was admitted in 
that State in 1852. Besides his legal abil- 
ity, Mr. Little has won considerable literary 
distinction. 

H. L. Green practiced law for a short 
time in Marathon, in 1852 or 1853. He 
now resides in Salamanca, 

A. G. Stillson came next in 1854, but 
during the fall of the same }-ear accident- 
ally shot himself 

Garret Z. House began practice here in 
the summer of 185S but remained only a 



364 



History of Cortland County. 



short time, going to Drydcii, Tompkins 
county. 

In the spring of 1863 K. A. Barlow came 
to the village for the practice of law ; but in 
1865 he enlisted in the 185th regiment and 
after the war located in South Carolina. 

B. T. Wright came iiere in 1866 and re- 
mained in successful practice eight or ten 
jears, until elected district attorne\- of the 
count}-, when he removed to Cortlantl \il- 
lage. 

\V. J. Mantan\-e began practice here in 
1868; G. E. TarbcU in 1880 and W. C. 
Crombie in 1883. 

Phj'sicians. — Dr. Japheth Hunt was the 
first plu'sician in the \illage. His death 
occurred in 1808, at the age of 97 }-ears. 
His son, Dr. S. M. Hunt, and his grandson, 
Dr. Deloss Himt, ha\e already been alluded 
to. 

Dr. S. Smith was a native of this place ; 
he was licensed to practice in 1848, but re- 
tired in I 85 I and removed to Scott Center, 
where he practiced dentistry. 

Dr. A. D. Reed is a native of Delaware 
count)'. He was educated at Roxbur\', 
studied with Sherman Street and was li- 
censed in 1848. He fir.st practiced in Cas- 
tleton, Vt., then at Cincinnatus, and then 
removed to ^larathmi, where he is still 
located. 

Dr. E. H. Barnes was admitted to the 
Cortland Count)- Medical Society in 1840, 
and has been an acti\e and useful member 
of the society ever since. Drs. l'. P. How- 
land, Lyman Tiftan)-, E. Winter and W. 
H. Hill, and Dr. Apple)' are all engaged in 
practice in Marathon. 

The Press. — The first newspaper pub- 
lished in the \'illage of Marathon was a 
four-column, four-page paper, edited by 
Geo. L. Swift. It was issued monthh', be- 
gan in 1857 and was called the Marathon j 
Telegraph. The editor stated in an early [ 
number that " the Telegraph is capable of | 



producing wonders ; " if he referred to his 
little paper he failed in his reckoning, for it 
attained neither a long life nor a very exalted 
reputation. The next local journal was the 
Tiottghniogan, which was edited and pub- 
lished by E. S. Weld, the successful teacher, 
whose work in the old building now used 
as a Catholic Church led to the establish- 
ment of the academ)'. The Tioughniogan 
was soon merged in Tlie People's Journal, 
a seven-column folio, established in 1861 
b)' E. S. Weld and John R. Bedcn. Early 
in the late war Air. Weld answered the call 
of his country, in consequence of which the 
newspaper enterprise was abandoned. The 
Marathon Leader was established in 1865 
by P. D. V'radenburg, who afterward sold 
to his brother, C. A. Vradenburg. In 1869 
C. Dwight Smith bought the old material 
of this office and started the Marathon 
A'czvs ; but he soon after left the place be- 
tween two days. The Marathon Independ- 
ent, a haniisome six-column folio, was start- 
ed b)' Wallace Kelle)' in 1870, who success- 
fully conducted it to the time of his death 
in 1876. It then passed into the hands of 
Brooks & Day, with Ed. L. Adams as ed- 
itor. In 1878 Mr. Adams bought the in- 
terest of Mr. Da)', and Brooks & Adams 
conducted the establishment until 1880, 
when Mr. Adams took the entire concern. 
It is now an eight-page, fi\'e-column paper, 
and one of the best countr)' journals in 
Central New York. ^ 

Schools. — The first school in Marathon 
was taught by Miss Miriam Cowdry, a por- 
tion of the time in a log barn, and subse- 
quentl)' in a log school-house which stood 
near where the new barn of Wm. Squires 
is located. This school house was a very 
primitixc and rude affair, the windows being 
covered with oiled paper instead of glass ; 
but as early as the close of the war of 181 2 
the log houses in this and adjoining towns 

' See chapter on the press of the county, in lliis volume. 



Town of Marathon. 



365 



began to gradually give way to the first small 
framed houses; school districts were organ- 
ized and school-houses built and provisions 
made for the support of the common schools. 
Sonic of the older residents of Marathon 
village will rememb<;r that a small framed 
school- house was built some sixty years 
ago or more, near the bank of the creek, as 
it then ran, where Hazen's store now stands; 
and that a hea\}- freshet so undermined the 
north side of the building that the structure 
assumed an angle of about twenty degrees. 
The school was, howexer, continued several 
days before the structure was repaired, dur- 
ing which time one-half of the pupils must 
have been compelled to look down some- 
what nn the other half The main channel 
of the creek passed from the saw-mill south- 
westerly, crossing the road at the point 
where the Marathon FTouse is now located. 
An elevated bridge over the stream stood 
between the hotel and the Hazen Block. 

The first school-house of respectable pre- 
. tensions was built by " Esquire " Burgess 
about the year 18 18. He furnished the 
lumber and all the materials and painted it 
for the moderate sum of $100, receiving his 
pay in rye and corn, which were, more often 
than money, the medium of exchange at 
that time. 

The Marathon Academy was chartered 
by the Regents of the University in Feb- 
ruary, 1866. The building in the condi- 
tion it then was had been occupied by a 
high school kept by H S. Weld, w^ho owned 
the building. Mr. Weld enlisted in the 1 85th 
regiment in 1S64 to go to the defense of 
the Union, and the building was sold to 
the Catholic Society about the year 1872, 
who ha\e since used it as a church. The 
school was then given its present beautiful 
location and surroundings. M. L. Hawle\-, 
who subsequently edited the Biiigliamtou 
Standard, was principal of the academy 
durins; the first two \-ears of its existence. 



The institution is now under the principal- 
ship of Hamilton Terry, who is assisted b\' 
Hortense Hodges, Eva D. Gardner and 
Hattie Livingston. The present board of 
education consists of D. E. Whitmore, pres- 
ident; C. C. Carley, secretary; D. D. Hunt, 
treasurer; W. A. Bentley, G. W. ]\Iiller, L. 
A. Hazen, O. H. Smith, D. R. Hunt. 

Churches. — Most of the early settlers in 
this county were favorably disposed towards 
religious instruction and cheerfully contrib- 
uted of their means for the support of such 
ministers of the gospel as could be procured 
to preach occasionallj' in the settlement, 
without regard to their creed. The Rev. 
Seth Williston is remembered as a man of 
excellent literary attainments and an efiect- 
ive preacher. He married a widow lady 
named Dudle)-, at Lisle, where he preached 
a few years, removing thence to Durham. 
Greene county, where he was pastor of a 
church a number of years, and was much 
esteemed for his usefulness and Christian 
character. He was one of the first pastors 
of the Union society in Marathon, which was 
known at its organization as the Society of 
Lisle, Cincinnatus and \'irgil, each town 
contributing to the congregation. Its name 
was subsequently confined to Cincinnatus ; 
then to Harrison and finally to Marathon, 
after the town took that name. It was re- 
ceived under the care of the Presbytery of 
Onondaga September 7th, 18 14, and upon 
the division of that county was assigned to 
the Presbytery of Cortland. In 1825 the 
society reported twenty members. The 
Revs. Matthew Harrison, James Blakeslee, 
Peleg R. Kinne, Wm. J. Bradford, John A. 
Avery and J. F. McLaury, were a few of 
the pastors who have at different times sup- 
plied this society. The church has never 
been large and seems never to have been 
blessed with any special and fruitful revival. 
In 1832 it had seventy-two members; in 
1840 it had sevent}'-five ; in 1846 it had 



366 



History of Cortland County. 



sixty-twii and it now reports six t\- mcmbcTs. 
The present elders of the churcli are Lewis 
W. Uptegrove, Daniel Whitiiiore, Gabriel L. 
Oakley, Jerome Hulbert, Burgess Squires, 
Martin L. Brooks, Geo. W. Webster, Harris 
Ilaniiiioiul and John Robertson. The 
church edifice was built in 1831, by James 
Burgess; it was finished in 1S32 and a few 
years later a bell was hung in the steeple. 
This was the first church building in the \il- 
iatje. It is still in use, but has been much im- 
proved from time to time since its erection. 
The Kc\-. John Lawton was another pio- 
neer preacher of the Baptist denomination, 
whose voice was, like that of his prototype, 
"heard in the wilderness." He was pastor 
of a Baptist church organized at Upper 
Lisle in 1804. Two brothers named Aschel 
and Levi Holcomb were at dift'erent subse- 
quent )'ears pastors of that church, and both 
of them occasionally preached in Marathon 
and adjoining towns. A few of the first 
settlers were members of a Baptist church 
before their arrival here ; they joined the 
church at Upper Lisle, or " Otselic," as it 
was then called. A Baptist church was 
formed at Freetown Corners about the \^ear 
1812, and some of those who had united 
with the Upper Lisle church, withdrew and 
joined the Freetown organization. The 
pioneers of that day were, apparent!)-, more 
zealous and punctual in attending religious 
meetings than at the present time ; women 
not rarel}- went on foot six or seven miles to 
listen to the gospel. Elder Timotln- Shep- 
herd, living near Upper Lisle, preached at 
Freetown a few years, till that church was 
divided and a portion of the members went 
to assist in the formation of a socict\' at the 
" Center " (now Texas Valle}'). Klder 
Shepherd became the pastor of the new 
church at the latter place and preached 
there for a very meager salary, which was 
paid in rye and corn at the regular barter 
price. It is stated, but not verified by li\- 



ing witnesses, that Elder Shepherd had his 
grain deli\ered at a distillery owned b_\' one 
of his flock and had whisky manufactured 
from it; that he took the liquor home and 
sold what he could spare after supplying his 
own wants. While this ina)- not have been 
the fact, it is quite sure that such a transac- 
tion on the part of a minister of the gospel 
would call forth vastly less censure in those 
days than it would at tlie present time. 

An incident related in the sketches pre- 
pared by Dr. Hunt will not be out of place 
here. An old man named Snyder, father 
of a large and respectable family living on 
the hill in the town of Virgil which bears 
his name, usually came to Marathon annu- 
alh- to cut and assist in making clothing 
for the inhabitants. He was a natix'e of 
Hesse Cassel and one of the 17,000 men 
hired in German}' to come over and help 
the British fail in whipping the Yankees. 
Snyder was a pious man and a member of 
the Baptist church. It was then the cus- 
tom of the minister after the sermon was 
concluded, to call on members of the church 
to deliver exhortations or relate their relig- 
ious experience. Mr. Snyder was always 
prompt to discharge this duty. His re- 
marks included not only a general confes- 
sion of his moral short-comings, but a free 
acknowledgment of his former hostile feel- 
ings toward the American people, expressed 
in broken English and almost without va- 
riation in the following words: — 

" Mine frients, I vas once der pitter en- 
em\' of the 'Merican beeples, but der lort 
has obcncd mine eyes to see I vas wrong. 
1 vas told dat dej- vas all wicket rebels and 
when I virst come to 'Merica, I would haf 
kilt you all, if it had peen in my power ; 
but I vas treated so kinth" when taken bris- 
oner by Sheneral Washington, and found 
he was one coot man, dot I deserted and 
haf been a coot frient of de 'Mericans ever 
since." 



Town of Marathon. 



367 



It was not until i860 that a Baptist or- 
ganization was effected in Marathon village, 
the believers of that dcnoniinatinn pre- 
viously attending the church at either Free- 
town or Lisle. The societ_\- formed in Mar- 
athon numbered at the first twenty-five 
members. It has now nearly one hundred 
and is in a flourishing and healthful condi- 
tion. The Rev. Adam H. Todd, the pres- 
ent pastor, took charge of the church April 
1st, 1884. A new church edifice was built 
and dedicated in 1876. R. M. Lovell is 
chairman of the board of trustees. 

The Methodist societ)- was formed here 
in 1830 and is said to ha\-e been composed 
at first of but four members, of whom Or- 
rin Carlc\- was tlie class- leader. The so- 
ciet}' no\\- numbers about 157. Their 
chapel was built in 1842 by James Burgess, 
but it has since been enlarged and consid- 
erably improved in appearance. The pres- 
ent pastor, J. F. W'arner, came to the 
church in April, 1874. The names of the 
trustees are O. H. Smith, John Moore, N. 
H. Winter, Arthur Butick, C. Hultz, E. D. 
Baker, Darius Boyden, E. C. Carley and 
John Livingston. 

The Catholic society is quite small. 
The\' purchased the old Academy building 
and have since worshiped therein. J. L. 
Meagher assumed charge of the church two 
years ago. 

Incorporation. — The incorporation of 
the village of Marathon took place on the 
28th day of December, 1861. The first 
election was held at the house of G. C. Mes- 
senger, when the following trustees were 
elected : Asa Hunt, Anson Peck, Garrett 
Pennoyer, James Brooks, E. S. Weld. Asa 
Hunt was chosen president and S. R. Ben- 
jamin, clerk. 

Following is the record of the sur\'ey of 
the corporation : " Beginning in the high- 
way on the west bank of the Tioughnioga 
river, four chains and eighteen links south 



of seventeen degrees cast from the north 
line of lot owned by Nancy Smith, and 
running thence south seventy-five degrees 
west, twenty-- four chains to a stake marked 
'corporation limits — southwest corner.' 
and standing on land owned b\- Lawrence 
Hindle. Thence north fifteen degrees west, 
100 chains to a stake marked ' corporation 
limits — northwest corner,' and standing 
on land owned b\' Garrett Pennoj-er. 
Thence north seventy- five degrees east 
sixty-four chains to a stake marked ' cor- 
poration limits — northeast corner,' and 
standing on land owned b\' James Brooks. 
Thence south fifteen degrees east, one hun- 
dred chains to the center of the brook 
within the highwa\' leading from the river 
road near Wm. Squires's to Peter Moore's. 
Thence south seventy-five degrees west 
forty chains to the place of beginning, con- 
taining 640 acres, or one square mile of 
land. " 

The present bridge across the river was 
built in 1868. In a stone that lies in the 
eighth layer from the bottom of the western 
abutment, three feet and ten inches from 
the corner, are the following memorials : a 
history of the settlement of the town, pre- 
pared by Dr. S. M. Hunt ; a sermon b\- 
Rev. H. Lyman : the weekly papers of 
the county ; names of the contractors and 
others employed in building the bridge; 
U. S. coins ; a ten dollar confederate bill ; 
a slip of the apple-tree under which Gen- 
erals Grant and Lee arranged the terms of 
the surrender of the Southern arm\- in the 
late war, etc. 

The bridge is a handsnme and substan- 
tial structure. 

At a special meeting of the board of \il- 
age trustees held October 15th, 1867, the 
following persons were appointed members 
of the first fire company of Marathon : A. 
H. Barber (first foreman), B. I^ Wright, C. 
C. Adams, L. S. Burch, E. C. Carley, G. L. 



368 



IIlSTORV OF CuKTLAND COUXTV. 



Swift, R. E. Edwards, W. W. I'oucis, Jolm 
Livingston, Corwin Burgess, D. B. 1 riiip, 
Jerry C. Gray, C. H. Ford, J. O. .\danis, 
J. W. Scliouten, W. Maynartl, R. U, Mack, 
James Livingston, B. Hunt, iv IJ. Burgess, 
D. A. Maci<, Wm. M. Griffith, T. H. Roe, 
Smith Sherwood, Duanc Burgess, D. C. 
Lyndc, E. B. Husted, Jas. Livingston, jr., 
Hiram Cone, J. H. McDowell, F. I. May- 
bury, Geo. R. Burgess, F. F. Tompkins, O. 
H. Smith, J. Pollard, D. D. Hunt, R. R. 
Maybury, E. D. Baker, M. L. Hawley, 
Chas. Hunt, Chas. G. Brink, James S. Bur- 
gess, Chester Nichols, F. M. Ta\'lor, E. D. 
Barnes, James H. Tripp. 

But few of these original members are 
now in the company ; but ever since its first 
organization few fire companies in villages 
even much larger than Marathon have 
done more effective service or secured a 
greater degree of respect from the com- 



munit)- than this one. .An engine was pur- 
chased at Syracuse in i 867, and the present 
engine house was erected a little later The 
present officers of the company are as fol- 
lows : L. C. Ball, chief engineer ; L. D. Ter- 
williger, assistant engineer ; B. L. Adams, 
president ; A. C. Rorabacher, vice-pres- 
ident ; J. W. Livingston, secretary; W. R. 
Pollard, treasurer; J. A. Cole, foreman; 
John H. Boyd, assistant foreman ; J. W. 
Hunt, foreman of hose ; Fred L. Boyden, 
assistant foreman ; Thaddeus Driggs, stew- 
ard. The trustees are Samuel Heanej-, I). 
B. Livingston, Leroy Stevens. 

The trustees of the village for 1884 
are as follows : T. L. Corwin president ; 
D. D. Hunt, treasurer; Adam Hillsing- 
er, collector; J. W. Livingston, clerk; 
James Burgess, Henr\' Casler, Lyman 
Adams. 

The population is about i 100. 



CHAPTER XXni. 



HIsroRV OF THK TOWN OF CTXCI.XX.VrUS. 



THE town of Cincinnatus was one of 
the original townships of the military 
tract; it comprises 15,702^ acres. It is 
bounded on the north by Taylor; on the 
east by Chenango county; south by W'il- 
let, and west by Freetown. 

The surface consists of the valle}' of the 
Otselic river and the ridges which rise upon 
either side. Nearly the entire surface of 
the town is divided into steep hills and 
ridges divided by deep ravines, through 
which flow the tributaries of the Otselic. 

The town was organized April 8th, 1804, 
and retained its original limits until April 
2 1st, 1818, when it was divided b\' the 
erection of Freetown, Willet and Marathon. 

The settlement of Cincinnatus began in 
1795. The inducements to pioneers were 



! not so favorable in this region as in some 
other portions of the count)-; the lands 
were regarded as less desirable for culti\a- 
tion, and the rugged character of the sur- 
face tended to retard settlement somewhat 
until a comparatively recent period. Later 
developments, however, have proven that 
the town is one of the most productive in 
the county, and the farmers get a good re- 
turn for their labor. Tlie soil is varied in 
character, and is generally better adapted 
to grazing than the raising of grain. In 
later years dairying has engaged a large 
share of the attention of tlie farmers of the 
town and they have the reputation of pro- 
ducing butter and cheese of the very best 
cjuality. 

I The earliest settlers of Cincinnatus were 



Town of Cincinxatus. 



369 



John Kingman, Thaddeus Rockwell, Zurial 
Raymond, Dr. John McW'horter, Ezra 
Rockwell and Samuel \'ining. Mr. King- 
man was a native of Wether.sfield, Mass., 
where he was born October 5th, 1770. He 
left home at the age of sixteen and learned 
the shoemaker's trade with Mr. McGee, in 
Sheffield. When he was twenty- five years 
old he came to Ciiicinnatus and located on 
lot 19, bringing with him his wife and his 
infant son, John Kingman, jr., who now 
lives in Cincinnatus at the age of eighty- 
five years. Mr. Kingman was an indus- 
trious man, and being a good shoemaker, he 
worked on his small tract of fifteen acres of 
land in day time and made boots and shoes 
evenings. He thus prospered and pur- 
chased additional land until his farm em- 
braced 150 acres. His worth as a citizen 
was appreciated by his townsmen, who kept 
him in the office of super\'isor for eleven 
successive years and in other town offices 
at different times. He also rose from the 
military office of corporal in an infantry 
compan}-, to colonel. He died in 1859, 
and his wife in 1854. His famil)- were Le- 
ro\' \V., L\-man, 01i\'er, Charles and John, 
the last three settling in this town. John is 
the only one now living, and is one of the 
oldest permanent residents of the town and 
count}". He held the office of supervisor 
eight )-ears and was sent to the Legislature 
in [844. Orange Spencer, Mr. Kingman's 
neighbor is the next oldest resident of the 
town and was one of his first school-mates. 
Oliver Kingman was associate judge from 
1828 to 1846, and the family as a whole 
became prominent members of the com- 
tnunit}-, three of the sons having been 
elected to the Legislature. All of them 
were merchants at some period of their 
lives, and none of them e\-er failed in 
business. 

The Rockwells came from Lenox, Mass. 
Ezra located first in Solon (now Taylor) in 



■793. but two years later removed to Cin- 
cinnatus and settled on lot 19, where he 
purchased 100 acres. Thaddeus located on 
lot 9. 

Dr. McWhorter came originally from 
Washington county, in 1798, but came into 
Cincinnatus from Oxford, Chenango count)'. 
He married a step-daughter of Zurial Ra\-- 
mond, it being the first wedding in the 
town, and there is quite a romance con- 
neected with the event. At the time of 
the marriage there was no person in Cin- 
cinnatus who had the re(juired authority to 
perform the ceremon)'; consequentl}- a 
clergj-man was employed to come from 
Oxford and nfficiate. Upon his arrival a 
new difficult}' presented itself; the minister 
had no authority to marry outside of the 
county of Chenango. So, in order that 
the bond might be properly tied, the little 
wedding part}', escorted b}' Thomas Rock- 
well, started on a trip across the borders of 
the count}-. Reaching what the}- supposed 
was their destination within the limits of 
Chenango count}-, the}- halted at a beautiful 
sylvan spot in the opening and there, sur- 
rounded onl}- b}- nature's loxeliest works, 
the twain were made man and wife. It 
was afterwards learned with some consterna- 
tion that the wedding part}- had not in 
reality passed out of what was then Onon- 
daga county, and it is said that the cere- 
mony was again performed under such 
circumstances as could leave no doubt as to 
its legalit}-. Dr. McWhorter became one 
of the most prominent men in the tov\ n 
and enjoyed an excellent reputation 
throughout the county. He was a politician 
of considerable eminence, and was entrusted 
with the administration of several im- 
portant offices. Erom 1804 to 1808 he 
was a Member of the Assembly. He also 
held the office of surrogate. He had a 
large and respectable family of children. 
Zurial Raymond, before mentioned, came 

24 



370 



History of Cortland County. 



from W'illiamstow 11. Mass. He located nii 
lot 2g, on a Revolutionar)- bount\' claim 
which came to him tlirouj^ii his wife, a 
widow Young. 

Phineas Sergeant, from Oxford, came 
into Cincinnatus in 1796, and Charles De 
Belle, from Berkshire, Mass., came in and 
located on lot 9, in 1797. He married a 
sister of Thomas Rockwell, and died in 
1854; his wife li\-ing to a \-ery old age. 
They had five children. 

Jesse Locke, from O.xford, settled 011 lot 
19 about the year 1800. Many of the early 
settlers in the old town of Cincinnatus have 
been noticed in the histories of Freetown, 
Willet and Marathon. 

The Wyoming, Onondaga and Oneida 
Indians made annual visits to the valle\- of 
the Otselic, which was a fa\orite hunting 
and cainping-gr(jund with them. In 1796 
fort}' Oneidas camped on the ground now 
occupied by the brick store, and during the 
fall and winter the\- killed fort}--two bears, 
the oil from which the)- preserved in some 
of the larger intestines, using it for cooking, 
etc. Soon after Col. Kingman begfan clear- 
ing and improving his land the}- removed 
farther down the river. 

An old resident informs us that these In- 
dians were invariabh- peaceable and well 
disposed, and that, although the doors of 
the settlers' cabins were seldom fastened, 
it was very rare that an}-thing was missed, 
the taking of which could be charged to 
the Indians. He distinctl}' remembers, 
when a little boy, of going to bed with his 
little br(.)thers, in the main room of their log 
house (there probabh- was but one room), 
a blazing fire being left in the great fire- 
place. As the evening advanced, an Indian 
would come stealtliil}- in, making scarcely 
a sound, usuall}' followed by a dog. He 
would deliberatel}- lie down with his feet to 
the fire, his gun b\- his side and the do</ 
next to the cfun. Soon anotlicr Indian 



would come in in the same manner and take 
his position for the night by the side of the 
other, with gun and dog next to him. So 
these sons of the forest would continue to 
Come into the house until frei[uenll}- there 
would be eight or ten of their swarthy fig- 
ures lying in a circle like the spokes of a 
wheel, with their feet all pointing toward 
the fire and usuall}- alternated in each in- 
stance b}- a dog and a gun. Here the}- 
would sleep in peace through the chill}' 
autumn night, and earl}- in the morning 
start out on the chase. Wolves, bear and 
other wild animals were then numerous, and 
it is not more than about si.xty years ago 
tliat the former animals broke into a sheep 
inclosure in that neighborho<.)d and killed 
e\'ery one of the flock. 

Among the early settlers in the town 
were the grandparents of Mr. A. M. Greene, 
who states that his grandfather, Thomas 
Place, settled here in 1 8 18. He lived until 
the 6th of March, 1875, \\-hen he fell upon 
a saw-buck, from the efilects of which acci- 
dent he died in a few days. A singular 
fatalit}- to the other members of the two 
families of grandparents of Mr. Greene fol- 
lowed this calamity. The wife of Mr. Place, 
on the 3d of September following her hus- 
band's death, made a misstep near the same 
spot where Mr. Place met with the accident 
from the effects of which she also died in a 
few da\s. Joseph Greene, the paternal 
grandfather of .\. M. Greene, lived -in the 
town from about the year I 81 8 until April 
I5tii, 1881, when lie fell over a precipice 
about fifteen feet in height, while going 
through a piece of woods, and was killed. 
His wife lost her life by a fall through a 
ha}- mow. 

Joseph tireene's son, Albert C, is the 
father in-law of \\'illiam O. Greene, the 
present able editor of the Otselic Wilky 
Register. 

.\lthougli the inhabitants of this town, in 



TuVVN OK ClNCIiWATUS. 



0/ 



common with those of Solon, Taylor and 
Willet, were much elated a few years since 
by the bright prospect of a railroad, which 
would connect them with the Midland road 
and with Cortland village, they are thus far 
disappointed, and the town is isolated from 
railroad communication. This fact has op- 
erated to its disad\-antage in many ways — 
chiefly in retarding the growth of its busi- 
ness centers ; where, in former years, as an 
old resident informs us, at short distances 
on all the roads were log houses filled with 
children, when all the trading of the town 
was done within its limits ; now those chil- 
dren have grown to maturity and gone 
away to railroad centers, and business has 
fallen off. ' 

The early inhabitants of this town suffered 
the common incon\enience of ha\ing no 
near grist-mills, and were compelled to go 
to Chenango Forks, Ludlowville or Manlius 
Square to have their grinding done. Their 
grists were usually transported to those 
points on " drays," a very simple \ehicle 
constructed of a crotched tree with a few 
pieces of board fastened across the two 
spreading arms with wooden pins. The 
team was then hitched to the other branch. 
The pioneers were equal to any such task 
as getting eight or ten bushels of grain to 
mill thirty miles away, without the aid of a 
vehicle of an}- description, in the present 
understanding of that term. 

The first grist-mill in the present town 
of Cincinnatus was built at an early day, 
some years previous to 1820, by Ephraim 
Fish. It was located about half a mile from 
the village. John Kingman, jr., states that 
this mill was owned by his father from 1820 
to 1830, but it is not known from whom he 
purchased it. This mill and the dam were 

iThe census shows that, in 1820, immediately after the 
town was divided, the population of the town w.ts 885. 
This had increased to 1,206 in 1850, but w.is only 1,119 
in 1855. while the census of 1880 shows a population 
of 1,093. 



' undermined by a flood in 1830 and.it went 
into disuse thereafter. 

A Mr. Wilcox built a mill in the village 
in 1829, and lived in the upper part of the 
structure; but it was operated only two or 
three years. 

About the year 1832 or 1833 Dr. John 
McW'horter erected a mill at Lower Cincin- 
natus, which was operated until about ilie 
year 1850, when it was transformed into a 
tannery by Kinney & Thompson; it is now 
used as a tannery by Augustus Smith, who 
is doing a large business. 

George Cole built the most important 
mill in the town — a steam grist-mill; but 
it was subseqtiently taken down and con- 
verted into two dwelling houses. There is 
now no grist-nill within the limits of the 
town. 

As we ha\e already intimated, the inhab- 
itants of this town have recentlj' turned 
their attention to the production of butter 
and cheese. About the year 1870 Edward 
and Eli Colegrove began the operation of 
their factory abo\^e the village, turning out 
an excellent product. Since then Julius 
Crittenden built a factory near the town of 
Willet and Porter Crittenden another two 
miles south of the village. These factories 
are all in operation and do a satisfactory 
and successful business. 

VILLAGES. 

.A beautiful little village nametl Cincin- 
natus is situated on the Otselic river on lot 
ig, which contains two churches (Congre- 
gational and Methodist), an academy, a 
hotel and a number of stores and shops, 
with about 575 inhabitants. Lower Cincin- 
natus is a smaller village of about 200 inhab- 
itants, is located a short distance below the 
upper village, and contains a church, a hotel, 
a store, a tannery and a cutter factory. 

These are the only villages or hamlets in 
the town. The first merchants in the place 



372 



History of Cortland County. 



were James Tanner and Elijah Bliss, and 
the first store was erected by Col. John 
Kingman in 1 83 1. John Kingman, jr., 
went into nu-rcantile business in the spring 
of that year in a little store which stood on 
the site of the present brick store. He re- 
mained there but one year and was suc- 
ceeded by Roswell Randall and Jerry Bean, 
who built the brick store in 1832. During 
the same 3ear John Kingman, jr., built the 
store now owned by George Cole and oc- 
cupied by Charles and Arthur Cogswell, 
where he traded until 1842. 

In 1834 Oliver Kingman began business 
in a little store on the west side of the creek 
where he continued until 1854, at which 
time he and his brother George bought the 
brick store of Halbert & Bean. In 1856 
they sold out to H. M. & Jefferson King- 
man. Following is a list of the successive 
merchants w'ho have occupied the brick 
store : Randall & Bean, Bean & Niles, Bean, 
Niles & Boyd, J. C. Bean, Halbert & Bean, 
H. M. & Jefferson Kingman, Kingman & 
Sturtevant, Kingman & Lewis, Kingman & 
Wheeler, Oliver, George & J. Kingman, 
H. M. & J. Kingman. 

In the store occupied by Chas. and Arthur 
Cogswell the following merchants did bus- 
iness, succeeding John Kingman, who was 
for a time associated with Charles and 
George Kingman : Kingman & Perkins, 
Haynes & Warren, Jcft'ersun Kingman, 
Monroe Smith, David D. Uftbrd, who was 
there from 1866 to 1882, in which latter 
named year he sold out to the present oc- 
cupants of the store. 

The store building now owned by James 
Hill was built by Porter Crittenden in 1864, 
who was there in business with his son-in- 
law, Monroe E. Smith, until 1868. He was 
succeeded by D. D. Ufford, who continued 
until the spring of 1877. In September of 
that year Mr. Hill took it and has continued 
the business until the present time. 



The grocer)- and dru;. 



business was es- 
tablished in the village about the year i860. 
It passed into the hands of Cornell & 
Gee, Israel Gee & Co., and to the present 
proprietor, Wilber Holmes, who began it in 
1868. lie has had immediate charge of 
the post-office since 1872 and virtually since 
1866. 

The first postmaster in the place was 
Major James Tanner. Then came Judson 
Brown, Judge Niles, John Kingman (1844 
until 1850), Oliver Kingman, George King- 
man, Jefferson Kingman (1856 to 1865), 
Israel Gee, and Wilber Holmes, the present 
incumbent. 

The furniture business was established in 
Cincinnatus b}- Hitchcock & Barnes, who 
conducted it until 1877, when they sold 
out to W. W. Grant, the present proprietor. 

B. R. & L. H. Corning have carried on 
the hardware trade since 1880. C. W. 
Smith, hats, caps, and gents' furnishing 
goods, since 1882. S. G. Kien, jewelry, 
hats, caps, etc., since 1876. 

The only hotel in Cincinnatus village, 
now kept by A. E. Perry, was built by 
Charles Kingman in 1831. He kept it a 
few \-ear3 and was succeeded by John King- 
man, after whom I. M. Samson took the 
house. He kept it five }-ears, and was fol- 
lowed by J. C. Clark, D. J. Sperr}-, Smith 
& Sherman Hotchkiss, Gibson Smith, and 
J. C. Weaver, who repaired it and sold to 
the present proprietor. 

Physicians. — Dr. Jolin McW'horter was 
the pioneer ph}-sician of Cortland county, a 
native of \\"ashington count)', N. ^'., and 
located in Cincinnatus in 1795. He was an 
able man, a good physician for that period, 
but he did not confine himself to practicing 
his profession, luitering the political field, 
he was honored with several offices, as be- 
fore stated. Following him came Dr. Nor- 
ris Briggs, Dr. \\'hite, Dr. L\-man ICldridge, 
a man who became greatly respected for his 



Town of Cinxinnatus. 



attainments in the profession, and as a citi- 
zen ; Dr. A. D. Reed (now of Marathon), 
Amasa J. Ouiv-ey, wlio began practice in 
1862 as an eclectic, but subsequently stud- 
ied in the old school of medicine; Marcel- 
lus L. Halbert, Dr. Barnes, a student with 
Dr. Reed, and an assistant surgeon in the 
United States army, and Dr. Marcellus 
Smith, now the oldest physician in the 
place. Dr. Smith became a member of the 
Count)- Medical Societ)- in 1853. He 
bought out Dr. Plldridtre, and has followed 
his profession regularly since that time. 

Manufactures. — There has been consid- 
erable manufacturing done in Cincinnatus 
for many years, and there are now several 
important establishments here. Jonas Cor- 
mick was the lirst blacksmith in the town. 
He was here as early as 1820, and about 
the same time Solomon Gritman began in 
the upper village. Cook & Greene were 
also early blacksmiths. Joseph Gee worked 
for this firm many years, and then went 
into business for himself In 1840 Nathan 
Dw-ight formed a partnership with Mr. Gee, 
which firm continued until 1851, when Gee 
went out and Mr. Dwight continued alone 
until 1866. N. A. Robbins has been in the 
business here for twenty-two years. His 
shop was built in 1829, and was used for 
religious purposes until the erection of the 
Baptist Church. Elder Howe preached in 
this building, and was the pioneer Baptist 
minister of Cincinnatus. 

The manufacture of cutters was estab- 
lished in i860 by Larabee & Gee, which 
business was continued until 1876, when 
H. C. Larabee removed to the lower village. 
In 1861 N. France and C. B. Hitchcock 
came to the place, and the former, after 
working for the above-mentioned firm until 
1874, began business on his own accoinit. 

Churches. — Public religious worship did 
not begin within the limits of Cincinnatus 
as early as in some other k)calities, chiefl_\- 



on account of the proximity of early church 
organizations in other towns at no great 
distance. Lots i, 16, I"] , 49, 53 and 62 
of this town were set aside for the support 
of the gospel and schools. The first ser- 
mon ever preached within the original lim- 
its of Cincinnatus was by Dr. Williston, 

i from the text, " Hear ye." What was 
known as the Union Congresational Socie- 

j ty of Cincinnatus and Solon was organized 
on the 1 8th of November, 1822. The trust- 
ees were John L. Boyd, Barak Niles and 
John Covert. 

The Congregational Society of Cincin- 
natus is reported on the minutes of the 
General Assembly as having been received 

j uttder the care of the Presbytery of Cort- 
land September 14th, 183 i. Justwhattime 
it was first organized we have not learned. 
In I S3 I it had one hundred and ten mem- 
bers, of whom sixty were received that year. 
In 1836 it reported 162 members, but in 
1846 the number was reduced to 130. The 
membership is now much smaller, and the 
society is feeble. The Rev. Orin Catlin 
was the stated supply of this church, under 
the patronage of the American Home Mis- 
sionary Society, from October, 1832. Rev. 
Joseph R. Johnson was ordained and in- 
stalled pastor February i6th, 1846. He con- 
tinued with the church two or three years, 
and was then succeeded by Rev. Eleazer 
T.Bali, who took charge June 8th, 1849. He 
remained until a few years prior to the last 
war, when the present pastor. Rev. Edson 
Rogers, accepted the office. 

Schools. — The first school-house in Cin- 
cinnatus was built b\- John Kingman, and 
stood a short distance south of his house. 
The first teacher was Miss Hepsy Beebe, 
but in what \'ear we have not been able to 
learn Since that time schools have multi- 
plied throughout the town, and the cause 
of education has flourished. 

Cincinnatus Academ\- was founded in 



374 



History of Cortland County. 



1857, in which year a spacious and con- 
venient building was erected. Tliis, with 
its surrounding grounds, handsomely laid 
out and pleasanth' shaded with maples, 
forms one of the most attractive features of 
the beautiful \illage. The people have 
alwa\-s been enthusiastic and unanimous in 
their support of this institution, rendering 
it one of the most successful and widely 
known academies in the State. A good 
library has been furnished, with philosoph- 
ical apparatus, etc. Following is the pres- : 
ent Board of Trustees, of which H. M. 
Kingman has been jiresident from the first 
organization : — ; 

H. M. Kingman, president; Henry 
Knickerbocker, secretary: J. W. Sturte- 
vant, treasurer; B. R. Corning, D. D. Uf- 
ford, John Kingman, J. B. Boyd, F. M. 
Benjamin, M. R. Smith, M. D., M. L. Hal- 
bert, M. D., Wilber Holmes, C. ^^". Smith, 
C. R. Dickinson, Anson Cogswell; t\v- 
officio. Rev. William D. Johnson. Rev. Ed- j 
son Rogers, Rev. W". H. \'ork. 

The first corps of instructors consisted of 
Ambrose P. Kelsey, A. B., principal ; Frank 
Place, mathematics; John Seaber, penman- I 
ship; Miss Mary T. Gleason, preceptress; 
Mrs. Vivena M. Austin, assistant teacher ; 
Miss Cornelia A. Kingman, music. 

The present instructors are Myron E. 
Carmer, A. B., principal ; Miss Alice Jones, 
preceptress ; Miss Stella Kingman, com- 
mon English. Mrs. E. L. Samson, piano. 

There are three courses of study each of 
which aftbrds a number of optional studies. 

First, a business course, including com- 
mon English branches, not complete till a 
regent's preliminar\- certificate is obtained. 
Book-keeping, algebra, physiologj-, Ameri- 
can history, rhetoric, political economy and 
physics. 

Second, an academic course. Third, a 
classical, or collegiate entrance course, each 
termmatmg m a regent's academic diploma. \ 



There is a flourishing literarj' society 
connected with the school, which holds 
weekly meetings, and affords opportunities 
for improvement in composition, declama- 
tion, extemporaneous speaking, etc. The 
teachers by their presence at all the meet- 
ings, by criticisms and suggestions, en- 
deavor to make this department of the 
school as efficient and at the same time as 
agreeable as any other. 

Belonging to the institution is a well 
selected librar\-, to which students have 
free access. The leading principles of the 
sciences are illustrated b)- ample apparatus. 
Through the kindness of Mr. John Osgood, 
students in physiology, and like sciences, 
are often invited to examine with him the 
minutest workings of nature, by means of 
a powerful histological microscope, while to 
students in astronomy he reveals her most 
vast and distant realms through a telescope 
having a five- inch lens. 

There is one newspaper published in this 
town — the Otselic ] 'alley Register; the 
publisher is William O. Greene, who be- 
came the owner of the establishment in 
1879. It has a circulation of about five 
hundred and is an excellent journal of its 
class. (See history of journalism of the 
county, in an earlier chapter.) 

LOWER CLVCIXXATIS. 

The buildings on the corner at Lower 
Cincinnatus were built by Dr. John Mc- 
Whorter, and the store building was 
erected about the }-ear 1831. It stood 
empty some time and was afterward kept 
by Benjamin Kingsley, a Mr. Barnes and 
others. H. P. Spencer, the present mer- 
chant, bought the property of Widow 
Barnes in 1874; the store being then kept 
by her son, Frank Barnes. 

Charles Goodsell carried on a store on 
the opposite corner at the time when Ben- 
jamin Kingsley was in business. 



Town of Cincixxatus. 



375 



The manufacture of cutters at Lower 
Cinciniiatus was begun by L. J. Larabee as 
early as the year 1 870. A few years after- 
ward H. C. Larabee came into the business 
with his father, and in 1 879-80 the large 
buildings were erected to accommodate the 
increasing ticmand for their work. They 
are now employing about twent\--fi\e hands 
and turn out 3,000 cutters annuall\-. 

The iiotel at this village was built by Dr. 
McWhorter about the year 1833 and was 
kept under his management several j'ears. 
Reuben Fish, Cornelius Fish and Isaac Fish 
each kept it for a few \ears. Mr. Messen- 
ger then took the house for a few \'ears and 
was followed by Adam L. Smith, who kept 
it for many years until his death, when it 
was closed as a public house until 1883. 
D. H. Clark, the present proprietor, then 
opened the house. 

The first Baptist Church at Lower Cin- 
cinnatus was organized March ist, 1823, 
and was a part of the church in German, 
Chenango count}-, which was organized in 
June, 1805. When it became incon\enient 
for the inhabitants of Cincinnatus to attend 
there, the church here was organized. 
Rev. John Lawin. the first pastor, served 
the church until 1825. Re\-. Solomon 
Howe from 1827 to 1836. During the 
\-ear 1831 the present house of worship was 
built, services prior to that having been 
held in private houses or shops. The fol- 
lowing pastors have officiated for this 
church: Rev. Wm. Holroyd, 183710 1839. 
Rev. David Leach, 1839 to 1840. Geo. 
W. Mead (licentiate), 1840 to 1 841. Rev. 
L. E. Swan, 1841 to 1844. Rev. E. P. 
Dye, 1844 to 1846. Rev. J. F. Stark. 
1846 to 1852. Rev. Horace Decker, 1S52 
to 1857. Rev. L. W. Nichols, 1857 to 
1859. Rev. Washington Kingsle\-, 1S59 
to 1 86 1. Rev. A. Galpin, 1861 to 1862. 
Rev. M. R. Everts, 1862 to 1863. Rev. 
W. G. Dye, 1863 to 1866. Rev. Samuel 



I G. Kein, 1866 to 1867. Rev. E. Holroyd, 
1867 to 1869. Rev. G. P. Turnbull, 1869 

! vto 1871. Rev. J. B. Cole, 1871 to 1873. 
Rev. S. P. Way, 1873 to 1874. Rev. A. 
J. Baskwell, 1874 to 1875. Rev. W. W. 
Beardsley, 1875 to 1876. Rev. Daniel 
Reese, 1877 to 1879. Rev. C. R. Corning, 
1879 to 1882. Rev. \\'m. L. Johnson as- 

: sumed the pastorate in 1882; the societj'uow 
numbers eighty-two. The present officers 
are Russell Grant, Edwin D. White, 
deacons. Joseph Tice, clerk. M. L. Hal- 
bert, treasurer. Joseph Tice, Oscar E. 
Nichols, M. L. Halbert, Russell Grant, Ed- 
win D. White, Lafayette Spencer, trustees. 
The original members of this church who 
were most prominent, were John R. Mc- 
Whorter, Alex. Rice, Nathaniel Spencer, 
Ebenezer Andrus, John and Isaac Smith, 
George Kingman and others. 

The Methodist Episcojial Church of Cin- 
cinnatus was organized in 1841. The first 
trustees were Oliver L. Sterling, Chas. Hig- 
gins, Chas. Kingman, Lyman Eldridge, 
Porter Crittenden, and Hiram Rogers. 
Members of the society were David Wliite 
and wife, Abner Wood and wife, Abel 
Dickinson, L\nian Eldridge and wife, 
Chauncey Phelps, Oliver L. Sterling and 
wife, Fabus Kinney, G. L. Cole and wife 
and others. The church edifice was built 
in 1843-44 and cost $1,600. The building 
was repaired and enlarged at considerable 
expense in 1872. In 1863-64 the church 
received large accessions through the di- 
vision of the Congregational society. Sev- 
eral revivals have occurred in the church, 
the last being that of 1877. An excellent 
parsonage was built in 1859. The present 
membership is ninety. The ministers who 
have officiated here are Revs. Leonard 
Bowdish, L. H. Stanley, D. W. Thurston, 
Wm. Bixb}-, W. H. Miller, Thos. D. Wire, 
E. C. Curtis, G. S. White, L. Hartsough, 
J. H. Barnard, B. Shove, R. H. Clark, J. 



n^ 



History of Cortland County. 



V. Benham. W. M. Hem-\-, W. D. Fox, A. 

C. Smith. W. H. York, M. Z. Haskins, 
1884. 

At the breaking out of the Southern 
Rebellion, no town in tlie count}" came for- 
ward with more patriotism and liberaHt)- 
in men and means in support of the go\-- 
ernment than Cincinnatus. Under the 
calls of the president for troops the following 
men enlisted from the town and were cred- 
ited on the different quotas, receiving the 
bounties as they appear: — 

Call of October, 1863, February ist, and 
March, 1864. Bounty to each, $300. Total, 
$6,600. — Jeremiah Scouton, William C. 
Pearse, William Kimball, Flihu M. Cham- 
berlain, Stephen Ansel, Sidney W. Clark, 
Ira W. Fore.st, Christopher M. Childs, Caleb 

D. Burlingame, James B. Decker, Volne\' 
Weeks, James li. Arnold, John H. Glover, 
Charles S. Cutting, Herbert Berkley, Geo. 
Berkley, Urbane B. Smith, Augustine L. 
Aney, Willett L. McKinne\-, Henry West, 
Alfred P. Ransford, Harlan P. Thompson. 

Call of July 18th, 1864. Bounty to each, 
$1,000; brokerage, $25. Total bounties, 
$22,500; total brokerage, $550. — John 
Savage, John Simpson, John Phillips, Matio 
Branchett, Jarvis Kellej', Marcus Forrest, 
Darvilla Ford, Samuel Gibbs, Samuel Van 
Wort, Thomas Hale, William J. Holmes, 
Watson J. Holmes, John M. Parks, Alfred 
Rorepaugh, James W. Sampson, Isaac W. 



Sherwood, Orlando Vosburgh, Seneca 
Wright, Peter Ratchel, Ivdward Clark, 
George Sweet, Michael Grant, John Now- 
lan, Patrick Hughs. 

Call of December 19th, 1864. Bounty 
to each, $600; brokerage, $15. Total 
bounties, $5,100; total brokerage, $135. — 
J. A. Perkins, James Rile\-, Phill Beeman, 
Charles Ernst, Henry Jackson, Henr)' 
Physic, Justus Bloomer, Edward W. Mc- 
Farland, Robert Bund)-. 

Recapitulation. Paid for filling quotas, 
calls October 17th, Februar\- and March, 
$6,600; paid for filling quota; call July 1 8th, 
1864, $23,050; paid for filling quota, call 
December 19th, 1864, $5,235. Grand total 
for all calls, $34,885. 

The early records of this town ha\e been 
destroyed. The present officers of the town 
are as follows : — 

Supervisor — W. W. ^Vood. 

Town clerk — W. S. Carruth. 

Justices of the peace — John D. l-'ish, 
Charles Nichols and M. L. Halbert. 

Assessor — Reuben P. Fish. 

Commissioner of highways — Lewis W'hite. 

Collector — Evander Smith. 

Constables — - Evander Smith, Ed. L. 
Brown, James M. Torrey, Fred E. Nichols, 
Luell Harve\-. 

Overseer of the poor — Richard Cornell. 

Inspectors of election — B. H. Livermore, 
Adelbert P-. Delcvan. 



Town of Truxtox. 



377 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



I1IST()K\' or THK TOWN (IK TKUXTOX. 



THE town of Truxton lies upon the 
northern border of the county, east of 
the center, and is bounded on the north b)- 
Onondaga countv' ; on the east by Cuj'ler ; 
on the south by Solon, and on the west by 
Homer and Preble. 

The town was named in honor of Com- 
modore Truxton, and was organized from 
Fabius, April 8th, 1 808, embracing the 
southern half of that military township. 
The northern tier of lots of Solon were an- 
nexed on the 4th of April, 181 i. The 
town of Cuyler was set off from the eastern 
side of Truxton on the iSth nf No\-ember, 
1858. 

In the earlier organization this town was 
embraced in Pompey, which was organized 
in 1794 and included Pompey, P'abius and 
Tully and also a part of the Onondaga Res- 
ervation lying south of the old Genesee road 
and east of Onondaga creek. Fabius was 
erected from Pompey in 1798 and at that 
time included two militar\- townships, Fa- 
bius and Tully, comprising the present 
towns of Fabius, Tully, Truxton, Preble 
and Scott, with portions of Spafford and 
Otisco. 

The surface of this town is chiefly a 
broken upland, divided into ridges which 
have a northerlj- and southerly direction. 
The eastern branch of the Tioughnioga river 
enters the town near the center of the east- 
ern border and flows westerly until near the 
center of the town, then takes a south- 
westerl}- course until it leaves the town. 
The other streams of the town are the trib- 
utaries of the Tioughnioga, the Westcott 
and Stewart brooks and Labrador creek 
from the north, Cheningo creek from the 
east, and Trout brook from the south. 



On the northern border of the county is 
a small sheet of water called Labrador 
Pond, which is noted for its surrounding 
picturesque scener_\-. On a small brook 
which flows into the outlet of this pond from 
the east is a beautiful cascade known as 
Tinker's falls, around which is also romantic 
and attractive scenery. 

What are known as the Truxton hills lie 
north of the ri\-er. Nearl}- their whole sur- 
face is divided into sharp ridges with steep 
declivities, their summits being termed' 
" hog's-backs." 

The soil of the town is generally a sand)- 
and gravelly loam. -The Truxton flats are 
rich and very producti\"e and well adapted 
to growing all kinds of grain. 

The town is next to the largest in the 
county, its acreage being 28,099; onl)' Vir- 
gil is larger. The assessed valuation of 
Truxton is $16.95 P*^'' acre. In iSio the 
taxable property of the town was assessed 
at $47,673. In 1883 the assessed value of 
real estate was $476,420, and that of the 
personal property, $20,400. In 18 10 the 
village of Truxton contained only twenty- 
houses. It now Has a population of about 
300. 

The first settler in the town of Truxton 
was Samuel C. Benedict, who located on 
lot 12 in the year 1793. No record exists 
of his birth-place and little is known of his 
career subsequent to coming into this town. 
He w-as certainly a hardy and courageous 
pioneer who dared push his wa)- into the 
wilderness far beyond the boundaries of 
civilization and there plant the standard of 
a new settlement. Yet here he came and 
builded for himself a log cabin which long 
bore for him the eloquent title, "home." 



378 



History of Cortland County. 



And here occurred tlie first Ijirtli in the town, 
as well as the first death — children of Mr. 
Benedict in both instances. It is to be re- 
gretted that we can gi\e no further details of 
the later life of Mr. Benedict; but it is often 
the case that he who was most instrumental 
in making the first footprints of civilization in 
a wilderness, must remain forever unknown 
and almost unhnnored b_\- postcrit)-. 

In 1794 Nathaniel Potter, Jonah Stiles, 
Christopher Wiiitne)- and Benjamin Brown 
came into the town and settled in various 
locations. Potter was from .Saratoga count)', 
.\. v., and purchased lots "]"], ?<(> and 96. 
On the latter lot he erected a small house. 
In July, 1798, he was suddenly- killed b\- a 
falling tree. 

Jonah Stiles came from Rupert, \^ermont, 
and located on lot 4, where he purchased 
100 acres, which farm was subsequently 
owned and occupied b}- Samuel Freeman. 
His daughter Julia married John W'icks, and 
Sophia married Alexander P^jrhes, of Litch 
field, Ohio. His son, Jonah, located at 
Seville, Ohio ; Samuel at P"ranklin, Dela- 
ware count)-, N. v., and Otis at -Stilesville, 
X. V. 

Christopher Whitney was also from an 
eastern State and located on lot 3. One of 
his daughters became the wife of Moses 
Hopkins, a pioneer of Cortland village. 

Among other ver)- carl)- settlers were 
Robert Knight, from Monmouth, New Jer- 
se)- ; Hugh Stewart, from Colerain, Mass.; 
John Jeflrc)- and P^nos Phelps, from New 
Jerse)- ; Billy Prowbridge and Dr. John 
Miller, from Duchess count)-. The last 
named was the first ph)'sician in the town, 
where he lived and practiced his profession 
until the year 1862, when he died. He was 
one of the best known and most respected 
men of the count\- durintr his life. 

John Shedd located earl\- in the )ear 
1797, on lot 63, and during the same year 
the Stewarts came in. Nathaniel PI located 



1)11 lot 63 and Charles on 93, " State's hun- 
dred." 

In 1798 a number of settlers came into 
the town and located. Of these Robert 
McNightand John Jeffrey settled on lot No. 
2. Bill)- Trowbridge settled on lot 5. He 
became a prominent citizen and filled sev- 
eral political ofiices ; was twice elected to 
the Assembl)- and was sheriff one term. 

His son, Smith, located in S)-racuse, and 
John, Levi and Hubbard at Detroit, Mich. 

Stephen Hedges came to this town from 
Troy and settled on lot 93. 

Increase M. Hooker was a native of Ben- 
nington, \'t. He was with Kthan Allen 
during a portion of the Revolutionai)- War 
and witnessed the conflict at Bennington 
on the 1 6th of August, 1777. He was 
married in Litchfield, Conn., and afterward 
removed to Greene county, N. Y. ; in 1797 
.he remo\-ed to Solon, locating on lot 88. 
Soon afterward he purchased a grist-mill 
of Joseph Sweetland; it contained one run 
of stones and was covered on the outside 
with bark from elm trees. It was rebuilt 
in 1 8 16 by Mr. Hooker's .sons. In 1842 
he remoxed to New Jersey. In 1S48 he 
made a \isit to a son in Illinois and while 
returning, died at Onondaga Hollow. 

Lewis \\'icks came from Saratoga count)- 
in 1804 and located during 1804. 

The Pierce famil)-, which became a prom- 
inent one in the town, were from Colerain. 
Zebulon came in 1805 and located on lot 
34. Judah settled on lot 12 in 1806. He 
accumulated a large propert)- and was an 
influential citizen; he married P\Tnn)- Smith, 
an aunt of Allen B. Smith. 

The Buells of this count)- originall)- de- 
scended from one William Buell, of Aus- 
tralia, who went to Constantinople, and in 
1 62 1 to Wales, and from there to Connect- 
icut in 1634. Thomas Buell, the father of 
F. M. Buell, of Truxton, is of the seventh 
generation of \\'illiam Buell. Thomas Buell 



Town of Truxton. 



379 



came to Truxton in 1806; kept hotel in 
1808. He married Betsej' Freeman, daugh- 
ter of Elder Freeman, and had seven chil- 
dren by this wife. F. M. Buell was born 
in 1811. He was married June gth, 1841, 
to Emil)- F. Howard, of Coicrain, Mass. 
In 1865 he moved to the village of Trux- 
ton. In 1 87 1 he went into the custom 
house, New York, and was there several 
years. Howard F. Buell, the former editor 
of the Cortland News, is their son. 

Rufus Freeman, of Colerain, Mass., came 
here in 1806, and in 1807 organized the 
Baptist Church of this place. He had four 
sons, all Baptist preachers. Allen B. Free- 
man organized the first Baptist church of 
that cit}' in 1833, which then had but 
fifteen members. 

Deacon James Bell was from Rupert, 
Vt., and came to Truxton in the winter of 
181 2, locating on lot 95. In I 82 I he rc- 
mo\ed to ^ledina count}', Ohio, where his 
sons, James and Jacob, became active and 
prominent politicians, tlic former being 
elected to the Legislature. 

James Kenney and his wife lived in Trux- 
ton as earl\- as 1809, and on the second of 
May of that _\'ear his son. Moses Kenne}', 
was born. He became a well-known and 
respected citizen of the town. His father 
died when he was four years old. 

Hosea Kenney is now the oldest citizen 
of the town of Truxton, where he has re- 
sided for more than seventy-five years. He 
was born in Stoddard, N. H., October 31st, 
I79i,and is the sole survivor of a family 
of four sons and five daughters, tlie descend- 
ants of the Rev. Isaac Kenney, a Baptist 
minister, who died at Roylston, Mass., Sep- 
tember 2d, 1 80 1, and who, according to 
the most authentic information obtainable, 
descended in a direct line from Henr\- 
Kinne, who came from Holland and settled 
in Salem, Mass., about 1670. From this 
rex'erend progenitor has sprung a numerous 



race, numbering more than three hundred, 
and extending in se\eral instances to the 
sixth generation. The third son, Hosea, 
when he was thirteen years old first came 
to this town with his elder brother, Isaac. 
In 1813 he purchased sixty acres of land 
on lot No. 21 in Truxton, of Isaac Cooper, 
of Cooperstown, N. Y., at six dollars per 
acre. July 7th, [814, at Brookfield, N. Y., 
he married Nancy, a daughter of Captain 
Asa Lamb, a veteran of the Revolutionary 
\\'ar. With his young bride he immedi- 
ately commenced the struggle of life on his 
newl\- acquired woodland home, where, 
with a strong arm and determined purpose, 
the)- literalh- " hewed out " a competence. 
After having, from time to time, added to 
his first purchase, in 1842 he retired from 
active life and took up his residence in the 
\illage of Truxton, where he has since re- 
sided. His farm, then consisting of about 
one hundred and fift)' acres, he conve_\-ed to 
his two elder sons, and subsequent!}' the 
title to the whole was acquired by his oldest 
son, Hosea M., who still holds the same. 
His wife, Nanc}-, died August 5th, 1862, 
and Februar}- 15th, 1865, he married Mrs. 
Marana French, who died May 14th, 1880. 
He now resides with his youngest son, 
Amos L., and though vigorous in his ripe 
j old age, still there are unmistakable evi- 
j dences that he is rapidly approaching the 
end. In 18 16 he united with the First 
Baptist Church of Truxton, of which the 
Rev. Thomas Purinton was then pastor. 
He has at all times led a consistent and 
faithful Christian life and maintained an 
honored standing with the people of his 
first choice. His attendance at the regular 
services of the church has been constant, 
and he now deems it the greatest of 
deprivations, if for a single Sabbath he 
is pre\ented from listening to the preach- 
ing of the Gospel. Of his four sons. 
Hosea M.. James. Ira E., and Amos L., 



38o 



History of Cortland County. 



all sur\ive except James, who died March 
28th, 1883. 

Hosea M. and his son Marcus I-L., under 
the firm name of Kenney & Son, are re- 
tail dealers in hardware anil manufacturers 
of tinware in Truxton, and his elder son, 
Manly L., occupies the family homestead. 

Ira E. graduated in the theological de- 
partment of Madison Universit\- in 1848, 
and was ordained to the ministrj- the same 
year by the Baptist Church of Truxton. In 
1883 the University of Des Moines, Iowa, 
conferred upon him the honorary degree of 
D. D., and the same year called him to fill 
the president's chair of that institution, 
w here he is now doing a good work. 

Amos L. graduated at Hamilton College 
in 1843, was admitted as an attorne_\- and 
counselor at law in Ma\', 1S48, and has 
since practiced his profession at Truxton. 
His only son, Eudorus C, graduated at j 
Cornell University in 1882 with the degree ! 
of B. Sc, with mathematics as a specialty, 
and for the last two }-ears has been the in- 
structor in mathematics and the sciences in i 
the Morgan Park Militar\' Academy at 
Morgan Park, Illinois. 

Alexander Lansing came from Schenec- 
tady, N. Y., in 181 1, and located on lot 13, 
where J. O. Wicks now li\-es, and came to 
the \-illage in 1861, where he died in 1862. 
When he first came to the town he dug a 
well on his farm, in which he found a live 
frog in a stone which he had broken open. 
His son, Peter Lansing, became a candidate 
for governor of Nebraska in 1880 on the 
Greenback ticket, but was defeated. 

Henry Patrick, a native of Vermont, 
came to Truxton about the year 181 5, and 
settled near the town line. He had a tan- 
nery at the State bridge and followed that 
business for many years. He died in 1862, 
seventy- two years old. His second wife 
was Miss Clara Keeler, a daughter of 
Joseph Keeler, said to be the second settler 



in the town. De Witt Patrick, liis son, was 
born in 1828, and was married to Sabra 
Risley in 1849. He has but one daughter, 
Mrs. Albert Stevens, of tlie firm of Stevens 
& Cornic, and but one son, who is now of 
the firm of Hilton & Patrick. 

In 1 8 14 Asa Babcock, who was originally 
from Rhode Island, came in from Madison 
county and engaged in mercantile trade, 
which he continued for a period of forty- 
three years. He was also postmaster for a 
long term, the office being located where 
it is at the present time. 

Asa Campbell was a native of Hampden 
county, Mass., and settled at Cheningo in 
1816. Stephen Ambler came in from New 
Berlin and located on lot 83 in 1818, pur- 
chasing 112 acres. He was one of the 
leading men of the town, a successful far- 
mer and a prominent member of the Pres- 
byterian society. 

Freeman Schermerhorn, a worth}- citizen 
of Tru.xton, was married to his present wife, 
N. Libbie Radway, October 25th, i876,-and 
is the father of four children, viz. : George 
W. (b)- former wife), Lizzie, \'ernie and 
Nettie, children by his present wife. 

Mr. Schermerhorn was a soldier in the 
late war, a sergeant of Co. G, 76th regiment, 
from Sept. 21st, 1861, to Dec, 1862. He 
was taken sick after the battle of Bull Run, 
and afterwards honorablj' dismissed from 
the service. He has been a prominent offi- 
cial member of the Baptist church since 
1866. 

Rev. Thomas Purinton, the eminent 
divine of this town, came here in 1822 and 
located .on lot 21, where he remained 
twenty-five years. His son-in-law. Alien 
B. Smith, now of Cortland, came from 
Colerain, P"ranklin count)-, Mass., in 1837 
and located on lot 21. He was a success- 
ful farmer, but after remaining on his farm 
sixteen years, he removed to Cortland, 
where he engaged in the hardware trade. 



Town of Tkuxton. 



381 



He married his second wife, Miss Carrie 
Rindge, daughter of Scepta Rindgc, in 
1859. 

These were the principal pioneeis who 
left the permanent impress (jf their work 
upon what was before an unbroken wilder- 
ness in this town. Looking at its present 
aspect as one of the most thrifty and pros- 
perous farming districts in the count}', neat 
farm houses thick!)- scattered throughout 
the town, with a lively business center in 
their midst, it is q_uite safe to assume that the 
hardy pioneers whose settlements we have 
noted "builded better than they knew." 

Milling, etc. — The streams of Truxton 
furnished man)- excellent mill sites to the 
early inhabitants, a number of which were 
made available for different purposes. 
There are now in the town two grist-mills 
(there were five at one period), a number of 
steam saw-mills, several factories and other 
manufacturing works. 

The first grist-mill in the town was 
erected by Joseph Sweetland, on lot 94; it 
was the one already referred to as being 
covered with elm bark. It is not known in 
just what year it was built, but it was sold 
to Increase M. Hooker not much later than 
1 800 and passed from him to his son, who 
rebuilt it in 1S16. In the course of time it 
became the property of George Pond, and 
finally passed into the hands of the present 
owner, Kirtland C. Arnold, who bought it 
in October, 1S74, paying for it the hand- 
some sum of $10,000. 

The second grist-mill in the town was 
erected in 1809, by Jonah Stiles and Alvin 
Pease, on the site afterward occupied b}- 
the wool exchange. In 18 10 they erected 
a carding-machine. 

A Mr. Hitchcock built a saw- mill on the 
opposite side of the stream at -an early day, 
taking his water from the same dam. This 
mill was running when A. B. Smith came 
to the town in 1837, and is still in operation. 



The plank for several miles of the old Syra- 
cuse and Cortland plank road were sawed 
at this mill. Other mills and manufactories 
will be alluded to in the historj' of the vil- 
lage further on. 

After the organization of the town, April 
8th, 1808, the first town meeting was held 
at the house of Charles Stewart, and re- 
sulted in the selection of Charles Stewart 
for supervisor, and Reuben Risley for town 
clerk. The records of this town are incom- 
plete and we ha\-e been unable to obtain a 
list of the supervisors and town clerks. Dr. 
J. C. Nelson, the present supervisor, has 
held the office of supervisor continuously 
since 1872. 

The present officers of the town are as 
follows : — 

Supervisor — J. C. Nelson. 

Town clerk — John O'Donnell. 

Commissioner of highwa\-s — Daniel J. 
Hartnett. 

Assessors — Patrick O'Donnell, L. L. 
Schellinger, M. Wiegand. 

Overseer of the poor — Jeremiah O'Con- 
nor. 

Collector — O. J. Kinney. 

Constables — Llewellyn Perry, J. P. Vin- 
cent, Josiah McChesney, Charles Bosvvorth, 
O. J. Kinne\-. 

Excise commissioners — James L. God- 
dard, Dennis Collins, David Wallace. 

Inspectors — Tiler W. Pierce, John Nott, 
and Alvorado Lansing. 

Justices of the peace — Charles Hayes, 
Alvorado Lansing and G. H. Towle. 

At the breaking out of the Rebellion the 
town of Truxton showed her patriotic in- 
clinations by prompt and liberal offers of 
men and means in support of the govern- 
ment. The following list shows the names 
of the men who entered the service from 
the town under the different calls for troops 
and who were paid bounties, with the 
amount in each case: — 



382 



History of Cortland County. 



Call of October 17th, 1S63. Hoiinty, 
$300. Total, $13,800. — John J. Dodd, 
F.dward Dodd, Hiram Hall. John I'. White. 
John R. Babcock, Henry Jones, Charles 
Knight, William H. Gable, William Laing, 
John Kline, Main E. Cooke, James W. 
Howry, Isaiah Marshal, John Milton, Chas. 
Morgan, George W. Steel, John Smith, 
Barney Riley, Charles Kirby, Daniel O'Niel, 
James Cranne)-, Sylvanus V.. Parker, John 
Leng, Frederick J. Carver, William Tillman, 
William Habden, James Haulman, Peter 
Voung, Henr\' Faruell, Philip Flanders, 
John Da}-, James Clark, George H. Acker- 
man, Charles E. Whitmore, Henry Bonney, 
William Armstrong, John Riley, George 
Robinson, Edward E. Nelson, I'^dward Fe- 
gan, Lewis Smith, George Chapman, Joiin 
White, William Henderson, James McCar- 
thy, William P. P\ne. 

Call of July i8th, 1864. Bounty, $600; 
$300 paid to se\en ; $700 to two ; $500 to 
one. Total, $13,300. Brokerage, $600. — 
James H. Washburn, Theodore J. Purde- 
baugh, Samuel R. Pierce, Henry D. Clark, 
Albert Haynes, Harvey Dutcher, Erastus 
A. Reed, Daniel Jones, James Cain, John 
Morris, Egbert E. Palmer, Lucian B. Ran- 
dall, James Steel, jr., Isaac Dobinson, Le\i 
S. Henry, Oren W. Munroe, Andrew J. 
Neff, Benjamin L. Neff, Herbert C. Rora- 
paugh, George W. Smith, Chester Wood, 
W'illiam B. Greenleaf, Cahin Lane, W'illiam 
H. Ayrisworth, Albert S\l\ester, John 
Shaver. 

Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
calls of October 17th, 1863, and February 
and March, 1864, $13,800; paid for filling 
quota, call of July i8th, 1864, $13,900. 
Grand total, $27,700. 

VILLAGES. 

The pretty village of Truxton is situated 
near the center of the town on the line of 
tlie Utica, Ithaca and Elmira Railroad, and 



has a population of about three hundretl. 
It contains three churches, two hotels, sev- 
eral stores, shops, etc. 

Stephen Hedges is said to ha\e been the 
first merchant in Truxton. The second 
store was built b\^ Asa Babcock in 1814. 
It stood just in rear of the one now owned 
b\- J. C. Wiegand, and was rebuilt b\- Mr. 
Babcock in 1834, who continued mercan- 
tile business here until 1857, a period of 
forty-three years. He then sold out to S. 
Goddard, who conducted the store until 
1878, when Mr. Wiegand purchased the 
business. While Mr. Goddard was in pos- 
session he refurnished the store and changed 
its character to a drug store. 

Mr. Goddard came to the village in 1828, 
at which time both Asa and Gideon C. 
Babcock were merchants here. The latter 
was located in an old building afterward 
used as a tin shop, and which has been re- 
paired and fitted up for a dwelling by J. C. 
Wiegand. Gideon Babcock was succeeded 
by Thomas Osborne, John Ferguson, John 
Trowbridge and Chauncey Hicock, all of 
whom kept the general stock of goods 
usually sold in countrj- stores. Mr. Hicock, 
the last merchant in the old store, died in 
1844. 

The store at present occupied b\- E. B. 
Lincoln & Co. was built by S. Goddard in 
1 836 for a wagon shop ; it was used as such 
up to 1854 and then sold to Geo. W. Bliss, 
who turned it into a store, where he did 
business until 1 868 ; the store was then 
leased to Leander Maycumber, and in 1883 
to the present proprietors. 

Mr. Goddard is a native of \\'indham 
county, Vt., where he was born in 181 i. 
He was engaged in the manufacture of car- 
riages from 1828 (the date of his arrival in 
Truxton) until 1857. His work acquired 
an excellent reputation and he not only 
made many of the first carriages used in 
the count}-, but shipped man}- to the East 



Town ok Truxton. 



383 



and to the far West. Besides his career as 
a manufacturer and merchant, he has filled 
the office of supervisor of the tnwii several 
terms. 

The dry y;oods trade in Truxton is now 
in the efficient hands of Hilton & Patrick 
and E. B. Lincoln & Co., both of which 
firms have creditable, thri\-in<j stores. Hil- 
ton & Patrick succeeded E. P. Summers in 
1883; the latter firm having traded there 
since 1872. 

The furniture trade was established b\- 
A. L. Pomeroy before 1837 and was con- 
tinued b}- him more than twenty-five years; 
the store was then conducted b}- Albert 
Fierce one year and subsequently by T. I. 
Woodward, the present proprietor, who 
took it in 1878. 

Blacksmithiny was carried on in the \il- 
lage at an early day by \\'illiam Jones, who 
continued it for many years and became 
quite wealth)-. He also manufactured 
wagons quite extensively, emp!o\-ing often 
from twenty to thirt}' hands. He was 
burned out and on the site of his works 
erected a nice house and barn. Thomas 
Dodd, George Crofoot and Dennis Collins 
are the blacksmiths of the village at the 
present time. 

The butter firkin and tub factor}', now 
under the management of Stevens & Con- 
nie, was established in 1876 by Skeel & 
Connie ; it is an industr\' of importance, 
emploj'ing quite a number of hands. The 
business is carried on in a building which 
was formerly used by Skeel & Bryant for 
a flouring- mill. The present proprietors 
also own a steam saw-mill which is operated 
in connection with the factor)-. 

The grist-mill in the village was built by 
O. J. Kenney & Son in 1881 and is still 
operated b\- them. 

In later years the dair\ ing interest has 
developed in this region until it is one of 
the first imnnitance anion" farmers. This 



fact led to the erection of cheese factories 
in different parts of the town. The Trux- 
ton cheese factory, situated about half a 
mile east of the village and now owned by 
William McAdam, was built just prior to 
the last war b\' Moses Kenne)-. Another 
factory is owned by Chauncey Stevens, 
three miles north of here. 

The grocery trade was first carried on as 
a separate business by Chapman & Bos- 
worth, some time before the last war. J. O. 
Connor & Co. began trade in 1876, in the 
building erected by Mr. Goddard in 1826. 

The first hardware store in the village 
was kept in 1844 b\- D. Carr. It was after- 
wards located in a building which has since 
been changed and is now used as a dwell- 
ing b)- J. C. Wiegand. The business was 
established by a Mr. Dr\er about the year 
1855 in a small wa)-, in connection with a 
work-shop in that line. Knapp & Kinney 
succeeded in 1868 and continued until 1871, 
when the firm became Kinney & Son (H. 
M. & M. E. Kinney) who built the present 
store in 1876. The large store is kept well 
stocked and the firm ha\e a large country 
patronage. 

The drug trade was probabh" confined to 
the practicing physicians until McKay & 
Nelson began the business about the )'ear 
1850. S. Goddard purchased the stock in 
1857, enlarged it and carried on the busi- 
ness until succeeded by K. C. Arnold & 
Bros., and then by J. C. Wiegand. 

The tailoring business was established 
here by A. H. McKay before 1838 ; he also 
kept a small stock of ready-made clothing, 
but continued only a few years, when he 
sold out to Miss Winne, who established the 
milliner)- business. Mrs. C. A. Davenport 
has traded in this line since the spring of 
1883. 

About the )-ear i860 Wm. Beatie con- 
verted a building on lot 21 into a cheese 
factor)- which was quite largel)- patronized 



384 



History of Cortland County. 



for a niinibcr of \'cars. He also had brancli 
factories from which he brought the curd 
to this central factory. He still runs the 
establishment. 

The first post-office in Tru.vtoii village 
was in charge of Stephen Hedges, wlio has 
alread}' been alluded to as one of the prom- 
inent early pioneers. Dr. John Miller was 
postmaster from 1 805 for a period of twenty- 
five years. Asa Kabcock became post- 
master in 1837 and held the office until his 
deatli. Alanson Coats was postmaster a 
few years. It is now in charge of J. C. 
Wiegand. 

Lawyers. — The first lawyers to open an 
office in Truxton were Messrs. Palmer & 
Williams. Their office was in a building 
which is still standing just north of the site 
of the old hotel, which was burned. 

Alanson Coats was probably the next 
lawyer. He served in the War of 18 12 and 
came to Truxton in 181 8, where he followed 
the mercantile business a number of years. 
He then studied law in the office of Palmer 
& Williams and in 1836 began practice, 
which he continued up to 1852 or 1853, 
going then to Syracuse. A few years later 
he removed to Homer, where he died in 
1865. 

Amos L. Kenney is the i:)resent lawyer 
in the village. He studied with Mr. Coats 
in 1842 and 1843. 

Physicians. — The first physician in the 
town and village of Truxton was John Mil- 
ler, who came to the place in 1801, locating 
on lot 93. He practiced his profession 
twent)'-five )'ears and died in 1862. He 
was postmaster in 1805 and retained that 
office for twenty-five years ; was justice of 
the peace from 18 12 to 1821 and one of 
the county judges from 18 17 to 1820 ; was 
elected a Member of Assembly in 1816, in 
1820 and again in 1846. In 1826-27 he 
represented his district in Congress. He 
was elected an honorary member of the 



State Medical Society in 1808 and at his 
death was the oldest member. Dr. Miller 
was a man of marked character, unswerving 
integrity and one of the most useful citizens 
of Cortland comity during its early years. 

Dr. Azariel Blanchard, a brother of Wm. 
Hlanchard, of Cuyler, came here soon after 
the War of 1812 and remained until 1 844, 
when he removed to Wisconsin, where he 
died in 1878. 

Dr. Eli Cook bought out Di-. Blanchard 
and remained in the \illage eight or ten 
}'ears. 

Dr. Judsun C. Nelson, a graduate of the 
Geneva Medical College (1848), came here 
in 1851-52 and has been the leading phy- 
sician since that time, with the exception 
of three years in the arm\- as regimental 
surgeon, and two terms as Member of As- 
sembly — 1876 and 1883. He has also 
been supervisor of the town several times. 

The first hotel in the village was opened 
by Thomas Buell in 1808. 

There were two hotels in Truxton village 
in 1828, when S. Goddard moved to the 
place. The first was kept by L. L. Merrill 
and was known as the Mansion House. He 
kept it until about 1845, wfien he removed 
tt) a farm in the town. The liouse was 
burned about the \'ear 1867. 

The second hotel was located about 
twenty rods from the one above described, 
and was kept by Arnold Hicock, who was 
succeeded b)' Abel Perr)-, an eastern man. 
He sold it to Wm. Jones in 1842, who con- 
verted it into a dwelling. It was burned 
about the year 1850. 

The Stearns Hotel was formerh- a dwell- 
ing and owned by Enoch Benedict, but was 
changeil into a hotel b)' Abijah Pierce. 
Rial Schellinger owned it afterwards sev- 
eral \ears. After him came John Hills, 
B. F. Stearns (1872) and C. H. Smith, the 
present proprietor, in Januarj-, 1882. 

The Ryan Hotel was built by Asa God- 



Town of Truxton. 



385 



dard in 1826 ; a portion of it was used by a 
Mr. \'an Allen as a store and a portion as a 
dwellinij. During the late war it was trans- 
formed into a hotel by Geoi;ge Pond. He 
kept it but a short time, and was followed 
by I. Rogers, John Wheeler, A. L. Pome- 
roy, James H. Ashby and the present pro- 
prietor, M. R}'an, who took charge of it in 
March, 1882. 

The early hotels in the country places 
received perhaps a more liberal patronage 
than in later years. The roads were trav- 
eled in such localities by numerous stage 
coaches, and all the merchandise and stock 
for manufacturers were brought in by teams, 
all of which made business at the hotels. 

Tru.x'ton was isolated from railroad com- 
munication until the building of the Utica, 
Ithaca and Elmira road. The consumma- 
tion of this undertaking was of great bene- 
fit to the town at large and will undoubtedly 
be still more beneficial in the future. The 
village is thrifty and the inhabitants are im- 
bued with the belief that theirs is not one 
of the places that is to be killed by the con- 
struction of a railroad and the consequent 
diversion of business to other points. 

Churches. — This town was visited at a 
very early day by itinerant missionaries and 
public worship was begun in 1801 under 
the leadership of the Re\\ Hugh W'allis. 
In 181 1 a Congregational Church was or- 
ganized, consisting of twenty-one members, 
by Rev. Wm. J. Wilco.v, assisted b_\- the 
Rev. John Da\enport and Re\-. Joseph 
Avery, a missionar}- from Massachusetts. 
At the time of the organization of the 
church, or soon after. Rev. Mr. Jewell be- 
gan laboring with the church as stated 
supply, and continued for some time. He 
was succeeded by Rev. Oliver Hitchcock 
in 1 81 3 and he by Rev. Mathew Harrison 
in 1 8 14. How long Mr. Harrison con- 
tinued with the church we are not informed. 
In 1819 Rev. Ezra Woodworth supplied 



the church and was succeeded the follow- 
ing year by Rev. Caleb Clark, then a licen- 
tiate preacher. On the 5th day of June, 
1833, Mr. Clark was ordained and installed 

j pastor of the church, which position he 
held until the 15th of April, 1850. Since 

I that time Re\-. Charles K. Averj-, Rev. 
John N. Lewis and Rev. Huntington Ly- 
man have scverall}' been connected with 
the church as stated supplies. Rev. Wm. 
T. Doubleday was the stated supply in 
1848 and remained between two and three 

I years. In 1813 the church was connected 

! with the Presbytery of Onondaga and was 
transferred to the Presbytery of Cortland 
upon the creation of that body. The 
church enjoyed a revival in 1820, when 
sixty-seven were added to its membershi]). 
In 1825 there were 106 members in the 

: society and in 1837 it reported 188. Its 
ministers were always supported without 
foreign aid and a comfortable and com- 
modious house of worship was erected in 
1820, 62 by 44 feet. The average attend- 
ance at public worship in 1850 was about 
175; but from that time the membership 
began to decrease for various reasons until 
at the present time there is scarcely more 
than an organization. The trustees are 
George Bliss, D. Carr and D. S. Severance. 
The Methodist PIpiscopal society was or- 
ganized in October, 1879, since which time 
public services have been held in a build- 
ing the use of which was secured for that 
purpose. W. A. York and at the present 
time T. F. Harris, who visits the place at 
stated periods from Hast Homer, have 
ministered to the societ)-. Stephen Pat- 
rick is class-leader, and F. I. Woodward, 
Nelson Haskins, Dr. Frank Haskins and 
Stephen Patrick are stewards. 

The first Baptist Church in the town and 
village was organized by Rc\'. Rufus P"ree- 
man in 1806. Mr. Freeman came from 
Colerain, Mass., and was a preacher in that 



386 



lisioRv OF Cortland County. 



place. The cluircli edifice was erected in 
1818. Rev. Thomas Purinton, one of the 
ablest ministers the Baptist church ever had 
in Cortland county, came also from Cole- 
rain, Mas.s., in 1822, and located on a farm 
on lot 21, where he continued to live for 
many years. He had studied medicine 
under Dr. Ross, of Colerain, but upon 
making ready to begin practice was con- 
verted, when he took a theoloj^ical course 
of stud}- and after being licensed to preach 
remained in the ministry for a term of years 
before coming westward. He followed 
farming in Tru.xton, preaching at different 
surrounding points. It was then his custom 
to preach twice on the Sabbatli in the 
church in the village, and on Sabbath even- 
ing in some school-house in another part of 
the town, and on Thursdaj- evening again 
in some other remote place in the large old 
town, which was ten miles square. Mr. 
Purinton received as salary $200 a year 
for the first twenty \'ears of his ministr\-, 
and was paid by subscription in cash or 
produce, as was most conxenient and satis- 
factor\- to his people. It was Mr. Purin- 
ton's custom to always ask for the subscrip- 
tion paper after it had circulated, which he 
would lot)k o\er and after the names of those 
whom he considered unable to pay, would 
write the word "arranged;" with such per- 
sons their subscriptions were considered as 
".settled." The rate of postage on letters 
was twenty-fi\e cents, and it is said that 
Mr. Purinton did not recei\-e sufficient cash 



to pay postage on the letters which his call- 
ing compelled him to write. After twenty 
1 years of hard and unselfish service in the 
' church, his salary was raised to $300 a year, 
and so it remained during the succeeding 
five years, which was the remainder of his 
stay in Truxton. After all of this long and 
faithful service, a curious record was left 
regarding his work. The church was de- 
sirous of extending to Brother Purinton a 
vote of thanks for his untiring efforts to 
promote the cause of religion; this was ac- 
cordingly done — he was "voted thanks" 
for his faithfulness; but the clerk, in record- 
ing the matter, must have become confused, 
for he wrote — "Brother Purinton was ex- 
horted to greater faithfulness " in the cause 
of Christ. This good man was followed 
among others b\' Rev. Luke Davis, two 
years ; Rev. William McCarth\-, four \ears; 
Rev. E. D. Reed, eight years ; Rev. A. P. 
Graves, two years ; Rev. S. C. Ainsworth, 
eight years; Re\-. Mr. Taylor, two \-ears ; 
Rev. A. M. Bennett, five years ; Rev. W. 
F. Wakefield, two years; Rev. F. H. Gates, 
a year and a half and the Rev. J. A. Rich, 
who took charge of tlie church in Februar}-, 
1 882. and remained until March, 1884. The 
deacons are Hosea M. Kenney and Henry 
McKe\itt. rile last named succeeded 
Deacon Freeman Schermerhorn, who held 
this position from 1865 until 1883. 

The membership of the church was 200 
in 1869. It is now something less than 
fiftv. 



Town of Cuyler. 



387 



CHAPTER XXV. 



IlISIiiRN' OK TIIK TOWX nK (TVLKR. 



THE town of Cuyler is situated in the 
extreme northeastern part of the coun- 
ty. It was formed from tlic town of Trux- 
ton on the i8tli of November, 1858, and 
was the last town erected in Cortland 
county. 

The surface of the town is broken, con- 
sisting largel}' of hilly uplands, excellently 
adapted for grazing. The principal stream 
is the east branch of the Tioughnioga river, 
which flows diagonally across the town, en- 
tering near the northeast corner and cross- 
ing the eastern boundary near its center. 
The Onondaga branch of the river is its 
largest tributary, and flows directly south 
from Kenney's Settlement. The other 
streams of the town are small brooks, most 
of them tributar}' to the Tioughnioga, and 
generally of clear, wholesome water. 

Muncy Hill, near the center of the town, 
is the highest land. The town comprises 
27,58i-f- acres of land, with an assessed val- 
uation of $15.04 per acre. The soil on the 
hills is a yellow loam with a clay subsoil ; in 
the valleys it is a light, sandy loam, mixed 
with alluvial deposit. 

As before stated, the town of Truxton 
originally embraced that of Cuyler. The 
first settlement made in that territory was 
in the year 1793. Prior to that date the 
region was a favorite home of the bear, the 
panther, the wolf and the deer, which 
roamed in great numbers o\-er its hills, 
through its gorges and along its streams, 
in blissful ignorance of the coming crusade 
of the white man. The first house erected 
in that broad domain was called " Home," 
a name significant of approaching civiliza- 
tion, and the beginning of an era of prog- 
ress. 



The first settlement within the present 
limits of the town of Cuyler was made in 
the year 1794, when Nathaniel Potter, 
Christopher Whitne\', David Morse and 
Benjamin Brown came in. Samuel C. Ben- 
edict had then occupied lot number 12 for 
one year, during which period he was mon- 
arch of all, and more, than he surveyed. 
F"rench traders may have visited the lands 
in this section at an earlier period, coming 
in from Onondaga or Madison county ; but 
if so, there was no trace of them left, nor 
anything to indicate to the first settler of 
whom we have any record that he was not 
the onl}' white man who had thus far pene- 
trated this wilderness. 

Nathaniel Potter came from Saratoga 
county, N. Y., in the spring of 1794. The 
family consisted of himself, his wife and an 
infant daughter five weeks old. Mr. Potter 
settled on lot 96, paying one dollar and ten 
cenjs an acre for his land. He built a small 
house near the State bridge. The reader 
of to-day finds it difficult to realize the 
privations and hardships to which the ear- 
liest settlers in the remote parts of this 
county were subjected. A bit of Mr. Pot- 
ter's experience may aid in such realization. 
! Penelope Potter, the infant before alluded 
to, was born in 1793, a little prior to the 
removal of her parents to their wilderness 
home. In one year after their arrival the 
mother died, it being the first death in that 
town. Mr. Potter was then compelled to 
go a distance of four miles for assistance in 
performing the last sad rites (and doubh- 
sad under those circumstances) over the re- 
mains of his dead companion. Returning, 
he found the infant child nestled close to 
the breast of its departed mother, as was 



388 



History of Cortland County, 



its wont wliin satisfyiiis^ its hunger. The 
dead at such times had but few mourners; 
but none can tloubt tlieir depth of grief; 
and tlie preparations for interment were 
necessarily of tlie sim[)lest kind. The coflfin 
for Mrs. Potter's remains was constructed in 
part from the door of the house, that furnish- 
ing the only suitable boards then available. 

In the year 1798, the children of Mr. 
Potter were entirely bereft, the father being 
killed in the month of July b\- the falling 
of a tree. His little boy, then about five 
years old, was with him at the time of the 
unfortunate event. Mrs. Joseph Keeler 
was the first to find the body, mangled and 
crushed under a large tree. She kindly ad- 
ministered to his wants as best she could ; 
water, for which he asked, was brought to 
him in his hat, there being no other means 
at hand. 

The little daughter, Penelope Potter, al- 
ways resided on her father's land, in the 
homestead, and died there. Owing to some 
defect in the title to the farm (a common 
occurrence in those days), she bought and 
paid for the land a second time. In 18 10 
she was married to Nathaniel Patrick, b\- 
whom she had fourteen children, one of 
whom was the Hon. Stephen Patrick, of the 
town of Tru.xton. 

David Morse came from New Ierse\- 
and settled on lot 87, which embraced the 
site of the present village of Cuyler. He 
was a Revolutionary soldier, and drew this 
lot as a bounty. He was a successful farmer, 
and became a prominent member of the 
Methodist church at a later period. His 
two sons, David and Joseph Morse, located 
on the same lot. His grandson, William 
A. Morse, now owns and occupies the house 
he built. 

James Lock wood came with Mr. Morse, 
from Pennsylvania. They came up the 
Tioughnioga river in a canoe, and then took 
an ox team to their destination. 



Heiijamin Hrow n also came in during the 
year 1795. He was a nati\e of Connecticut, 
and selected lot 57, becoming the first set- 
tler in the Kenne)- Settlement neighborhood. 
Benjamin Hroun, his grandson, well known 
as one of the early teachers of the town, 
became a very successful agriculturist, and 
gained the reputation of an enterprising and 
worthy citizen. 

Isaac Brown settled on lot 99, about the 
year 1806, where his son, I. N. Brown, now 
resides. 

Zebediah Gates located on lot 88, in the 
year 1807, where his son, Elias, now li\es ; 
he was a native of Colerain, Mass. 

Joseph and Martin Keeler, brothers, set- 
tled on lot 96, about the year 1797, near 
the present residence of Nelson Keeler, who 
is a grandson of Martin. 

Jesse Blanchard located on lot 66 in the 
year 1798. \\'ith him came his brother 
William ; the\- married the sisters of 
Amasa, ITber, Job and Silas Whitmarsh, 
who also migrated the same year from Ver- 
mont and settled on lot J"]. Azariel Blan- 
chard, father of Je.sse and William Blan- 
chard, was a soldier in the Re\'olutionar_\' 
War and in all probabilit}- drew this lot as 
his bounty. He also participated, under 
General Stark, in the War of 1812, and 
died in 1818, aged eighty-two years. 

In order to enjoy a feast of white bread, 
Jesse Blanchard carried a sack of wheat to 
.Manlius, tweiit)' miles awa\- ; that was then 
the nearest grist-mill. He made the jour- 
ney on foot, carr)-ing the sack of wheat 
and guided onl\' by marked trees. When 
he or his family needed medical aid he went 
to Fabius. general!}- carrying his musket 
and, if benighted on the way, a firebrand 
with which to tlefend himself against the 
numerous wolves. Jesse Blanchard tlied in 
1847, aged eighty-two years. 

William Blanchard took part in the War 
of 1812, anil uiKin his return to Cu\'ler 



Town of Cuyler. 



389 



followed his trade of blacksmith. He was 
a skillful mechanic, the first in that business 
in the village and kept his smith)- for man\- 
years. He learneil his trade of Ale.xander 
Little, who seems to have been a pioneer 
blacksmith in or near Cuyler ; but of him 
we have been unable to procure data. 
William Blanchard was for a time postmas- 
ter of Cuyler ; was elected assessor several 
terms; was justice of the peace a number 
of times and was honored with other posi- 
tions of trust, all of which he filled with 
credit and ability. Dr. Blanchard, the emi- 
nent plnsician and surgeon, who died in 
Milwaukie in 1871, was a son of Jesse Blan- 
chard ; he was for many years previous to 
his death totallj- blind. 

Charles Vincent settled on lot /S in 
1806. James Vincent had preceded him 
si.x N'ears. Henry Vincent, son of Charles, 
still lives at the advanced age of eighty- four 
years, retaining to a remarkable degree his 
physical strength and mental faculties. 

Daniel Page settled on lot 79, where the 
\\'idow Hinds now lives 

James Dorwood, from Rhinebeck, N. \'., 
came into the town in 1806 and located on 
lot 79. He was an ingenious and skillful 
mechanic, and is said to have built the first 
carding-machine in the State of New 
York. He was a nati\'e of Scotland and 
left his country when eighteen \-ears of 
age to escape being forced into the army 
of King George the Third. Huldah Dor- 
wood lived to the great age of ninety-eight 
years. 

Jacob Hollenbeck and John Brown set- 
tled on lot // in the year 1806— 08. 
Thomas Fairbanks located on lot 60 in 
1803, and Ephraim Fairbanks on land after- 
ward occupied by Joseph L. Burdick, on lot 
80; the farm was owned later b\- H. F. 
Boyce. Simeon Feeney, William Wallace 
and the two Webster families came in a few 
vears before the War of 181 2, as did also 



the Fox families ; but we have no farther 
data concerning them. 

Hon. Stephen Patrick came to Cuyler 
with his parents in 1812, locating on lot 86. 
His father was Nathaniel Patrick, who mar- 
ried Penelope Potter, before alluded to, in 
1 8 10. Mr. Patrick is a prominent citizen; 
was in the employ of the Delaware and Hud- 
son Canal Company from 1833 to 1839; 
has held many minor positions of trust, and 
in the j-ear 1866 represented Cortland 
county in the Legislature. He is a success- 
ful farmer and largely engaged in dairy- 

Mr. Goodwin, in his Pioneer History of 
Cortland County, refers to the struggles of 
the pioneers in the procurement of food for 
their families in the following language : 
" The lu.xuries they enjoyed were the real 
necessaries of subsistence. They dealt 
only with the stern realities of life. The 
follies of our times were unknown to the 
primitive settlers. They studied nature as 
she really was, rather than as what they 
would have her to be. When success had 
so far crowned their laborious efforts as to 
enable them to spare a portion of their prod- 
ucts, they did not deem it a hard task to 
place the scanty surplus on an ox-sled and 
taking an Indian trail, or such road as had 
been cut through the wilderness b>' wan- 
dering emigrants, and thus trudge on from 
day to day until they reached Utica, 
Whitestown, or Herkimer, where they ex- 
changed their load for the substantial of 
the farm and the kitchen. This exchange 
did not then, as in these days of refinement, 
consist of satins, silks and laces for their 
daughters, but in a few \-ards of linsey-wool- 
sey, an ax, bush-hook, grubbing-hoe, and 
last, though not least, a half pound of old 
Bohea, which was alwa\-s received by the 
happ}' matron with a smile." 

One of the chief obstacles always en- 
countered by the early settlers and which 



390 



History of Cortland County. 



caused them often great annoj-ance and 
loss, was the depredations of wild beasts. 
Wolves were the most numerous and troub- 
lesome. Thouj^di great cowards in day- 
light, under cover of the nights they would 
come down from the forest-covered hill- 
sides in this town to prey upon the farmer's 
sheep-fold, and only those which were care- 
fully and substantially fenced were safe from 
the ravenous beasts. The deep gorges and 
densely wooded hillsides of Cuyler afforded 
favorite haunts for these cowardly beasts, 
where they gathered in droves, as was their 
wont, to go on their nightly raids. It was 
common for them to set up their concerted 
bowlings at about sunset, and soon the dis- 
tant hillsides and the deep valleys would 
resound with their blended voices, discord- 
ant in themsches, and jet possessing a 
sort of wild, weird melody, to which old 
settlers often revert with pleasant memories. 
But when the hour for their depredation on 
a sheep-fold arrived, their instinct prompted 
them to still their voices and they stealthily 
crept to the scene of their plunder ; luckily 
for the farmer if they did not kill and carry 
oft" his last sheep. The bounty offered for 
killing wolves was always a considerable 
one in pioneer days, and the settlers some- 
times eked out their slender incomes by 
killing the brutes. John Hooker, of Cuy- 
ler, on one occasion, after having a cow 
killed by them, excavated a deep pit to en- 
trap them, suitably baited it and had the 
satisfaction of catching seven ; he received 
a bounty of about forty dollars. 

The first death in the town of Cu\-ler was 
that of Susannah Potter, in June, 1795 ; 
and the first birth was that of her son, which 
occurred about four months prior to her 
death. 

Wanton Corey and Deborah Morse (the 
former eighteen j-ears of age and the latter 
seventeen) were the first couple married in 
the town. The event occurred in May, 



1806. Mr. Corey died in 1 881, at the 
advanced age of ninety-fi\e years. Gar- 
ret Lockwood and Irene Culver were 
married at about the same time of Corey's 
marriage. 

The first school was taught in Daniel 
Morse's log house by Jabez Keep, in 1800, 
and about the same time Thomas Queens- 
bury taught a school in HoUenbeck's barn 
on lot "]"]. The first religious services were 
held in Mr. Slingerland's barn on the same 
lot. 

Mills. — The early settlers in this region 
seriously felt the absence of saw-mills and 
grist-mills. With boards, which are always 
comparative!)- cheap where timber is plent)-, 
and a few common tools, the average pio- 
neer could construct his house, rude though 
it was, and out-buildings, and could pro- 
vide his wife with many articles of conven- 
ience for house-keeping ; but without them, 
and with only his axe to depend upon for 
the production of anj-thing bearing even the 
semblance of a board, and with saw-mills 
at long distances, the privation was a serious 
one. And so with the grist-mill ; it was a 
real necessity, and when it came within a 
reasonable distance, displacing the primiti\e 
enormous pestle, which was lifted up and 
down in the mortar, made by hollowing out 
the top of a hard wood stump, it was a 
boon the value and convenience of which 
are diflicult to realize at this day. 

The first mill in the town of Cuyler was 
built by John Corbet in 1803. This was a 
saw-mill and it inidoubtedlj' found ample 
business in a territorj- as heavih- timbered 
as this was with hemlock, maple, basswood, 
beech, cherry and white elm. Not very 
long after this mill was built James Dor- 
wood erected a carding- mill and grist-mill 
on the same lot with Corbet ; it was prob- 
ably the first carding-mill in the State and 
was extensi\ely patronized. It afterward 
passed into the hands of Tydaman Hull and 



Town of Cuyler. 



391 



his son George, who ran it until about i860, 
when it was abandoned. 

In 1805 Joseph Sweetland built near the 
same site a grist-mill, which soon also passed 
into the hands of the Hulls. It was an old- 
fashioned water-power mill, with two runs 
of stone, but sufficed for the custom work 
of the vicinity. H. A. lilackman afterward 
became its owner, and finally its present 
owner, W. H. Seamans, bought it. 

The second saw- mill in the town was 
built by Judge Charles \'incent, on lot 78, 
and was run by him until 1844. It was a 
prominent mill in an early day and stood 
about half a mile below the other one. It 
changed hands a number of times and is 
now in ruins. 

The third mill was a grist-mill and saw- 
mill together ; both were built by Ephraim 
Griswold at the falls of Tripoli in a very 
early day. The mill is now owned by A. 
P. Spicer & Son, and has a good circular 
saw and two runs of stone ; it is a good 
country mill. 

In addition to these mills which we have 
mentioned, there were other early ones, but 
they were generalh' small affairs, with in- 
adequate water power, and have been long 
since abandoned in favor of portable steam 
saw-mills, now in common use. One of 
these is now on the farm of 1\I. J. Keeler. 
but will soon be removed to the village of 
Cuyler ; it is owned by the Brown Broth- 
ers, who are great-grandsons of Benjamin 
Brown, one of the first settlers before 
mentioned. 

The dairying business has recei\ed more 
attention in this town in late )-ears than 
formerly and more than an)- other branch 
of agriculture. In this respect the town of 
Cuyler is not surpassed by any other part 
of the county ; perhaps no other similar 
portion of the State. The rich lowlands and 
the excellent pasturage on the hillsides can- 
not be excelled and the dairy products are 



proportionately fine in quality and large in 
quantity. 

Silas Blanchard was the first to erect a 
cheese factory in this town. It was built 
about the year 1864, in the village ; a hun- 
dred feet of the building is still in use. 
The business is now owned b\- M. S. Allen 
and managed by J. B. Howard. The pat- 
ronage of this factory has been very large 
at times, consuming the milk of a thousand 
cows ; at other seasons it has been much 
more limited. 

The second butter and cheese factor}^ was 
built on or near the line between Cuj-ler 
and De Ruj-ter, Madison count}', about the 
year 1875, by Lewis Sears. Since his pro- 
prietorship, Edwin Saunders, A. Bucking- 
ham and, at the present time, Mr. McAd- 
ams have owned it. The factory receives 
considerable patronage from both towns, 
but it is not so large in capacity as others 
in the town. 

The factory at Kenne\- Settlement is of 
still later origin. It was built and is now 
managed by a compan)' and commands a 
good patronage. 

The Cuyler Hill Cheese Eactory Associa- 
tion, organized about ten years ago, and the 
Cold Spring cheese factory, located in the 
south part of the town, are each doing a 
moderate business. There are also several 
dairies in the town, the products of which 
rank high in the markets. 

When the Rebellion broke out it found 
this town ready with its sister towns of the 
county to send her young men to the bat- 
•tle-field in aid of the government and will- 
ing to pa,\- them well for the hardship and 
dangers they were to undergo. Special 
town meetings were held in about the same 
order and for similar purposes as those al- 
ready described in the history of Homer, 
and bounties were paid conforming with 
those of the other towns. Eollowing is a 
list of all the enlistments from the town of 



392 



History of Cortland County. 



those who received bounties, witli other 
details : — 

Call of October 1 7th, 1 863. Bounty paid, 
$300. Total bounties, $9,000. — Henry 
Couch, liirani llills, Benjamin Austin, Al- 
pha v. Culver, John Scott, Harlow I. Phil- 
lips, William B. Mudge, William B. Weg- 
gant, Michael Donnelly, Cornelius Steel, 
Oscar H. Smith, Edmund O. Rice, John A. 
Stewart, George Deitz, Charles LoUis, The- 
odore Knapp, Isaac Brocket!, Loyd D. Cul- 
ver, James Wilson, George Hopper, Chas. 
Hall, Stephen Cornell, Stephen H. Vos- 
burgh, Albert C. King, George Ridder, 
George Ufford, David P. Rood, Charles 
Van Wh\-, Azariah C. Torre\', Arvin N. 
Albro. 

Call of July iSth, 1864. Amount of 
bounty, $700; except $600 to nine; $300 
to two; $500 to one; and $650 to one. 
Total bounties, $18,350 Total brokerage, 
$700. — William H. Shaw, James A. Shaw, 
Wm. D. Hakes, Thomas Edwards, Henry 
Kreiga, David H. Lyon, Charles Mitchell, 
John Beavers, Charles Nelson, Sebastian 
Staff, Christ. Bender, John Sherman, De- 
mus \\'alsh, Daniel Eoster, Ereman Day, 
Peter Sanger, John R. Williams, Curry 
Magnus, John Quinn, Thomas Williams, 
Jacob Jacoba, Stephen R. Nye, John R. 
Wells, Wesley Porter, George H. Green 
Daniel Hennessy, Cyrus A. Smith, S. E. 
Corwich, George Bromley. 

Call of December 19th, 1864. Bount}- 
paid, $400 ; except $600 to two. Total 
bounty, $3,600. Total brokerage, $120. — 
Geo. E. Willey, Samuel Johnson, Dewitt 
C. Burch, Nelson Moore, N. Childs, Wm. 
Hatless, Charles R. Lord, Ezra Stone. 

Recapitulation. — Paid for filling cjuotas, 
calls of October 17th, 1863, Eebruar_\- and 
March, 1864, $9,000. Paid for filling quota, 
call of July 18th, 1864, $19,050. Paid for 
filling quota, call of December 19th, 1864, 
$3,720. Grand total, $31,770. 



The town of Cu)-ler was without railroad 
communication until about the year 1870, 
when the Midland road ran its branch (the 
Auburn branch, so called) directly through 
the town, giving it direct connection with 
Cortland village on the south and Norwich 
on the east. This road, although not yet 
managed so satisfactorily as it undoubtedly 
will be at no distant da)-, has been of great 
advantage to the town. 

The resolution to petition the Legislature 
for an act to erect the town of Cuyler was 
passed b)- the Board of Supervisors of the 
county on the i8th of November, 1858, 
and at the first town meeting the following 
officers were elected : — 

Supervisor — Lewis Sears. 

Town clerk. — Alexander Dunce. 

Justices of the peace — James Burdick, 
Wait Besle}-, Daniel Fairbank. 

Assessors — John A. Keene\', William 
S. Merchant. 

Commissioners of highways — Ezra Ben- 
jamin, Henry Smith, Scabury B. Henry. 

Overseers of the poor — Francis B. Al- 
drich, Robert Grisvvold. 

Inspectors of election — Warren A. Jones, 
Horace Benjamin, Franklin Blanchard. 

Collector — James Allen. 

Constables — James Allen, Wm. I-'. Wall, 
Ransom Fairbank, James Breed, Elisha 
House. 

Following is a list of the names of the 
supervisors and town clerks, the supervisor's 
name being given first in each instance : — 

For the years 1859-60, Lewis Sears, 
' Alexander Dunce ; 1861 to 1864, inclusive, 
Silas Blanchard, A. W. Dunbar; 1865, 
Silas Blanchard, Gilbert S. Poole; i866, 
Hiram Whitmarsh, Geo. F. Fairbank; 1867 
to 1872, inclusive, Alexander Dunce, Wm. 
Blanchard; 1873, Alexander Dunce, Geo. 
F. Fairbank; 1874 to 1876, inclusive, 
Alexander Dunce, Clarence N. Knapp ; 
1877-78, Henr)- D. Waters, Clarence N. 



Town of Cuyler. 



393 



Knapp ; 1879-80, John W. Patrick, Clar- 
ence N. Knapp ; 1881, Henry D. Waters, 
Clarence N. Knapp; 1882, Harlan P. An- 
drews, Clarence N. Knapp; i883,Wm. Bald- 
win, James B. Hills; 1884, Harlan P. An- 
drews, James B. Hills. 

The officers of the town of Cuyler, elected 
at the last annual election, are as follows: — 

Supervisor — Harlan P. Andrews. 

Town clerk — James B. Hills. 

Justices of the peace — Seabury F. 
Brown, B. F. Lee, Irvine; Burdick, Nelson 
Keeler, Joel J. Albro. 

Assessor — David C. Smith. 

Commissioner of highwa)s — W'm. \\ . 
Thompson. 

Overseer of the poor — Wanton Core\'. 

Collector — Aaron W. Dunbar, jr. 

Constables — Aaron W. Dunbar, jr., 
Jacob Garner, George Bogai'dus, Nelson 
Albro, Stephen Burtis. 

Inspectors of election — Lewis Burtis, 
George F. Fairbank. 

Excise Commissioner — Geo. H. Brown. 

Of those who have been prominently 
identified with the management of the pub- 
lic affairs of the town of Cu\-ler, no one is 
more honorably conspicuous than Alexan- 
der Dunce. He was born in Schenectady, 
N. v., in 1809, of Scotch parentage; his 
parents being educated people, the\' care- 
full\- trained their son in the same direction. 
He became at an early age a successful 
teacher in common schools, and he has ever 
since identified himself with educational in- 
terests. He removed to the town of Cuyler 
in 1838 where he continued teaching win- 
ters, and farming in summer seasons. His 
capacit)' and education for official duty was 
soon recognized b\- his townsmen, since 
which time he has been honored with al- 
most constant public work, which engrosses 
a large share of his time and attention. He 
was superintendent of common schools in 
the old town of Truxton for ten \-ears ; town 



clerk of Cuyler, after it was set ofif from 

Tru.xton, two terms ; justice of the peace 
two terms; supervisor nine terms ; railroad 
commissioner six years and has been notary- 
public during the past fifteen years. Mr. 
Dunce was originally a Whig in politics 
and is now a thorough-going Republican, 
strong in his convictions of right and un- 
flinching in his efforts to carry out his 
convictions. Although now seventy-six 
years of age, he still attends to his public 
duties with sound judgment and all the 
vigor and care of his \-ounger daj's, and 
lives in the enjoyment of the respect and 
confidence of the entire communit}'. 

CUYI.ER vill.\(;e. 

The \'illage of Cuyler is situated a little 
north of the center of the town, on the 
Utica, Ithaca and Elmira railroad, and con- 
tains a Methodist church, several mechanics' 
shops, three stores, and a population of 
about one hundred and twent}'. 

The first trading done in the village 
proper was probably by C. J. Vincent, who 
began in 1832, although it has been stated 
that a man named Hull had a small store 
there as earl}- as 1 806. The successors of 
Mr. Vincent were Phillip and Joseph Morse 
in 1833 ; Alanson Lake in 1838; Lewis & 
Sprague in 1842; Sprague Brothers in 
184s and Abial Davidson in 1859. 

In another building Halsey Patrick began 
trading in 1858, and was succeeded by Aus- 
tin Waters in i860; Marshall Blanchard in 
i86i. In still another building Frank Wise 
began business in 1864 and was followed 
by Adelbert Fuller in 1866, who still con- 
tinues. H. G. Warner began business in 
1 88 1, and C. M. Knapp, the present hard- 
ware merchant, in 1871. 

Joseph Swectland kei)t the first inn in 
Cuyler in 1806, his sign being hung upon 
a tree. 01i\er Mix taught the first school 
in Mix's bar-room, in 1807. Mr. Alexan- 



394 



History of Cortland County. 



der Dunce, who is excellent authorit}' and 
to whom we are much indebted for infor- 
mation of this town, thinks that a Mr. Mc- 
Whorter kept a tavern here in 1806. He 
was followed in 1820 b)' A. Petrie ; in 
1822 by David Morse; 1824 to 18*36 by- 
Joseph Brush; \Vm. Morse from 1830 to 
1834 ; Geo. \V. Samson from i 834 to 1 838 ; 
Peter W'estcrman from 1838 to 1841 ; Wil- 
liam Blanchard from 1841 to 1848; A. 
Parker from 1848 to i860; D. Raj-mond 
from 1861 to 1865; M. D. Eaton 1870 to 
1873; R. Ashley from 1873 to 1875; D. 
Pence, the last in the place, from 1875 to 
1877, when the hotel was burned. 

Alexander Little was the first blacksmith 
to locate in Cujler, beginning in 18 16. He 
was followed by W'm. Blanchard in 1820. 
Luther Holmes, the present blacksmith, be- 
gan business here in 1871. 

James Pomeroy, a cabinet maker, began 
work in that line in 18 16; he died in 1870. 
Jefferson Vincent began in 1882. 

The first physician to locate in the village 
of Cuyler was Dr. Christopher L. Main, 
who became a member of the Cortland 
County Medical Society in 1836, about 
which time he settled in Cuyler; he re- 
mained only to the year 1 840 and was suc- 
ceeded by Dr. W. B. Sturte\ant, who prac- 
ticed here a few }-ears and removed to De 
Ruyter, where he soon afterward died. He 
became a member of the County Medical 
Society in 1846. Dr. Frank C. Clark set- 
tled here in 1878 and is still in practice. 

The first lawyer in Cuyler was Joseph 
Morse, youngest son of Da\'id Morse, who 
settled on lot 87. He began pettifogging 
in justice's court at an early day, and soon 
after the constitutional changes of 1846, 
which permitted candidates to be licensed 
to practice in courts of record, without re- 
gard to the time spent in stud\-, he was ad- 
mitted an attorney at law in the courts of 
the State. He died in 1872 or 1873. 



The second lawyer was M. M. Waters, a 
native of the town. Mr. Waters obtained 
a good education, and was a teacher of 
some prominence, after which he studied 
the law, and was admitted about 1 854. 
He practiced in the count}' until 1882, 
when he removed to Syracuse, where he 
is now the senior member of the well 
know n firm of Waters, Mc Lennan & 
Dillaye. He is an able pleader and a 
wise counselor. 

Henr\- D. Waters, the onl\- lawyer at 
present in Cu\ler, is a brother of M. M. 
Waters, with whom he studied his profes- 
sion in Cortland village. At the breaking 
out of the Rebellion he enlisted in Company 
E of the 157th Regiment, and was a par- 
ticipant in the battles of Chancellorsville, 
Fredericksburg, Antietam and Gettysburg. 
In the latter engagement he lost two fingers 
b)' the bursting of a shell, on which account 
he was transferred to the Veteran Reserves, 
Mr. Waters was twice promoted, to the offi- 
ces of lieutenant and captain. He finished 
his law studies, and was admitted to the bar 
after his return from the war. Since that 
time he has been justice of the peace fifteen 
years, supervisor four years and clerk of the 
board two years. 

Churches. — The first sermon preached 
in the town of Cuyler was by Benoni Har- 
ris, in 1808. The services were held in 
Singleton's barn. After that e\'ent religious 
services were kept up with something like 
regularity by supplies or traveling minis- 
ters, who preached in priwite houses, or 
school-houses, until the j'ear 1839, when 
the Methodist church building of Cuyler 
was erected. This building was raised by 
Alexander Dunce, and the society has since 
prospered. The Rew James Staunton is 
the pastor at present in charge of the church. 
Isaac N. Brown, J. W. Patrick, I. D. Brown, 
Adam Petrie and Alexander Dunce are the 
trustees. The class-leaders are Isaac N. 



Town of Preble. 



395 



Brown and George Brown. The member- j 
sliip is about eight)-. 

About the year of the organization of the I 
Methodist Church in the village, and not 
later than 1 840, the members of the Baptist 
society erected a frame church building in 
the Kenney Settlement. The members of 
this were greatly scattered, and in a few 
j'ears the church was disbanded, the mem- 
bers going to Fabius and Truxton to attend 
worship. The Rev. Mr. Purinton minis- 
tered to this people most of the time while 
they continued to meet for worship. He 
was a man of sterling Christian character 
and was greatly loved b}' his congregation. 
John A. Kenney, Orange Cadwell, ^Vbner 
Brown, and others, were among the earnest 
supporters of the church. The building 
was purchased b\' the Methodists about the 
year 1 866, and is connected in a circuit 
with the church at Fabius. The Rev. Mr. 
Shurtliff, now of Fabius, preaches in the 
church. Edmund I'ox, John B. Webster, 
Nelson Haskins, Silas Haskins, Oren and 
Gurdon Hulbert, H. P. Andrews, and oth- 
ers are prominently connected with the 



society. The original trustees were P. H. 
Saunders, Leonard Woodruff, Owen Wood- 
ruff and J. B. Webster. The present trust- 
ees are P. H. Saunders, Hiram Whitman, 
Isaac Babcock, Albert Haskins, Elisha King, 
Edwin Saunders and H. P. Andrews. 

The Union Church society of South 
Cuyler, consisting of members from various 
denominations, erected a building at that 
place just prior to the late war. The socie- 
ty thus formed is not a very strong one, 
but its members are earnest in their desire 
to build up a church and regularly attend 
all the ser\ices. The Rev. Mr. Ketchum 
was instrumental in securing the subscrip- 
tion with which the frame of the church 
w^as erected. 

The Seventh da\- Baptist Church was or- 
ganized about the year 1850 and a building 
erected on the Burdick hill. The Revs. 
Fisher, Alexander Campbell, Joshua Clarke 
and Thomas Fisher have preached to this 
society at difterent periods. Phineas and 
James Burdick, Arza Muncey, E. B. Irish, 
A. L. Gardner and others have done much 
for the prosperity of the church. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



HISTdRV OF THE TOWN" OF PREIJI.K. 



THE town of Preble was named in honor 
of Commodore Preble, and was formed 
from the military township of TuUy upon 
the organization of Cortland county, April 
8th, 1808. It embraced the south half of 
that township and also the present town of 
Scott. The boundaries are as .follows : On 
the north by Onondaga county ; on the 
east by Truxton ; on the south by Homer 
and Scott ; on the west by Scott. 

The surface is largely broken and hilly, 
consisting of the valley of the west branch 
of the Tioughnioga river, which is nearly 



two miles wide, with high ridges rising on 
the east and west. Mount Topping is the 
most elevated portion of the town, being 
seventeen hundred feet above tide. North 
of Mount Topping a valley extends north- 
ward and opens into the \'alley of Otisco 
lake. The hills of Preble are steep and 
many of the sunmiits terminate in sharp 
peaks. 

The soil is a fine quality of gravelly loam. 
Several small lakes are situated in the town 
and are known as the Little York lakes. 
The following concerning Mount Topping 



396 



History of Cortland County. 



is quoted from Goodwin s History of the 
County : " From the highest elevation of 
Mount Topping portions of Onondaga, 
Cayuga and Tompi<ins may be seen, with 
tlieir varj'ing sccncr)-, blending the beauties 
of rich, productive fields with the more 
rugged features of nature. Standing on 
that loft)' point the observer ma\- have a 
fine view of Homer, Preble and Tully flats, 
lands that will compare favorably with any 
in the State; and there, too, he ma>' \-iew 
with admiration and wonder the works of the 
Deity, as exhibited in the numerous ridges 
and long sloping valleys, the rounded 
knolls and picturesque glades, all richl)' di- 
versified and producing in abundance the 
various crops common to the country. 
Indeed, there are man)' magnificent views 
to be taken from this rugged point, as it 
looms up in its ancient grandeur. We were 
most agreeabh' surprised with our visit to 
this olden spot of Indian warfare, where the 
Indian man contested the right of inherit- 
ance with the wild beasts of the mountain 
glen or forest glade." 

Preble Corners, situated on the S)'racuse, 
Binghamton and New York Railroad, con- 
tains two churches, a hotel, two general 
stores, one hardware store and one drug 
store, and one cooper shop ; a harness shop, 
two blacksmith shops, one wagon shop and 
other shops of \'arious kinds, with about 
four hundred inhabitants. Preble Center 
and Baltimore are hamlets, the latter lo- 
cated near the center of the town, and was 
formerly a thriving little village, containing 
hotel, post-office, stores and a tanner)'. 

The first settlement was made in the 
town of Preble in 1796, by James Cravath 
and John Gill. James Cravath bought lot 
68 and paid $1 per acre for the land. He 
afterwards sold to his brothers, Robert and 
Samuel, three hundred acres of this land 
and the remainder to Garret \'an Hoesen 
in 1805, for which last named part he re- 



ceived $12.50 per acre. After this trans- 
action James Cravath moved to the Holland 
Purchase, in Genesee county, N. Y. His 
only daughter, Mrs. Blodgett, also moved 
to that count)-. Robert and Samuel Cra- 
\ath came to the town in 1797, and li\'ed 
the remainder of their lives in the count)' 
and gainctl the reputation of being honor- 
able, upright citizens and valuable mem- 
bers of the community. They were both 
earnest supporters of the earl)- church in 
Preble. Samuel moved to Homer just prior 
to his death. James Cravath was a native 
of Connecticut, but migrated from Pompey 
Hill. Samuel and Robert came from Nor- 
folk, Conn. 

John Gill settled on a part of lots 76 and 
"]"]. He settled first in Scott and came to 
Preble soon after. It was at his house the 
first meeting was held in the town for the 
election of the town officers. 

Harr\' Hill and Elijah Mason came in 
during the )'ear 1798. The former was 
from Montgomer)' county, N. Y., and lo- 
cated on lot 87, which he drew for military 
services in the Revolutionary War. Elijah 
Mason settled on lot 78. Seth Trowbridge, 
from Montgomery county, located in the 
early part of 1779 on lot 59, and during the 
next year Samuel Trowbridge, Winnie 
H)att and Samuel Orvis settled on the 
same lot. Trowbridge served in the War 
of the Rc\'olution and drew the lot. The 
Widow Trowbridge, of Homer, mother of 
Mrs. Oliver Glover, of Homer, was a daugh- 
ter of Mr. Hyatt. Mr. Orvis was from Nor- 
folk, Conn. He subsec[uentl)' rcmo\'ed to 
Prattsburg, Steuben count)', where he died 
in 1 85 I at the advanced age of ninet)'-eight 
years. Samuel Trowbridge was the first 
inn-keeper in the town of Preble. 

In iSoi .Augustus Thorp located on lot 
7<S. In 1802 John Osgood, Silas Topping, 
Samuel C. Buckelow and Jabez Phelps 
came in and settled in \arious locations. 



Town of Preble. 



397 



Jabez Phelps was originally from Hebron, 

Connecticut, but came to Preble from Caz- 
enovia. He located on lot 88, and for the 
first few years he practiced medicine and 
vyas honored with the title of Doctor ; but 
he subsequentl\- turned his attention to 
politics and was at different times elected 
to important positions, creditably filling the 
office of associate judge, surrogate and 
Member of the Assembl)-. He died Dec. 
20th, 1850, aged seventy-four \'ears. His 
widow lived upwards of four score years. 
Thej- had seven children, as follows : 
The daughter Soplironia became the wife 
of Charles Clark, of Groton ; Laura Jane 
the wife of Dr. Burdick ; Augusta the wife 
of Harry Hobart, of Tru.xton ; Lydia, the 
wife of Dr. Alfred Hall, of Navarino, On- 
ondasa countv; Amanda the wife of 
Ezekiel Chew, of Richland, (_)hio ; Abram 
J., of Newark, in the same State; Calvin 
B., of Chrysoline, Ohio. 

Osgood settled on lot "j"] ; Buckelow on 
lot 67, and Topping on 96. 

In 1802 Lyttle Ferguson from Mont- 
gomery county located on lot 65. 

In 1803 Amos- Skeel and Jason Com- 
stock came in from Schenectady count}-, 
and selected locations. The former settled 
on lot 59. He was an industrious and val- 
uable citizen. He died in 1842, at the age 
of seventy-five years. His widow survived 
him eleven years and died at the ad\anced 
age of eighty-eight. He was the father of 
Hon. Ira Skeel, and William W. Mr. 
Comstock located on lot 58. His daughter 
Saloma is the wife D. Ci. Duncan. In 
1804 John CoUyer, Dr. Robert D. Taggart 
and Edward Cummings selected locations. 
Collyer, father of Casper CoUj'er, came from 
Greene count}' and settled on lot 58. Tag- 
gart came from Colerain and located on lot 
59. He was an exceedingly active and 
prominent man. Cummings came in from 
Peterborough, X. H . and settled on lot 59. 



He purchased 100 acres, and reared a res- 
pectable famil}' of thirteen children. 

James Crofoot was one of the prominent 
early settlers and probabl}- emigrated from 
Connecticut about the }'ear 1806, arriving 
in Preble during the latter part of that 
year. He settled on lot 88 and was one of 
the very first to locate in Baltimore. Jo- 
seph Crofoot was postmaster of that hamlet 
for a number of years. His son, David Cro- 
foot, was a tanner and currier and became 
wealthy. He was a skillful mechanic and 
carried on that business at Baltimore for 
forty }'ears. The old stone building, still 
standing in that place and occupied for that 
especial purpose during the time Mr. Cro- 
foot was engaged in that pursuit, was after- 
ward used for various purposes, such as 
blacksmith shop, shoe shop, etc., but has 
been virtuall}- abandoned for many years. 
This building was erected about the year 
1810, and was the first tannery in the town. 
David Crofoot must have turned his atten- 
tion in part to politics ; the records of the 
town show him to have been supervisor in 
1823, '24, '25. '30, '32, 'II, '34, '39, 40, 
'43, '44, '45. '46, '52, and '53 — fifteen 
years in all, but extending over a period of 
thirty years of time. 

The first grist-mill in the town of Preble 
was erected in the year 1806, b}- Samuel C. 
Woolston, a native of Montgomery count}-. 
In 1827 the building was taken down and 
the main part of the present mill erected on 
the original site. The mill was run until 
about the year 1850, and then passed into 
the hands of Uriah Philley. In 1853 W. 
E. Tallman purchased the mill property, 
comprising 200 acres of valuable land. He 
was an enterprising citizen of Tull}-, who. 
after coming here, thoroughly renovated 
and improved the mill, adding new bolts 
and another run of stone. He also ex- 
tended .shafting to his barn, a distance of 
360 feet, where he used the power for 



398 



History of Cortland County. 



thrashing, separating grain, elevating straw, 
sheUing corn and sawing wood, thus saving 
him by using the surphis power, half the 
usual number of hands necessary to do the 
same amount of wcjrk. Mr. Tallman also 
purchased a water power below his mill 
about thirty-eight rods distant, and by the 
use of shafting 627 feet in length, was en- 
abled to operate another extra run of stone. 
He thus used a portion of the water a second 
time. This valuable mill privilege is now 
owned by Elijah Stantnii. A saw-mill is 
also connected with it. 

By the year 1806 some improvements had 
been made in the town. The few farmers 
had made considerable progress in felling 
the forest, and PLlijah Mason and Samuel 
Trowbridge had erected the first frame 
houses. These were soon followed b\- that 
of John CoUyer, who built between the 
Corners and the river, on the site now oc- 
cupied by Henry Haviland. In this build- 
ing Mr. Collyer kept hotel in an early day 
and as late as 18 13, in which year Moses 
B. Howard moved into the town. 

Captain Church also had a tavern near 
Woolston's mill at an earl)- day ; but the 
date of his proprietorship is not now a\ail- 
able. 

In 1804 John Osgood opened a store at 
Preble Corners and in 1807 Wm. Vanden- 
berg began keeping a tavern there. Ash— 
abel Frost opened a store on lot 78 about 
1812 and Noah Parsons one on lot 68 in 
1 818. 

David Crofoot began his tanner}- busi- 
ness about the year 1 8 10, in Baltimore, and 
Isaac Crofoot, his cousin, some years later, 
opened a tavern there ; this passed through 
different hands and was finally kept by Geo. 
Haines, who closed it as a public house 
about 1854. A post-office was located here 
in 1 81 2 which was continued until 1832. 

Preble Center was a thri\'ing little hamlet 
at an early day, where business was done 



and some manufacturing in a small way; 
but the place long since became scarcely 
worthy of note. 

Jabez Phelps and Joseph Crofoot were 
earl\- identified with the interests of Balti- 
more ; but when the post-office was re- 
moved from there to the Corners in 1832, 
the place lost its business activity, until now 
it is me]el_\' a neighborhood of contiguous 
dwellings. 

The first annual town meeting of the 
town of Preble was convened at the house 
of John Gill on the 3d of May, 1808, when 
the following officers were elected : — 

Supervisor — Amos Skeel. 

Town clerk — Albert Collyer. 

Assessors — Garret Van Hoesen, Peleg 
Babcock and John Gill. 

Commissioners of highways — William 
Gillett, Samuel Trowbridge and Samuel 
Babcock. 

Overseers of the poor — Elijah Mason, 
Wm. Vandenberg. 

Constables — Samuel Taggart and Wm. 
Tefft. 

Commissioners of roads — Pllijah Mason 
and Paul Babcock. 

Collector — Henry Vandenberg. 

Sealer of weights and measures — Joseph 
Bingham. 

Pound masters and fence viewers — Rob- 
ert Cravath, Wm. Vandenberg, Henr\- Bur- 
dick. 

Overseers of the highways — John Hunt- 
ington, Nathaniel Gay, Leonard L. Conine, 
Richard Whitbeck, Timoth)- Brown, Eben- 
ezer Harrington, Moulton Craw, Gad Mer- 
rill, Abraham Rulofsen, John Gillett, John 
Ra\'mond, Seth Trowbridge, Levi Johnson, 
Bela Harsmar. 

The first enactment passed by this board 
of officers was that " hogs shall be free com- 
moners, with yokes and rings." 

The following resolution was also adopted 
at that meeting : " That any inhabitant of 



Town of Preble. 



399 



this town, who shall kill any wolves or pan- 
thers, shall be entitled to a bountj'from the 
town of ten dollars, provided said wolf or 
panther shall be killed within the bounds 
of the town." 

It was decided that the next town meet- 
ing shall be held at the house of John Gill. 

In 1863-64 Moses and William Palmer 
erected the Preble cheese factor}-, south of 
Baltimore, and carried on the manufacture 
of butter and cheese very extensively. Their 
buildings were very large, two stories in 
height, with capacious engine room ; the 
vats were heated by steam and the milk of 
hundreds of cows used. The dairy busi- 
ness of the town of Preble, like other por- 
tions of Cortland county, has received a 
large share of the attention of farmers in 
late years, increased interest being felt in it 
since about i860. The rich Preble flats are 
scarcely surpassed for fertility and beauty 
by any section of the county, and the farms 
are admirable examples of the best methods 
of agriculture. The hopes of the inhabi- 
tants of the town that they would soon have 
railroad communication with S\racuse and 
with other portions of this count}-, were ex- 
cited as earl}- as 1826, when the charter w-as 
granted by the Legislature for a road from 
Syracuse to Binghamton ; but the}- were 
destined to disappointment until the }'ear 
1854, which witnessed the completion of 
the Syracuse and Binghamton railroad run- 
ning directly through the Preble valle}-. 
This was an era of rejoicing and the road, 
although its advent may have been the re- 
verse of beneficial to the growth of the \il- 
lage, has been of incalculable benefit to the 
town at large. 

Preble Center was a point of deep relig- 
ious interest at a ver}- early day. Here the 
Presbyterians first assembled as early as 
1804, at which time there was a member- 
ship in this creed of eleven persons. It be- 
came a thriving organization. At a later 



date Jedediah Barber, of Homer, who mar- 
ried a Miss Tuttlc li\-ing near the Center, 
presented the society with a lot for the 
erection of a church building ; but there 
was a provision attached to the gift, that if 
the church was ever removed the lot should 
revert to him. The church was removed 
to Preble Corners in I 840, chiefly through 
the instrumentality of Elam Dunbar, and 
Mr Barber took the lot into his possession. 
The names of the first town officials have 
already been given. The first marriage 
was that of Amos Bull to Sally Mason, in 
1 799. The first birth was that of Nancy Gill, 
October 25th, 1796. The first death was 
that of John Patterson* in 1798. The first 
permanent merchant was Noah Parsons, at 
Preble Center in 1818. The first grist-mill 
that of Samuel Woolston, erected in 1806; 
and the oldest living native resident of the 
town is Matthias Van Hoesen, who is now 
seventy-nine years old. Mr. Van Hoesen 
has held every office in the gift of his town 
and has been its supervisor for nearly a 
quarter of a century. He was prominent 
in the agitation which resulted in erecting 
the new county clerk's office, and he was a 
leader in the work of arranging and erect- 
ing the present county poor-house buildings, 
which are among the finest in the State. 

Following is a list of the supervisors and 
town clerks of the town of Preble, the super- 
i visor's name in each instance being given 
first and the clerk's immediatel}- after : — 

1808-09, Amos Skeel, Robert Taggart. 
1810, Amos Skeel, Joseph Bingham. 181 i 
to 1815. inclusive, Amos Skeel, Garret Van 
Hoesen. 1816 to 1832, inclusive, Jabez B. 
Phelps, Garret \'an Hoesen. 1823, David 
Crofoot, Jabez B. Phelps. 1824, David 
Crofoot, Martin Lyon. 1825, David Cro- 
foot, Martin Phelps. 1826 to 1829. inclu- 
sive, Martin Phelps, tlrastus Downs. 1830, 
David Crofoot, Christian Ku. 1831, Mar- 
tin L}'on, Christian Etz. 1832 to 1834, in- 



400 



History of Cortland County. 



elusive, Diu'id Crt)fiH)t, Christian l'",tz. I1S35 
to 1837, inclusive, Elilui Mix, I'"rancis (iil- 
bert. 1838, Michael Frank, Jabcz H. Phelps. 
1839, Uavicl Crofoot, Michael Frank. 1 S40, 
David Crofoot, Edmund Stevens. 1841, 
Christian Ktz, John H. Kiersted. 1842, 
Abraham Woodward, James Crofoot. i 843, 
David Crofoot, Seth Kelsey. 1844 to 
1846, inclusive, David Crofoot, Andrew 
Spence. 1847, G. A. Woolston, Jabez B. 
Phelps. 1 848, Abel Washbrouck, Jabez B. 
Phelps. 1849, David Hard}', Jabez B. 

Phelps. 1850-51, . 1852, David 

Crofoot, P'redus Howard. 1853, David 
Crofoot, Leonard Hardy. 1854, Lyman G. 
Frost, Matthias M. Out. 1855, Seth Aid- 
rich, Walter Jones. 1856, James Baldwin, 
Matthias Out. 1857, Edmund Stevens, 
Fredus Howard. 1858, James Baldwin, 
John D. F, Woolston. 1859, W. E. Tall- 
man, Daniel Burdick. i860, W. E. Tall- 
man, John J. Out. 1861, Matthias Van 
Hoesen, John J. Out. 1862, M. Van Hoe- 
sen, Robert Conine. 1863, M. Van Hoe- 
sen, John L. Ferguson. 1864, M. Van 
Hoesen, Lyman Gay. 1865, Silas Bald- 
win, Horatio M. Van Buskirk. 1866, M. 
Van Hoesen, Caleb D. Kinner. 1867, M. 
Van Hoesen, J. S. Connie. 1868, M. Van 
Hoesen, L. M. Conine. 1869, James Bald- 
win, J. H. Burdick. 1870-71-72, M. Van 
Hoesen, Alonzo C. Spore. 1873, M. Van 
Hoesen, A. C. Carr. 1874, John D. F. 
Woolston, A. C. Carr. 1875, F. T. Van 
Hoesen, A. C. Carr. 1876, Anderson Fran- 
cisco, A. C. Carr. 1877-78, A. C. Carr, 
Myron J. Muncy. 1879, John D. F. Wool- 
ston, A. C. Carr. 1 880- 1 881, M. Van 
Hoesen, Frank P. Conine. 1882, David O. 
Crofoot, Frank P. Conine. 1883, Wm. W. 
Wright, F. P. Conine. 

The officers for the \'ear 1883 are as fol- 
lows: — 

Supervisor — Wm. W. Wright. 

Town clerk — Frank P. Conine. 



Justices of the peace — John S. Cornue, 
J. D. F. Woolston, Seth Hobart, H. J. B. 
Tully. 

Commissioner of highways — Henrj- F. 
Harter. 

Assessors — John L. Haviland, A. H. 
Van Buskirk and Roscoe Butler. 

Collector — Christo]5her Long. 

Inspectors of election — A. M. Loomis, 
David H. Foltz and J. H. Cummings. 

Constables — Christopher Long, Rich- 
mond Klock, A. V. H. Cummings and Ryan 
Green. 

Overseer of the poor — Eben Daley. 

Game constable — H. M. \'an Hoesen. 

Excise board — A. G. Aldrich, Robert 
Conine and Miles Tully. 

The town of Preble practically exhibited 
its patriotism during the late war, by fur- 
nishing its quota of men called for b)- the 
government, notwithstanding the town had 
more children than money, as compared 
with man)' other towns in the county. 
Following is a list of all the enlistments 
from the town of men who were paid boun- 
ties, with the amount of money thus ex- 
pended: — 

Call of October 17th, 1863. Bounty, 
$300. Total, $6,600. — Rice Graham, Ben- 
ajah A. W'ilmot, Oliver Ingram, Joseph 
R. Ragan, James Phillips, John E. Ladd, 
Robert Walker, Chester Huntington, John 
M. Corr\', Jacob King, George W. Gates, 
Edward Hunter, Charles P. Johnson, John 
A. Lee, Andrew Craft, James W. Wood, 
John Strong, John R. Cain, John Camel, 
John Hodges, James Smith, John Baker. 

Call of July i8th, 1864. Bounty, $1,000; 
except $700 to two, and $600 to two. 
Total, $21,600. Brokerage, $575. — Will- 
iam Howard, Charles Card, Franklin D. 
Carpenter, Edward L. Smith, Henry K. 
Watrous, Albert Arnold, Andrew V. Aus- 
tin, George W. Briggs, William R. Brown, 
Marcus B. Durkee, De Witt II. Eldrige, 



Town of Prebi.e. 



401 



Lucian Haskins, John B. Knapp, Henry G. 
Wakefield, James Wakefield, William W. 
Wakefield, Ellis Willson, Horace C. Wood, 
John Martin, James Wriijht, John Cain, 
Gabrael Allen, P'ranklin C. Crowcll. 

Call of December 19th, 1864. Bounty, 
$600. Total, $7,800. Brokerage, $105. — 
John Osborn, Daniel O'Brien, James Hay- 
den, Patrick Kell\-, Henry Jackson, George 
Doughert)-, James Cole, James Capot, Al- 
fred Marion, James Smith, Hiram Lango, 
John R\-an, Anton Tichter. 

Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
calls October 17th, 1863, Februarj' and 
March, 1864, $6,600; paid for filling quota, 
call Jul)- 1 8th, 1864, $22,175: paid for 
filling quota, call December 19th, 1864, 
$7,905. Grand total, $36,680. 

PREBLE CORNERS. 

The village of Preble Corners recei\ed 
its first inhabitant in the year 1802, in the 
person of John Osgood, before alluded to, 
who moved in at that time and erected the 
first log house in the place during that )'ear, 
and two years later opened the first store. 
The dwelling house stood on the ground 
now owned and occupied by John Ga\'. 

W'hen Garret Van Hoesen moved to the 
town in 1806 there were two frame houses 
in the town — that of P^lijah Mason and an- 
other occupied by Samuel Trowbridge, both 
of whom settled on lot 78. The first frame 
house built at the Corners was erected by 
William Vandenberg, and is the house in 
which John Gay now resides. V'andenberg 
kept a tavern in this building for a time ; 
but ha\-ing failed to (obtain a good title to 
his land, and after becoming reduced from 
wealthy circumstances to poverty, he re- 
moved away. Elisha Williams succeeded 
to his estate. The land was afterward 
claimed by John Toole, whose right to the 
title was undisputed ; but fortune did not 
favor the possessor, as there happened to be 



two of that name, both soldiers in the war 

of the Revolution, one of whom was then 
deceased, and both entitled to the militarv 
bount\-. After considerable litigation the 
State allowed .Mr. Williams to keep the 
farm. 

Matthias \'an 1 loesen came to the village 
in 1830 and from the spring of that year 
until the \-ear 1831 kcj)! the iiotel where it 
is now located. John Fowler was then in 
a tavern on the south side of the road. The 
next proprietor of the present hotel was 
Jabez B. Phelps, who came about the year 



18- 



the buildinsr was at that time con- 



siderably smaller than at present. The 
post-ofiice at Baltimore had been removed 
to the Corners during this \ear and busi- 
ness at that time began to center at this 
point. Andrew Spence next supplied the 
traveling public with tavern fare, and under 
his proprietorship the house was burned on 
September 14th, 1840. He immediately 
rebuilt it in its present size and accommo- 
dations. Following .Spence in the proprie- 
torship of the house came Anson Kenyon, 
Lewis Wilcox, John Bouton, George Hef- 
fron, Robert Conine, who kept it in 1852, 
and repaired the building ; Daniel Van Au- 
ken, who took it in 1865 and kept it until 
1878; G. S. \'an Hoesen. Albert \'an 
Hoesen and the present proprietor, John 
Klock, who came in 1880. 

Previous to the establishment of the post- 
office in the town of Preble, about the year 
1812, the then central point of the township 
of Tully, the settlers received their letters, 
papers, etc., from Pompey Hill. This post- 
office was located at the hamlet of Bal- 
timore, and was kept by Jabez Phelps, who 
retained the office a number of \-ears. The 
Cortland Journal, under date of October 
1st, 1824, advertises letters at the post- 
office in Preble for William Ridgway, Alex- 
ander Elliot, Wm. W. Skeel, Wm. Parker, 
John I. Hamilton, Chaunce)' Cummings ; 



402 



History of Cortland County. 



and Joscpli Crofoot was then postmaster. 
In 1827 he advertised the following list of 
letters remaining jn that office : Abijah 
Durkee, Barber & Tickner, Ebenczer Har- 
ris, Moses H. Green, Garrett Van Hoesen, 
Samuel Or\is, Elias Van Cam]). John A. 
Johnson and Henry Stebbins. 

Phineas Burdick was postmaster at the 
time of the removal to Preble Corners in 
1832, and was the first postmaster at that 
village. Matthias Van Hoesen kept it for 
a time in the hotel, beginning in the spring 
of 1831; then Jabez Phelps, after whom 
came Andrew Spence, who distributed 
mail at the hotel, both before and after it 
was burned, in 1840. Judge Phelps took 
the office again about the year 1848 and 
kept it until the beginning of Lincoln's ad- 
ministration, in 1 86 1. Chester Markham 
succeeded, remaining in the office until 
1875. John J. Out then took the office 
and is the present incumbent ; the office is 
kept in his harness shop. 

The first store at Preble Corners was es- 
tablished b}' John Osgood, in 1804. He 
seems to have traded in the place but a 
short time. Other transient merchants fol- 
lowed in a small way, until the }-ear 1830, 
when Frank Gilbert established a perma- 
nent place of mercantile trade ; he was fol- 
lowed by several successors ; after Frank- 
Gilbert came Wales & Kirsted in 1830; 
Frost & Wood, Frost & Gregg, Geo. El- 
more, Kinner & Norton, Lewis Carlisle, J. 
W. Roe, Hobart & Cummings and the pres- 
ent enterprising merchants, Conine & Cum- 
mings. 

The new and complete store now under 
the successful management of E. M. Van 
Hoesen was established by Markham & 
Ferguson in 1861 ; the\- were succeeded b_\- 
E. M. & F. T. Van Hoesen, who were fol- 
lowed by the present proprietor. 

The drug business here was bet/un dur- 



ing Fillmore's adminstratiiin b\- W 



m L. 



Barrett ; he was succeeded by A. C. Carr, 
following whom came the present proprie- 
tor, J. W. Roe. He carries a stock suffi- 
cient for the needs of the place 

Zelotus llannum supplied the citizens 
with furniture, and had the onl)- stock in 
that line in the town. 

James Crofoot was the first shoemaker in 
the town. He located on lot 88. The 
present shoemaker of the \ illage is Robert 
Conine. 

The harness and saddlery business was 
begun ])robabl\' as early as 1835, by Isaac 
Bishop. James Plumb worked at this trade 
a short time, and J. J. Out, a skillful nie- 
clianic, has done business in this line since 
1847. 

The first manufacturing ot wagons in the 
town was carried on by Daniel Lamphire, 
who located on lot 78, where he remained 
for twenty-five years. He was from the 
town of Co.xsackie, N. Y., ; he did custom 
work wholl)-, and his shop finall_\- went 
down. In 1877 Richard Bray ton and 
Fred. Bennett located in a shop on lot JJ, 
but remained only a \ear or two. A. H. 
Vandenberg has a wagon and sleigh re- 
pair shop which he has occupied about 
fifteen \-ears, and for many years previous 
at Baltimore. His father was Lambert 
Vandenberg, who was an early resident at 
the Corners. 

The first blacksmith shop in the town of 
Preble was established by Moses Kent on 
lot 57. Martin Phelps ne.xt located on lot 
"i-j . in 1809. James Sager, Isaac Van Bus- 
kirk, Hosea Bennett and Benjamin Baker 
were blacksmiths in an earh' da)-. Albert 
W. Morgan is now the leading blacksmith 
in the place. Jerome Fulton and Harrison 
Kingsley are also blacksmiths doing good 
business. 

The first ph)sician in the town of Preble 
was Robert D. Taggart, who located on lot 
59 in the north part oftlietown. He came 



Town of Preble. 



403 



about the year 1810 and removed to Byron, 
Genesee count}', about the >'ear 1825. Dr. 
Norris located on lot ]"/, in 1812. He built 
one of the earlier frame houses in the vil 
lage. Judge Phelps was, during the first 
few )'ears of his stay in Baltimore, a prac- 
ticing physician; but he subsequentlj' 
turned his attention to politics, as before 
stated. Dr. Geo. W. Bradford located at 
Preble in 1820. He was a native of Ot- 
sego county, and after receiving an academic 
education, studied medicine with Dr. Thos. 
Fuller, of Cooperstown, N. Y. ; he was li- 
censed in 1820, b)" the Otsego Medical As- 
sociation, and during the same year came 
to Preble. He remained here but a short 
time, however, and then removed to Homer. 
Further mention of Dr. Bradford's eminent 
career will be found in the histor}' of the 
County Medical Society. 

Dr. Phineas H. Burdick settled in the 
town in 1834, locating at Preble Corners. 
He received an academic education and be- 
gan the study of medicine in 1823, with Dr. 
Hubbard Smith, of De Ruvter, and in the of 
fice of Dr. Jehiel Stearns, of Pompe\-. He 
attended lectures at Castleton, Vermont, in 
1826, and was licensed by the Medical So- 
ciety of Onondaga county in 1828, begin- 
ning practice in Scott the same year. In 
1834 he remo\'ed to Preble, where he prac- 
ticed successful!)" man)' years until his 
death. He was given the degree of M. D. 
by the State Medical Society and became 
a permanent member of that bod)' in 1853. 
Dr. Burdick was highly esteemed, both as 
a physician and a man. Dr. D. W. Burdick, 
of Homer, is his son. 

The present physicians of Preble are Dr. 
Herman D. Hunt, who came to the place 
in 1880, and H. Johnson, who located here 
in 1 88 1. The former is allopathic and the 
latter homeopathic. 

Matthias Van Hoesen was the first prac- 
ticing law)-er in the town. He was never 



admitted to the bar, but became one of the 
most successful lawyers in the county in 
justice's court, in minor cases. He is still 
living in Preble at the age of seventy-eight 
years, possesses a clear brain, excellent 
judgment, and powers of concentration of 
thought that are unusual. John F. Van 
Hoesen, his son, born Ma)' iith. 1833 be- 
gan the practice of the law in Preble in 

1856, but in 1859 removed to Cortlandville, 
where he died in i860. He studied with 
Judge Kingsley and Major Hiram Crandall, 
and was admitted to practice in Ala)-, 1856, 
coming directl)' to Preble Corners. In the 
month of October following he removed to 
Minnesota, landing at Hastings a flourish- 
ing city on the Mississippi, where he prac- 
ticed his profession to some extent and also 
engaged in land speculation, by which he 
realized a considerable fortune. Mr. Van 
Hoesen finally retured to Preble in May, 

1857, where he resumed practice, securing 
a" good business, which continued mitil his 
removal to Cortland two )'ears later. 

Churches. — Of the origin and earh' his- 
tor)- of the Methodist Episcopal Society in 
Preble, nothing more than what follows is 
now definitely known : On the first Mon- 
day in May, 1 824, the male members of the 
first M. F2. Church Society of the j:own met 
according to previous notice in order to in- 
corporate. James Selkrig was called to the 
chair and Jabez B. Phelps was appointed 
secretary. The society was then organized 
on a motion. James Selkrig and Frederick- 
Wilcox were appointed returning officers; 
and James Selkrig, Almon Tickner and 
Benjamin Le Ro)- were appointed trustees. 

It was resolved at this meeting that the 
corporate seal of this societ)' be a cross. It 
was also decided that the annual meetings 
should thereafter be held on the first Mon- 
day of each year. The M. E. Church edi- 
fice was begun in the year 1820 ; was fin- 
ished in 1824 and dedicated b)- the Rev. 



404 



lisroKv OF C(jRTi.AN'i) County. 



Seth Mattison in tlic fall nf the last men- 
tioned \-car. Alterations were made in the 
pulpit and stairs in 1838, and other repairs 
were made and a bell procured in 1845. 
In 1859 the church buildinsij was moved 
eastward and about tweKe feet added to its 
western end ; the audience room was newly 
seated and the exterior painted, involving 
an expense of about $1,400. 

The membership of this society is at the 
present time (1884) nearly one hundred. 
The Rev. W. H. York took charge of the 
church in 1883. The trustees are Robert 
Van Buskirk, Richard Scjuires, Seth Hobart. 
The stewards are John Manchester, Rob- 
ert Van Buskirk, Seth Hobart and Abram 
Manchester. 

Robert Van Buskirk is Sabbath school 
superintendent. 

The Baptist Association was organized 
into a society under the direction of Elder 
Abbott in a very early day ; but the date 
is not now available. The original number 
of the members was fourteen. The church 
seems to have prospered for a time, but has 
ceased to e.xist. 

On the 27th of August, 1804, a church 
of eleven members was organized by two 
missionaries named Theodore Hinsdale and 
Joel Hayes, from the Hampshire Missionary 
Societv' of Connecticut. It was at first 
called the Congregational Church of TuUy; 
but subsequently took the name of the F"irst 
Presbyterian Church of Preble. During 
the years of its existence it was connected 
with the middle association, which was after- 
ward dissolved, when tiic church was as- 
signed to the care of the Onondaga Pres- 
bytery, and subsequenth- to the Cortland 
Presbj'ter}'. The church edifice was erect- 



ed ,it Preble Center, but was removed to 
the Corners in 1840. 

The first pastor of this church was the 
Re\'. Matthew Harrison, who began his 
work in the \-ear 1812 and continued until 
1822, when he was dismissed. The Rev. 
Enoch Bouton then acted as stated suppl)' 
until 1824, and following him the two suc- 
ceeding years Re\-. L Weld preaclied to 
the congregation one-half of the time. Rev. 
Abner P. Clark followed him, being in- 
stalled as pastor in 1827, in which capacity 
he acted during the next six years. The 
Rev. Gardner K. Clark was installed in 
1833 and continued his labors during six 
years. After this time the congregation 
was supplied by Rev. Mr. Jones for a few 
months, and then by Rev. B. T. Foltse two 
years. Re\-. Elliott H. Payson began his 
labors here in 1840. In 1842 he was in- 
stalled as pastor and dismissed in 1844. 
At this time the societ\- numbered over one 
hundretl members. In 1841 a large num- 
ber of the members separated themselves 
from the church and organized a society 
called the First F"ree Church of Preble. At 
the time of this division the building was 
removed to Preble Corners. Whatever 
may have been the disturbing element, the 
results ha\'e been to diminish the size of 
the societ)-, w hich now numbers only about 
one hundred members. The Rev. W. C. 
McBeth took charge of the societ)- April 
8th, 18S3, and served nine months. There 
is, at the present time (1884), no pastor. 
The elders are Nicholas Van Hoesen, Harry 
Cunimings. Lewis P"rederick, Clark \'an 
Hoesen and Abram Se\-erson. The trus- 
tees are John Haviland, Nicholas \'an 
Hoesen and Clark Van Hoesen. 



Town of Scott. 



40s 



CHAPTER XXVIl. 



UISTOKV OF THE TOWN OF SCOTT. 



THE town of Scott lies in the extreme 
northwest part of Cortland county and 
comprises a portion of the old niilitar\- town- 
ship No. 14 of Tully. It was formed from 
the town of Preble on the 14th of April, 
181 5, and named in honor of Gen. Winfield 
Scott. Its surface is chicfl\- an upland, 
broken b)- two deep and narrow valleys, 
which extend north and south through the 
town. The declivities of the hills are steep 
and in many places precipitous. . 

The town is drained in the eastern \'alley 
by Cold brook, and F"actor\- brook and 
Skaneateles inlet flow through the western 
valle)-. These streams not only drain the 
town, but furnish excellent water power. 
Skaneateles lake borders on the northwest 
corner of the town. 

The soil is a sand}- and gravelly loam, 
and the town embraces many most excel- 
lent farms. It is not, howc\'er, a grain- 
growing town, the land being generally 
better adapted to grazing, and the farmers 
are, in later years, turning their attention 
largely to dairying. 

There is but one village in the town of 
Scott ; it is called Scott Center, and con- 
tains about three hundred inhabitants. East 
Scott is a hamlet. 

The first permanent settlement was made 
in the town in 1799. There had, however, 
been a rude liuntcr within its boundaries 
as early as 1795. He erected a bark 
shanty and lived by hunting, an employ- 
ment in which he was quite successful. He 
spent about a year and a half in the solitude 
of this unbroken wilderness, when he was 
joined by a half-breed Indian, who is said 
to have come from Canada, and in a fev\- 
months afterward thev gathered up their 



peltry and made their way to a French 
trading-post, then established near Whites- 
town, where they sold out with a good 
profit. Dividing their effects they sought 
a retreat in the wilderness to the far West. 
The birth-place and other data in regard 
to this hunter arc not known ; though it 
was apparent that he was of French ex- 
traction. ' 

During the j'car 1 799 several settlements 
were made in Scott. Peleg Babcock, ac- 
companied by his brothers, Solomon and 
Asa Howard, came in from Leyden, Mass., 
and selected locations. Peleg settled on 
the south part of lot 82. Solomon located 
on the northwest part of the same lot, while 
Howard took up his abode a little to the 
east of his brother Solomon. About the 
same time George Denison, from Vermont, 
pitched his tent on the west part of the 
same lot, making the fourth settler on lot 
82. Cornish Messenger and Daniel Jake- 
way came in from De Ruyter in 1800 and 

I An Indian of the " Leni " tribe, from whom we 
gather these facts and who occasionally visits the Onei- 
das, relates many characteristic anecdotes touching this 
singularly strange yet interesting original. Vears after 
he was seen standing upon the bank of the great father 
of waters — the majestic Mississippi. There was heard 
a shriek, a plunge, the waters closed over the lone hunter 
and all that was mortal had disappeared forever. When 
the horror-stricken Indian, who was \\ ith him and had 
watched his movements, called for the white man of the 
woods, the evil genius that had wrecked his hopes in 
early life and made him a wanderer, answered : — 
" Where the dark tide runs strongest. 
The cliff rises steep ; 
Where the wild waters eddy, 
I have rocked him to sleep. 

" His sleep is so strong. 

That the rush of the stream 
When the wild winds are abroad, 
Cannot waken his dream." 

— C.odnwiN's History. 



4o6 



History of Cortland County. 



settled on lot 92. In 1801 Maxoii Babcock [ 
came in from Leyden and located on the , 
northeast corner of lot 82. Ghershon I 
Richardson and his two sons-in-law, by the | 
name of Clark, came from Pompey, Onon- 
daga county, and located on lot 71. In 
1802 Henry Biirdick, a native of Rhode 
Island, migrated from Colerain, Mass., and j 
located on lot 72. He purchased originally, j 
in compan)- with John Babcock, 109 acres, j 
He was an active and prominent pioneer 1 
in his localit}'. Jared Babcock came in 
during the j-ear 1804 and spent about three 
or four years. In 1809 he was engaged in | 
mercantile trade in Spafford, being the first j 
merchant in that place. He subsequently 
removed to Homer. 

John Gillet, from Norfolk, Connecticut, 
located during the same \-ear (1805), but 
did not purchase until 1807 or 1808, when I 
lie selected 100 acres on lot 84. He filled 
the office of justice of the peace for a period 
of twenty years ; that of supervisor and 
other town offices at various times ; he was 
associate judge of the county court for fif- 
teen successive years and also member of 
the Legislature and presidential elector. 

Jacob Smith, from Delphi, located in 
1806 on lot 84; his original purchase was 
fifty acres ; he, however, made subsequent 
additions until he had a farm of one hun- 
dred and fi\'c acres. 

In 1806 Daniel Doublcday came from 
Lebanon, Connecticut, and located in the 
town of Homer. In 1809 he removed to 
Scott and settled on lot 105. He reared a 
respectable family, accumulated propcrt}' 
and was a useful citizen. 

In 1805 Elisha Sabins and John Babcock 
cut and cleared a road from Scott Corners 
(then called Babcock's Corners) to Spafford 
Corners. They transported their goods to 
their new home on sleds and found it a hard 
journey. The next year Isaac Hall, of the 
latter place, passed over the road with a 



wagon, and after purchasing a load of lum- 
ber at Babcock's Settlement, put it on his 
I wagon and drew it to iiis home in Spafford. 
I As an indication of what life in Scott was 
at this earl}' period, it used to be related 
by Solomon Babcock that in the summer 
of 1799 he was in the habit of making fre- 
j quent \'isits to his brother's corn-field, ac- 
j companied by a small dog, for the purpose 
j of driving awaj- the bears, they being very 
I troublesome and destructive to the corn 
crop. It was a common occurrence to find 
half a dozen in the field at a time, and to 
I him it was amusing to see them hasten off 
j at the bark of the harmless dog. An inci- 
I dent denoting the plentifulness of game was 
also related by Mr. Babcock. Early in the 
month of March he went into the woods 
for the purpose of obtaining a birch broom- 
I stick. The snow was about three feet deep 
, and the crust sufficiently strong to bear a 
man's weight. A fierce and well-trained 
dog belonging to his brother Peleg bore 
him company, and before the trunk of the 
little sapling was secured, he had actually 
killed se\-en deer. The small feet of the 
animals, as is well known to hunters, would 
push through the snow crust, making it 
impossible for them to run with any speed. 
Another hunting incident which occurred 
in this town is of sufficient interest for these 
pages. Three persons started out in the 
i month of March, 1799, in pursuit of bears, 
which had been unusually numerous and 
bold during that season. One of the men 
soon gave out and returned, but the other 
two continued in pursuit, the trail leading 
in the direction of Skaneateles lake; but 
the snow being very deep, the others finally 
gave up and concluded to return home by 
a circuitous route, in the hope of meeting 
with an old bear which had wintered within 
a mile of their home. As they neared the 
spot the bear was discovered. Both hunt- 
ers discharged their guns, but onl\- sue- 



Town of Scott. 



407 



ceeded in wounding the animal. He hastily 
left for other quarters, followed by his pur- 
suers, who. after camping out for the night 
near Skaneateles lake, drove him in a clear- 
ing eight miles from home, in .Sempronius, 
where they dispatched him and took off his 
hide, out of which they made each of them a 
cap, as they had lost theirs the day before, 
and returned home. 

The first ordained preacher in the town 
of Scott was Elder Town. The first per- 
sons baptized were Mr. and Mrs. Solomon 
Babcock, the former in Homer. 

The first merchant was Nathan Babcock. 

The first inn-keeper was James tiabcock. 
The first postmaster, John Gillet. The first 
marriage, Solomon Babcock to Amj- Mor- 
gan. Their marriage was solemnized in 
the fall of 1802. There being no author- 
ized person at hand to perform the cere- 
mony, the parties went to Homer on horse- 
back, and after attending cliurch went to 
'Squire Bishop's, on East Hill, where they 
were wed. 

The first child born in Scott was Harriet 
Babcock. The first death was an infant 
daughter of Peleg Babcock. 

Public religious worship began about the 
year 1806 or '07. The Close Communion 
Baptists, the Se\enth-Day Baptists, the 
Presbjterians and the Methodists, each 
formed prosperous societies. 

The first postmaster of East Scott, was 
Alvan Kellogg, the cloth manufacturer and 
dresser with whom President Millard Fill- 
more learned his trade. 

The first .saw-mill in the town of Scott 
was erected as early as the year 1804, b)- 
Henry Burdick ; it stood on Skaneateles 
inlet where A. L. Whiting's flax-mill is at 
present located. He was an enterprising 
Rhode Islander, who preceded his father 
from Massachusetts to this town in 1802. 
Henry Burdick, sen., came a year or so 
afterward. The water pri\-ilege was on lot 



72, and owned at a later period by George 
S. Green. Henry Burdick sold out his farm, 
originally purchased in i8o2, to his father 
and removed to where Henry L. Burdick 
now lives. The saw- mill, soon after its 
erection, passed into possession of Nehe- 
miah Brown, who took it between the years 
1 8 10 and 1812; he was a son-in-law of 
Esquire Paul Babcock. The latter was a 
relative of Henry Babcock. Comfort 
Brown was the next owner of the mill and 
utilized this valuable water privilege until 
the year 1858. James Skillie and Dr. 
Babcock each also had possession of it for 
a short time; but during the year 1863 A. 
1 L. Whiting bought the property- and turned 
it into a flax-mill. He used it first for 
dressing fla.x, and subsequently for manu- 
facturing tow for upholstering purposes. 
The mill is still in use. 

John Gillett, before alluded to, bought 
1 one hundred acres of land on lot 84, in 
; 1807, and built the mill there two or three 
years later. Mr. Gillett was an active, 
prosperous and prominent man. J. H. Gil- 
I lett now owns the mill. About the year 
j 1835 Harlow Gillett, only son of John Gil- 
lett, built a foundry, which was run for a 
number of years and burned. Upon the 
site now stands a workshop, owned and 
operated by his sons, who are skillful 
mechanics. 

Alvan Kellogg, the first postmaster of 
East Scott, came to the town in 1805, and 
built a saw-mill within the next few years. 
His son, Silas Kellogg, now owns the old 
homestead, and Lewis Hazard and Ham- 
ilton Whitney the saw-mill. A prior owner 
was James Bacon, who placed flax machin- 
ery in the mill in 1878, and the present 
I firm built a flax store-house there more 
recently. 

Messenger & Kenyon built a grist-mill 
on the site now owned by George W. 
Southwick, in 181 7, and sold it to Samuel 



408 



History of Cortland County. 



Hardy about the year 1S32; he rebuilt 
the structure ahnost entirely. The mill 
then passed successively through the hands 
of the following persons : Case & Melville, 
George W. Southwick, Sj'lvanus Grout, 
George W. Southwick, Mr. Meade. Ani- 
meron & Ellis and George W. Southwick ; 
the latter has also operated a shingle- mill 
in connection with the grist-mill. 

About the year 1828 or 1829 Luke Bab- 
cock built a grist-mill two and a half 
stories high, a short distance below the 
Messenger mill, in which were two runs of 
stone. In the ownership of this mill he 
was succeeded by Lucius Dyer, Edwin 
Norton, Raymond P. Babcock (who made 
general repairs and put in a new wheel), 
Isaac Bellows, R. P. Babcock, J. L. & L. 
H. Comstock, and Jolin B. Cottrell, the 
present owner. The mill is located about 
a mile from Scott Center. 

Three-fourths of a mile below the Cot- 
trell mill is the frame of an old flax-mill that 
was put in operation at an early da)- by the 
West famil}-. who ran it until about the 
year 1865. The propert}" is still owned 
by members of the famil\-. but the mill is 
not used as such. 

Near the old saw-mill built b\- Jonathan 
Scott and about opposite to it, is the oil- 
mill built b)' him. The saw-mill was 
erected in 1828 and the oil- mill in 1830. 
The latter has alwa\'s been kept in the 
hands of the Scott fainily, being now owned 
and operated by Ransom Scott. The site 
of the old saw-mill now belongs to Esquire 
Hunt. A fresliet of twent\^ )-ears ago car- 
ried off the saw-mill, and three thousand 
bushels of flax seed. 

Ransom Scott built a distillery in the 
\'icinity of these mills during the War of 
the Rebellion. It was afterward burned. 

In 1880 a saw- mill was built by Samuel 
Scott a mile below the oil-mill, which he 
still owns. On the east shore at the head 



of the lake Greeley Cady and brothers 
built a steam saw-mill in 1883, making the 
last of the numerous mills on this stream, 
in that direction ; but there are others on 
the same stream northward from Scott 
Center. A. Babcock built one of these in 
1833 ; it is now owned by Childs & Haz- 
ard, who put in flax machinerj- soon after 
1880. It is now a combination of a cir- 
cular saw-mill, a flax-mill and a wagon 
shop. 

The Townsley saw-mill, in the \icinit)' of 
East Scott, was built b}- Henry Townsley, 

I an old resident of the place, about 1825. 
This was afterward converted into a grist- 
mill and is now used for grinding coarse 
products. 

The tanning business in Scott was 

j probably begun in an early period by a 
Mr. Dowd, a shoemaker, who had in con- 
nection with his shop a few vats for curing 
hides. Eastman & Lawrence established a 
tannery about the year 1830, on a much 

1 more extensive scale. 

I Prior to this date, B. A. Denison carried 
on the business of carding and fulling cloth. 
He died in 1828. 

P'rom the period of 1855 to i860 and 
down to the present time the farmers of 
Scott have earned an excellent reputation 
for the qualit}-, as well as the quantity of 
their dair\- products. The grass lands of 

, the town are unexcelled and b\- the im- 

i pro\ed methods of late years, with which 
the farmers have made themselves familiar, 
a product that enjoys a first class reputation 
is made. The cheese factor}-, located just 
north of Scott Center, was formerl)- owned 
and operated \ery successfully b\' John B. 
Cottrell & Son. 

The first annual town meeting of Scott 
was held at the school-house near Paul Bab- 
cock's, according to appointment, on Tues- 
day, March 5th, 18 16, and the following 
business was transacted : — 



Town of Scott. 



409 



Peleg Babcock was chosen supervisor of 
the town, and David Harris, town clerk. 

Other officers were Paul Babcock, Hcnr\- 
Babcock and Holly Maxson, assessors. 

George Frink, Ansel Wilcox and Henry 
Burdick, commissioners of highways. 

George Frink and Benjamin Pelton, poor 
masters. 

Loring Boies, constable and collector. 

Paul Babcock, Benjamin Pelton and Da- 
vid Harris, commissioners of public mone\-. 

Paul Babcock, Ezra Babcock and Jabez 
Barber, school commissioners. 

John Gillett, Ephraim Babcock and Da- 
\'id Harris, school inspectors. 

It was \oted at this meeting that $25 be 
raised for the support of the poor. 

Down to the year i860 peace reigned 
in the town of Scott, in common with the 
remainder of the count)-. The farmers la- 
bored diligently and eftectiveK^ for the clear- 
ing of their lands, and though isolated en- 
tircl)' from railroad communication with 
other portions of the count}- and State, 
prosperity prevailed and the inhabitants 
were contented. Schools multiplied and 
the youth of the town grew up in an at- 
mosphere of intelligence. W'hen the first 
gun in the great Rebellion was fired, it 
found the people of this town imbued with 
such patriotism, that her young men went 
forth to aid in sustaining the go\-ernment as 
freely as from an\- other portion of the 
county, while her treasure was liberally de- 
voted to the payment of such bounties as 
were deemed advisable b)' the county au- 
thorities. Following is a list of the enlist- 
ments from this town of all men w'fio were 
paid bounties : — 

Call of October 17th, 1863. k'ebruar}- and 
March, 1864. Bounty, $300. Total, $9,- 
300. — Oren D. Wheeler, Miles G. Frisbic, 
Jonathan Scott, David Scott, Clark C. Silen- 
cer, Edwin P. Burdick, William II. Brown, 
Ambrose H. Mabie, Henry C. Babcock, 



Francis E. Barber, Andrew S. Barber, Wil- 
liam Spencer, Philo Fuller, Andrew D. Col- 
lins, Edmund D. Crosby, James B. Rich- 
ardson, Sidney Harrington, Washington B. 
Fisk, William A. Picket, Charles Barnum, 
Lucius K. Robinson, Janna P. Northaway, 
Lorenzo D. Whiting, Stennett C. Stillman, 
John T. Pratt, Charles R. Whiting, Thomas 
Blundcn, John Wagner, William Stringham, 
James B. Clark, James Fenton. 

Call of July I 8th, 1864. Bount\- $1,000. 
Total, $6,000. Brokerage, $150. — James 
R. Corl, Nathan M. Bennett, Edwin E. 
Dunn, Albert G. Geutclieous, William B. 
Maxson, Daniel B. Pender. 

Call of December 19th, 1864. Bounty 
$600. Total, $9,600. Brokerage, $240. 
— John Brittle, James Gordon, Patrick J. 
Brady, Thomas Dale}-, Thomas Murphy, 
John Adams, Nicholas Haler, Henry Kraft, 
Thomas TuU}-, William Wolfer, Jonathan 
Francis, Adam Sherr, Edward S. Anable, 
|ohn Breman, John Carlton, Joseph Suger. 

Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
calls for October 17th, 1863, F"ebruar\^ and 
March, 1864, $9,300. Paid for filling quota, 
call July 1 8th, 1864, $6,150. Paid for fill- 
ing quota, call December 19th, 1864, $2,- 
640. Grand total, $18,090. 

Following is a list of the supervisors and 
town clerks of the town, the supervisor's 
name in each case preceding that of the 
clerk : — 

From 1825 to 1827, inclusive, Aaron 
Brown, Ezekiel Potter; 1828, Aaron Brown, 
P. Hoadley; 1829-30, Aaron Brown, G. S. 
Green; 1831, Aaron Brown, Phineas H. 
Burdick; 1832-33, Aaron Brown, G. S. 
Green; 1834-35, Alvan Kellogg, John 
Barber; 1836, Alvan Kellogg, Alonzo D. 
C. Barber; 1837-38, Alvan Kellogg, Sim- 
eon M. Babcock; 1839, John Barber, Alon- 
zo C. Barber; 1840, Anson L. Whiting, 
Jerome K. Babcock; 1841, Geo. M. Niles, 
J. K. Babcock; 1842, George' M. Niles, 



4IO 



History of Cortland County. 



Thomas Hunt; 1843, N. Salisbury, Am- 
brose Higgins; 1844-45, Alvan Kellogg, 
; 1846, Alvan Kellogg, A. L. 



Whiting; 1847, l^-i'isom Scott, Wil 



M. 



Burdick; 1848, Chauncey VV. Bierce, A. 
D. C. Barber; 1849—50, Isaac S. Jackson, 
Sanford D. Kinney; 185 i, Joseph Atwater, 
A. L. Whiting; 1852, A. W. Clark, Joseph 
Atwater; 1853, Joseph Atwater, A. L. 
\\'hiting; 1854, A. W. Clark, Samuel A. 
Childs; 1855-56, Hammond A. Cottrell, 
John J. Wagner; 1857—58, Samuel A. 
Childs, William A. Alvord; 1859-60,* Ed- 
mund Spencer, Peter Knapp; 1861, Chaun- 
ce\- W. Bierce, John K. Chandler; 1862, 
S. A. Knapp, P. Childs; 1863-64, Cyrus 
Kellogg, Peter Knapp; 1865, Jeremiah G. 
Alvord, Peter Knapp; 1866, S. A. Childs, 
Fenn G. Alvord; 1867, Raymond P. Bab- 
cock, F"rank D. Babcock; 1868, Isaac M. 
Bellows, F. A. Babcock; 1869-70, S. A. 
Childs, S. D. Babcock; 1871-72, Phineas 
Hutchins, Wm. A. Morgan; [873, Dwight 
K. Cutler, W. A. Morgan; 1874, Chauncey 
W. Bierce, W. A. Morgan; 1875, Phineas 
Hutchins, W. A. Morgan; 1876, John D. 
Cottrell, W^ D. Morgan; 1877, S. A. Childs, 
W. H. Morgan; 1S78-79, G. D. Crosley, 
W. H. Morgan; 1880, Dwight K. Cutler, 
W. H. Morgan; 1881, William A. Niver,' 
W. H. Morgan; 1882-83, W. H. Morgan, 
S. C. Stillman. 

The present town officers for the town 
of Scott are : — 

Supervisor — W. H. ?kIorgan. 

Town clerk — S. C. Stillman. 

Justices of the peace — Byron L. Barber, 
Wm. D. Hunt. G. F. Barber. 

Commissioner of highways — Norman E. 
Black. 

Assessors — Sylvanus A. Churchill. Jared 
Babcock, Miles G. Frisbie. 

Overseer of the poor — D. D. L. Bur- 
dick. 

Collector — Elbert E. Barker. 



Auditors — Elias L. Frisbie, Henr\' Un- 
derwood, Fenn G. Alvord. 

Inspectors of election — \\'. C. Bockes, 
James Taft, I'.dward Slocum, Edwin P. 
Burdick, John Knight, J. B. Underwood. 

Game constable — H. D. Babcock. 

Excise commissioner — Lewis S. Hazard. 

SCOTT CENTER. 

The \illage of Scott (or Scott Center) is 
situated near the center of the town and 
contains a population of about three hun- 
dred. It has a hotel, three stores, two 
churches and one or two shops. 

The first merchant in the place was Na- 
than Babcock, who had a store on the 
grounds now occupied by the present hotel 
building. He was, during a part of his 
sta\- in the village, engaged in teaching a 
day school. 

In 1828 George F. Green located in the 
place and built the original part of the 
present hotel building and also the house 
on the opposite corner now owned and oc- 
cupied by his son. After building the store 
he occupied it as a merchant until 1840 or 
1 84 1. He came from De Ru\ter to this 
place in 1824. 

\\ illiam Ahord was an earlj- trader and 
bought out Mr. Green. Alvord was in 
business but about fourteen years. Suc- 
ceeding came Lewis & Cottrell, and in 1844 
L. .\. Whiting also began trading in the 
village, continuing for sixteen years. He 
was burned out in the destructive fire of 
1858. 

As early as the year 1833 George Ross 
built the store just north of the present 
post-office and went into business with 
George Atwater. On the first of April, 
1836, Wm. AKord succeeded and traded 
five years at that stand, finally selling out 
to P. H. Van Schaick. Following came 
Welch & Howells, Dr. Ira Babcock, Martin 
Knapp. Miles Bierce, Sanford Kinney, Wm. 



Town of Scott. 



411 



H. Alvord, and Philander Knight, wlio 
owned the store in 1858, wlien it was 
burned. 

The store building on the corner, now 
owned by S. R. McConnell, was built by 
R. P. Babcock about the year 1865 or 1866. 
Isaac N. Bellows traded here for a while, 
also; Mr. McConnell has been in business 
at this locality since 1872. 

The store now owned bj' Tinkhani & 
Churchill was built by Elijah Niver just 
before the late war. 

S. C. Stillnian, town clerk of the town 
of Scott, established tlie drug business in 
1880, and keeps also a line of other goods. 
He has a tin shop in connection with his 
store. 

The harness trade was earl)- established 
in the village b)- Jerry Jones, Hiram Her- 
rick and others. John H. Chandler after- 
ward engaged in this business and continued 
it for many years. He was succeeded by 
W. H. Morgan, a skillful mechanic, in 1866. 
Mr. Morgan is also postmaster at the pres- 
ent time, succeeding H. \V. Babcock in 
1872. 

The first ph\-sician, probabl}-, in the town 
was Dr. Huntington. He practiced in this 
place a number of years and died in 1840. 
His son Justin Ii\ed in the town until he 
reached the advanced age of eight\'-seven 
years, dying in 1883. Dr. Whiting was 
also an earl}- physician in the town, but re- 
mo\-ed to the West about fift\- \-ears ago. 
Dr. Stowell came in about the year 1824, 
but remained only a few years. Phineas 
H. Burdick came in a little later and in 
1828 became a member of the County 
Medical Association. In 1834 lie removed 
to Preble, where he continued practice until 
his death in 1870. Dr. Ira L. Babcock 
became a member of the Count}' Medical 
Society in 1832. Dr. Wm. M. Truman 
studied medicine with Dr. Maxson in 1833 ; 
afterwards attended college and begfan 



practice in the village in 1834 or 1835. 
He remained only two or three years and 
then removed to Lincklaen, Chenango 
count}-. A few years later he returned to 
Scott, remaining two \-ears. Dr. Hazlett 
Wilcox came about 1850; his stay was 
also short. Dr. Clarke Hubbard came in 
1854 and practiced here until his death. 
Dr. Waters came in 1859, but entered the 
Union army at the breaking out of the late 
war. Dr. D. C. Sydney came in 1869, but 
left for Friendship, Pa., the following year. 
Dr. I-rvin Truman came in 1872. Dr. 
Maxson, the oldest physician in the town, 
and one of the oldest in the county, was 

j educated at Fairfield, Herkimer count}-, N. 
Y., and graduated in 1830, going first to 
Plymouth, Chenango count}-. He came 
from that place to Scott in 1833. '" 1834. 
on the 16th of May, he became a member 
of the Count}- Medical Society. He prac- 
tices in the old school of medicine. 

I The old hotel of the village was probably 
builf b\- Daniel Royce before 1830. It 
was at that time a small affair, serving the 
purposes of a saloon as much as of a hotel. 
Joseph Royce made some additions in 1830. 
Thomas Harrop next took the proprietor- 

j ship and added seventy feet to the building 
for a saloon. This would indicate that the 
business was prosperous. Following him 
in the hotel came Nathan Culver for a few 
}-ears, after which there were man}- changes. 
Charles Dunbar was proprietor of this house 
when it burned on the morning of May 4th, 
1879. Mr. Dunbar then opened the pres- 
ent hotel, which he still successfully con- 
ducts. 

The Prcsb}-terian Church of Scott. — This 
societ}- was organized May 25th, 181 8, by 
a committee of the Presbyter}- of Onondaga. 

1 It remained in this connection until the or- 
ganization of the Cortland Presbytery, when 
it was assigned to that. The Congrega- 
tional form of government was adopted in 



412 



History of Cortland County. 



1S25, but tlic clinrcli still retained its con- 
nection with tile Presbytery. Rev. Reuben 
Hurd was niinisterint^ to tlie congregation 
during a portion of its early histor}-. Re\-. 
Mr. Dunning was tlie second minister and 
after liim Re\-. Matliew Fiarrison gave one- 
fourth of liis lime to the church. Re\-. 
Llewellyn R. Powell began preaching here 
in August, 1833, and was installed as pastor 
August 25th, 1835 continuing about three 
years. After this date came Rev. Mr. Red- 
field and Rev. Mr. P'oltse. In the \-ear 
1842 Rev. Daniel She, a Unionist, was em- 
ployed for one \'ear. Rev. Hiram Harris 
was made pastor in the fall of 1843. He 
was then a licentiate preacher and was in- 
stalled and ordained by the Presbytery of 
Cortland <in the 18th of October, of the 
same year. Mr. Harris preached at Boro- 
dino one-half of the time during the \-ear 

1845. The church has been alwa\'s small 
in membership. In 1825 it had but twenty- 
four members ; in 1836, sixty-eight, and in 

1846, seventy; since then it has gradually 
diminished until the year 1878, when the 
building was removed from its foundation 
and used for other jnirposes. The church 
building was erected, but not entirely fin- 
ished, in 1838. 



The Close Communion Baptist Church 
was the oldest organization in the town. Its 
membership was the largest in the town at 
one ])eriod It has ceased to exist and 
there are no available records of its career. 

The Seventh- Day Baptists have an or- 
ganization in this town, which dates from 
an earl)- period. No records of the society 
could be obtained from which to compile 
its histor)-. The society is in a flourishing 
condition ; a good Sabbath-school is con- 
nected with it. The present deacons are 
John Barber, E. H. P. Potter and Lewis 
Hazard. Miss Artelia Babcock is superin- 
tendent of the Sabbath-school ; there is no 
present pastor. 

The Methodist Episcopal Society has a 
membership of one hundred, with a good 
Sabbath-school, under the direction of C. 
J. Jones. The organization dates back to 
an earh' period, but no records are in exist- 
ence from which to write its histor)'. Rev. 
Mr. Sharpe, the pastor, took charge of the 
church in 1882. The church officers are 
Chas. Jones, C. Clark, W'atson J. Black, 
James Clark, Franklin Ticket, Dr. G. \V. 
Ma.xson, Solomon Clark, John Lamphire, 
Henry Niver, Mrs. Letitia Bedell and Mrs. 
Jared Babcock. 



CHAPTER XXVUI. 



HISTORY OF THK TDWN OF SOl.dN. 



SOLON is one of the interior towns of 
the count}- atul is bounded on the north 
by Tru.xton ; on the east b}' Taylor ; on 
the south b}' Freetown, and on the west by 
Cortlandville and Homer, thus locating it 
near the center of the county. 

Solon was No. 20 of the townships com- 
prising the old militar)' tract and originally 
embraced the territor\- now comprising So- 
lon, Taylor and the southern portions of 



i Tru.xton and Cu\'ler. The town was or- 
ganized on the 9th of March, 1798. Its 
1 former dimensions were reduced in April, 
j 181 I, by annexing the north fourteen lots 
I to Truxton, and again in 1 849 b\- the erec- 
tion of the town of Taylor. The town now 
i comprises 19,068 acres, with an assessed 
\aluation of $17.55 per acre and a total val- 
uation of $334,705. 

The surface of the town is broken b\- a 



Town of Solon. 



413 



number of valleys, through which flow- 
small streams. On the eastern border the 
ridges rise to an elevation of from fourteen to 
fifteen hundred feet above tide. Trout brook 
flows through the town in a northwesterly 
direction and is bordered b)' a fertile vallc}'. 
Pritchard, North and Maybury brooks flow 
into Trout brook from the north, and Smith 
brook flows from the southern portion of 
the town towards the northwest. The soil 
of Solon 'is a gravelly loam, much better 
adapted to grazing than grain-growing. 
Dairj-ing is the most prominent interest to 
which farmers now turn their attention. 

There are in the town one post-office, 
one store, one saw-mill, one grist-mill, one 
cheese factor)', one hotel, one blacksmith 
shop, two churches, Roman Catholic and 
Baptist. 

The first permanent settlement in Solon 
was made in 1794 b}- Roderick Beebe and 
Johnson Bingham. The former located on 
lot No. 75, on that portion known as Mount 
Roderick. He came originall)- from Massa- 
chusetts. 

Mr. Bingham was a nati\'e of Connect- 
icut, but came to Solon from \'ermont, 
locating on lot 62. _ He purchased 550 
acres; was justice of the peace for about 
twenty years, and associate judge for quite 
a period. He reared eight children. 

William Galpin was probabl}- one of the 
next settlers in the town, locating on lot 4J 
in the }-ear 1797 : he came from New Jer- 
sey. He was one of the many unfortunates 
who bought land and found they had no 
valid title, and he removed to Pompe\-, On- 
ondaga county. 

In 1799 John Welch came into the town 
from Wyoming and located a little south 
of the farm of Roderick Beebe. He re- 
mained but a few years and removed to 
Cleveland, Ohio. 

Col. Elijah Wheeler, from \e\\ Ha\en, 
Conn., came in in the vear 1 80 1 and lo- 



cated on lot 100, where he purchased orig- 
inallj- 100 acres. 

Settlements were made principally in the 
northern and eastern portions of this town 
during the earh- period, and many who 
came in at an early day are noticed in tlie 
histories of those later di\-isions. Captain 
Stephen N. Peck came from Stanford, Duch- 
ess count)', N. Y., and located on lot 62 in 
March, 1804. He first purcliased ninety- 
two acres but subsequently added consider- 
ably to his farm. He lived on his place to 
a good old age. 

Garrett Pritchard was one of the pioneers 
who came into the wilderness full of deter- 
mination to do his part towards making it 
"blossom as the rose." He was from 
Litchfield, Conn., and located on lot 74 in 
the year 1807. He came into the town 
with a pack on his back and $16.50 in 
mone\- in his pockets. His father had pre- 
ceded him one year and was finding it difli- 
cult to meet the small payments falling due 
on his land ; but the son came to his aid 
and paid $500 on his father's estate, after- 
ward locating on lot 75. He became the 
owner of 500 acres of land and li\-ed the 
latter years of his life in the enjoyment of 
his competence. 

In the same )'ear of Pritchard's arrival 
Richard Maybury came from Luzerne, Pa., 
and located on the State's hundred, lot 53, 
where he purchased 100 acres. He was an 
industrious and worth)' citizen. 

Stephen \. Peck, with his wife and 
two children, came in from Duchess count)" 
in 1805. He located on lot 62 and li\'ed 
to be over ninety years old, retaining his 
faculties to a remarkable degree. His sons, 
L)'man E., Burlingham, Piatt and John all 
settled in the town. 

Luke Chapin, father of Hiram Chapin, 
came from Massachusetts in 1805 and set- 
tled on lot 42. In the same year Gen. S. 
G. Hathawa\', who was also from Massa- 



414 



History of Cortland County. 



cliusetts, settled on lot 7 1 and two years 
later removed to lot "J^, in Solon, where he 
spent the remainder of his life. In 1810 
he was appointed jnstice of the peace and 
held the office forty-eight successive years; 
he gained the reputation of being the 
ablest magistrate in this office in the county, 
possessing the faculty of seeing intuitively 
into the merits of cases before him. making 
up his mind as to the facts with rare judg- 
ment from which no ability or ingenuity on 
the part of lawyers'could swerve him. His 
fairness and justice were seldom or never 
called in question. He represented Cort- 
land county in the Legislature in 18 14 
and i8i8.' In the last named year he pro- 
cured a division of the town of Cincinnatus, 
and the part of it in which he resided at 
that time fell within the limits of Free- 
town, which was named after his native 
town in Massachusetts. He was elected to 
the State Senate in 1822. to Congress in 
1832 and was chosen presidential elector in 
1852. He had a decided taste for military 
affairs and rose through the various grades of 
office until he was commissioned major- 
general in 1823. He was an able politician 
and possessed of those qualities that give 
an influence over men and tend to make 
their possessor a leader. Mr. Hathaway 
died without disease, while sitting in his 
chair at six o'clock A. M. on the 2d of 
May, 1867, in the eighty-seventh year of 
his ase. His son, Calvin L. Hathawa\-, 
resides on the homestead and is a man of 
prominence in the county, both as a bus- 
iness man and a politician. 

Henry L. Randall was one of the promi- 
nent earlj- pioneers, who came from Sharon, 
Conn., and located on lot 74 in 1808. He 
made the journey with his wife and three 
children, with a two horse team, bringing a 
few necessary articles with which to begin 
life in his wilderness home. He lived more 
than half a century where he first settled 



and reared a famil)' of five children, and 
died ill 1863. One of his sons, Orriii Ran- 
dall, now li\es on lot No. 6, where he is 
pleasantK' located. He married Libbic 
liean, daughter of Josiah Bean (an early 
settler on the same lot), and removed from 
lot 74 to his present location in 1876. 

Joel Rankin, also from Massachusetts, 
settled on lot 42 in 1807. His daughter 
Margaret became the wife of .Amos Pritch- 
ard. 

Luke Cass, from New Hampshire, settled 
on lot 51. Columbus Cass, his son, came 
in w itli his father and afterwards located on 
lot 61. Jonathan Rundall, from Sharon, 
Conn., located on lot 74. Ebenezer Blake, 
from Stoddard, New Hampshire, settled on 
lot 84. Joseph Holden, an early settler, 
located where Edward Holden now lives. 

Such were the principal pioneers who 
came into this town at an early day to 
spend their lives in subduing the wilderness, 
encountering hardships and privations which 
are all unknown at the present time. Set- 
tlement in the town was not very rapid and 
it was long after the close of the War of 
1812 before all the land was occupied and 
largely under cultivation. 

The first birth in the town of Solon was 
that of a daughter of Johnson Bingham. 
The first marriage united Robert Smith and 
Amy Smith. The first death was that of 
Lydia Bingham, which event occurred on 
the ylh of May, 1798. Johnson Bingham 
died in 1843 and his wife, Annie, died No- 
vember 14th, 1865, at the great age of 102 
year, i i months and 25 days. 

The first school was taught in Solon by 
Ro.xana Beebe and Lydamana Stewart, in 
the year 1804. Benjamin Tubbs kept the 
first store and Lewis Beebe the first tavern. 
The first mill was built by Noah Greeley, 
and the first church was organized in 1804, 
by the Rev. Josiah Butler, who was tlie first 
preacher. 



Town of Solon. 



415 



The mill built by Noah Greeley was a saw- 
mill, and the first grist-mill was built by 
Eber Wilcox ; it was locateLl on Ma\^bury 
creek just below the site of the present mill 
and was erected in 1 8 1 2. The water-wheel 
was made of a log some twent)' feet in length 
and acted on the recoil principal which was 
patented before that time b\' a M.r. Barker. 
The water entered a hole in the middle of 
the log, was conducted through a large bore 
to either end, where it escaped through 
smaller holes on opposite sides of the log, 
the action of the water against the air serv- 
ing to re\'olve the wheel. A child of Mr. 
W'ilco.x fell into this wheel when it was in 
motion and was killed. 

John Ma)'bury built the present mill, now 
owned by his nephew, E. B. Ma\'bury, prior 
to 1 840. It soon afterward passed into the 
hands of General Hatha\\a\- and was then 
leased to C. Albridge, who ran it a number 
of years, a part of the time with his son-in- 
law, Wm. Dorr. It then passed into the 
hands of P. F. Moses, then to P. P. Moses 
and finally in 1874 to the present owner, 
who put in a turbine wheel ; the mill has 
now two run of stones and does a flouring 
and custom business. 

Palmer's furniture factor}- is located near 
the Maybury mill, its water power being 
drawn from the same dam. The building 
was erected in 1876, by E. E. Palmer, who 
put in machinery for the extensive manu- 
facture of all kinds of furniture. 

A cheese factory was in operation in this 
neighborhood between 1874 and 1876. 
Benton Dice removed the frame of this 
structure from Blodgett's Mills, but soon 
afterward sold it to Irving Stevens ; it was 
burned in 1876. 

The only cheese factory now in Solon is 
located near the village, or hamlet, and was 
built in the winter of 1881-83, by B. T. 
Turner. It is a creamer)- and the building- 
was erected o\er " Bear'spring," which is 



noted for the purity and coldness of its 
water. The establishment is doing a good 
business. 

The hamlet of Solon is located near the 
center of the town, and contains a store, 
post-office and a hotel. 

The first merchant was Benjamin Tubbs; 
he was followed by Samuel Wilber. Flint 
Phelps kept a store for a time two miles 
west of the hamlet, but it was finally aban- 
doned. Since then the mercantile trade of 
the town has all been done in Solon, and 
was for many years conducted by Samuel 
Emerson. He was one of the pioneer set- 
tlers, who came in from New Eln^land in 
1803 and located one mile west of the ham- 
let. He died in 1869, at the age of eighty- 
three years. His father was in the Revo- 
lutionary War and also in the War of 18 12. 
Mr. Emerson's store was on the east side 
of the creek. 

The principal merchants of the place 
since Mr. Emerson have been Lyman Al- 
den, Ezra Rockwell, A. Stevens, Lyman 
and Rufus Peck, Willis Holmes and A. S. 
Brown, who is the present proprietor. He 
began business in 1883, carries a large gen- 
eral stock of goods and recei\-es the patron- 
age of most of the inhabitants of the town. 

The production of maple sugar is carried 
on to a large extent in Solon. Many of the 
sugar camps contain from one to three 
thousand trees. During the sugar making 
season of 1884 Mr. Brown handled and 
shipped a ton of this product per day. 
Among those who engage most largely in 
this manufacture we may mention Jerome 
White, Luman Maybury, John Maybury, 
Adelbert Holden, - B. H. Randall, E. Z. 
Smith, George Cooper, Joel Pritchard, Silas 
Stevens, Robert Smith, James Finn, Daniel 
Morris, Alfred Smith, John Li\-ingston, 
Philander Underwood, S. Marten, Joseph 
Murphy, Jacob Atkins and Isaac Walker. 

The first tavern in Solon was located a 



4i6 



History of Cortland County. 



mile or so west of tlie hamlet, and \\as kept 
by Lewis lieebe. William Copclancl, son- 
in-law of Mr. Emerson, before mentioned, 
was the first tavern-keeper at the liamlet. 
Succeeding him came Noah Goodrich, John 
Wheeler, Mr. Fish, Wm. and Philip Hays, 
A. S. Pierce, John and James Warden, and 
Earl Palmer. The ta\'ern is now kept by 
James Warden. The present building was 
erected by Earl Palmer in 1865. 

Churches. — The Baptist Church in Solon 
was organized in 1804 by Rev. Josiah But- 
ler. We were unable to learn much relative 
to the past history of the church ; it is not, 
however, in as flourishing condition as in 
former \'ears. 

There is a Catholic Church in the town 
which is under the effective guidance of 
Father McLoghlin, of Cortland village. 

The Presbyterian. Church was organized 
September iith, 1827, with a membership 
of fifteen. The membership has always 
been small. The church was furnished a 
portion of the time for a year or two, with 
preaching by the Presbytery of Cortland, 
and was dissolved in 183 1. 

When the great Rebellion broke out the 
patriotic people of Solon volunteered freely 
for the defense of the Union, and many 
sealed their devotion to their countrx- with 
their blood. Following are the names of 
those who gave their lives in the perpet- 
uation of liberty, from this town : — 

Lucius Randall, son of Orrin Randall, 
killed at Gravelly Run, March 29th, 1865. 
Orrin Reed, killed in the same battle. John 
Cahill died in a rebel prison. Dayton Har- 
vey, son of Charles Harvey, died from 
wounds received in battle at Gett\-sburg. 
John Stevens, son of Jacob Stevens, died 
in Libby prison. Job Gillett, died in hos- 
pital. Dennis B. Hicks, died of wounds 
received in service. Edwin Fish, died in 
hospital at Hilton Head. James Atwood, 
died on the field. Adelbert Ta\'lor, died 



in Washington, and Walker died 

after returning home. 

Following is a list of the soldiers who 
went from this town and were paid bounties 
and credited to this town ; — 

Call of Oct. 17th, 1863, I'ebruar)- and 
March, 1864. Hount\- paid, $300. Total, 
$2,700. — James Sargant, Daniel Barnes, 
Horatio Niles Hicks, Mark Brownell, John 
Cahill, William R. Wells, Edwin R. Al- 
bridge, William B. Gilbert, Luther P. Hicks. 

The earh' records of this town are not 
now available ; we were unable to find a 
list of town officers earlier than 1844, since 
which date the following is a list of the su- 
pervisors and town clerks, the supervi.sor's 
name appearing first in each instance, with 
the present town oflicers : — 

1844-45, Rufus Rice, John Wheeler. 
Ezra Rockwell, Stephen Kellogg, 1846. 
Ezra Rockwell, Russel C. Fowler, 1847. 
John Wheeler, Lewis .M. Wolsey, 1848. 
John Wheeler, Samuel G. Hathaway, 1849. 
John Wheeler, Freeman Warren, 1850- 
51-52. John Wheeler, Samuel G. Hatha- 
way, 1853. Johnson Wheeler, Lyman 
Stone, 1854. Johnson Wheeler, John M. 
Freeman, 1855. Johnson Wheeler, Lewis 
Dickinson, 1856. David I. Brownell, Lewis 
Dickinson, 1857. David I. Brownell, Ran- 
dolph R. Ma\bury, 1858. David I. Brown- 
ell, Cornelius D. Fish, 1859. Philander P. 
Moses, Robert B. Fish, i860. Philander 
P. Moses, Leroy D. Stevens, 1861. Calvin 
L. Hathaway, Earl Palmer, 1862. Ran- 
som Warren, Earl Palmer, 1863. David L 
Brownell, I'^arl Palmer, 1864. David I. 
Brownell. Melvin ^Liybury. 1865-66. Da- 
\-id 1. Brownell, Har\-e}- J. Stone, 1867. 
Johnson Wheeler. Har\c\- J. Stone. 1868. 
Calvin Hathaway, L\man Peck, jr., 1869. 
David P. Brownell, Harvey J. Stone, 1870. 
John Wheeler, Harvey J. Stone, 1871. John 
Wheeler, Mordeca L. Totman, 1873. Philo 
F. Moses, Mordeca L. Totman, 1874. Har- 



Town ok Frektown. 



4'7 



ve\^ J. Stone, ^lordcca L. Totman, 1875. Commissioner of highways — Joel C. 

Harvc)- J. Stone, James Dougherty, 1876. 1 Pritchard. 

J. J. Walker, James Uoughert)-, 1877. J. Collector — Oscar Smith. 

J.Walker, C. T, Feck, 1878-79. James Overseer of the poor — James l-"inn. 

Dougherty, William V.. Hurr, 1880-81- | Constables — John Withey, Wm. Hurke, 

82. James Doughert\-, B. II Randall, Ed. Diver, John Barnes 



1883. 

The present officers of the town (1884) 
are : — 

Supervisor — James Doughert\-. 

Town clerk — Andrew S. Brown. 

Assessor — A. Holden. 



Inspectors of election — V. H. (iraves, 
John Dorth)-, Ephraim Smith. 

Commissioner of excise — Jerome May- 
bury. 

Justices — Alfred Warren, L. W. Green- 
man, John R. Maybury, E. B. Maybury. 



CHAPTER XXLX. 



IIISTOKV OK IHK TO\V.\ OK KRKKTOWX. 



FREETOWN is bounded on the north 
by Solon and Cortlandville ; on the 
east by Cincinnatus : on the s(nith by Mar- 
athon, and on the west by Virgil and Cort- 
landville, and lies a little south of the cen- 
ter of the county, on a ridge between the 
Otselic and Tioughnioga rivers. Its surface 
is high and hill)-, broken by small streams 
flowing north and south through the town. 
It comprises 16,425^ acres, with an as- 
sessed value per acre of $20.52: total as- 
sessed value of real estate, $337,145. 

This town was organized on the 21st of 
April, 1 81 8, and comprises what was the 
northwestern quarter of the old military 
township of Cincinnatus, with lot No. 20 
which was taken from Virgil in 1820. 
The soil is a clay loam, better adapted to 
grazing than grain growing, although good 
crops of corn, oats, barley, potatoes, etc., 
are raised. In later years especial attention 
has been given to dairying and with excel- 
lent results. 

The pioneers of this toun encoimtered 
hardships greater than were experienced by 
those of many other towns in the county. 



The natural aspect of the w-ilderness in this 
section was forbidding and the land difficult 
to clear. To get their corn ground the 
pioneers usually preferred to go to Manlius 
or Onondaga Hollow, rather than to Che- 
nango Forks or Ludlowville ; the distance 
they thus had to travel was about forty 
miles, fording streams and often being com- 
pelled to camp out one or more nights on 
the wa\% exposed to storms and dangers 
from wild animals. The roads were mere 
paths which could be followed only by 
marked trees. These tedious journeys had 
to be made until 1798, in which year the 
first grist-mill was erected in Homer, as 
heretofore stated ; and even this improve- 
ment left the pioneer of Freetown a long 
distance to travel through the forest to mill. 
The first settler in Freetown was Cyrus 
Saunders. He was a native of Rhode 
Island and was born May 19th, 1772; he 
married Nancy Hiscock, also a native of 
that State, in 1794 and came to Freetown 
in 1795, locating on lot No. 5. He dwelt 
there about fifteen j-ears — years of severe 
toil and privations, but made endurable to 



4i8 



History of Cortland County. 



liim by the tlioiiL^ht that he was making a 
home for his family and Ills own enjo\ment 
in old age. When his last payment on the 
land was made he learned to his consterna- 
tion that his title, like so many to which 
wc have referred, was imperfect and his 
farm was lost to him. He removed with 
his family to Factory Hill, in flomer vil- 
lage, where he remained until the factorj' 
burned in 1815, his children working in the 
factory during that period. His children 
were Naby (now Mrs. Naby House), Cath- 
arine, Almeda, La\'ina, Cyrus, Xanc\-, 
Perry and Elisha. 

From Homer the family removed to the 
town of Solon, on lot No. 81, settlingf on 
fifty acres of land for which he paid $300. 
The tract was covered with forest and Mr. 
Saunders had practically to begin life over 
again, the first step in which was to build a 
log house. They lived on this farm about 
nineteen years, after which he and his son, 
Perry H., went to McGrawville and bought 
the carding and cloth-dressing mill which 
had been conducted by Eber Wilcox and 
John Peat. This business the_\- continued 
for a period of ten years, after which they 
removed to Cuyler, in what is known as 
the Kenney Settlement. Cyrus Saunders 
finally removed to Chautauqua county, 
where he died in 1856. 

Nancy Saunders, wife of Cyrus Saunders, 
took her infant daughter, Naby (now a 
resident of Westfield, Chautauqua county), in 
the year 1796, and made a journey on horse- 
back to her former home in Rhode Island ; 
she was accompanied by a neighboring 
woman. A year's residence in the wilder- 
ness, where she had seldom seen a white 
woman, had given the young wife a feeling 
of homesickness which she imagined would 
be dispelled by a visit to her old home. It 
must have been a long and trying journey, 
but was made without serious mishap. 
The infant, Naby, was one of the children 



who worked in the Hiimcr factory and is 
now living, as above stated, and enjoys 
good iiealth at the age of eighty-nine years. 

Robert Smith, a soldier in the Revolu- 
tionary War, was one of the very early set- 
tlers in Freetown, having drawn lot No. 2 
for his services to the country. He located 
himself and family on the lot in 1 800, where 
he had prepared a mere log cabin for their 
accommodation. After some years of se- 
vere struggles to make a home ia the wil- 
derness, he sold his property to Samuel G. 
Hathawaj-. Mr. Smith's descendants after- 
wards li\'ed in Marathon. 

Soon after Mr. Smith's settlement, Caleb 
Sheopard and David H. Monrose moved 
from the eastern part of the State and set- 
tled with their families on lot No. 22. Mr. 
Sheopard removed to Michigan about the 
year 1850. Mr. Monrose remained on his 
farm and died in 1837. 

William Smith, a nati\e of Vermont, mi- 
grated from Great Bend, Fa., to Freetown 
in the year 1802, and located on lot No. 
25. Fie made several small purchases of 
land until he owned a farm of about 165 
acres. He disposed of his property and 
removed to Cortlandville in 1835. He was 
a man of considerable prominence, held 
several town offices and military positions. 
He had a family of nine children. 

In 1804 Gideon Chapin located on lot 
42, where he erected the first saw-mill in 
the town. There is a mill on the same site 
at the present time, in which is one run of 
stone, which is operated b\' Mr. Under- 
wood. 

Samuel G. Hathaway settled in Freetown 
in 1805, ha\ing removed from Chenango 
county, where he had located two years 
earlier. He purchased 300 acres of land 
of Robert Smith, as before noted. At that 
time Mr. Hathaway's nearest neighbors on 
the north, east and west were four miles 
distant and eisiht miles on the south. In 



Tu\Vi\ OF Freetown. 



419 



1 8 1 9 he removed to the eastern part of lot 7 1 
in the town of Solon, in tiic history of which 
town will be found further reference to his 
eminent career as a public man. The follow- 
ing incident which he related to Mr. Good win. 
the historian, finds its proper place here: — 
■' Soon after the General came to Free- 
town he desired to make, some additions to 
his stock of cattle, and learning that Caleb 
Sheopard, living near the salt road about 
five miles distant, had a calf to sell, he made 
arrangements to procure the animal. Ha\- 
ing finished his day's work he started for Mr. 
Sheopard's near ex'ening with a rope halter 
in his hand with which he intended tn lead 
the calf if successful in making the pur- 
chase ; and thus equipped, without coat or 
stockings, he plodded on his course through 
the woods, by way of marked trees, there 
being no road. He succeeded in obtain- 
ing the calf and started for home; but night 
coming on, and it being much darker than 
he anticipated, and carelessly hurr\'ing along 
with his treasure by his side, he soon found 
himself unable to distinguish the blazed 
trees, but still persevered, hoping to come 
out ricrht. It was not Ion", however, be- 
fore he found he was out of the right course 
and concluding that for the present he was 
lost, very calmh- set about camping out for 
the night. He fastened the calf to a tree, 
and reposing by its side, was delighted 
through the long and dark night by the 
hooting of owls, how ling of woh'es, scream- 
ing of panthers, and other music of a like 
interesting character. At length morning 
dawned and as aurora flung her gorgeous 
rays over the dense forest, revealed to his 
eager gaze his position on the pine ridge, 
one or two miles out of his way. His calf 
was hastih" detached from the tree and he 
again set out for home, which he reached 
at an early hour, ha\ing a sharp appetite 
for his breakfast, and much to the gratifica- 
tion of his an.xioush- waiting mother." 



Another incident of early pioneer life in 
this town reaches us, which is worthy of 
preservation: In November, 1 799, an old 
hunter was passing between the Tiough- 
nioga river and F"reetown Center, when, on 
ascending an elexation, he struck an Indian 
trail leading to the pine woods. Soon after 
entering upon the trail he heard a piercing 
scream, as if coming from a woman in dis- 
tress. This was repeated and, as he quick- 
ened his pace, the sounds became more dis- 
tinct and he could hear moaning as if a 
person was suffering pain. His an.xiet)' 
was soon relieved, howe\er, by seeing an 
enormous panther springing upon a deer 
that was struggling upon the ground and 
covered with blood. The hunter was un- 
armed and he hesitated a moment, unde- 
cided what to do ; but concluded to hasten 
on, rather than run the risk of furnishing 
the panther with an\' part of the meal he 
was about to enjoy from the deer. He had 
not proceeded far before he w as startled by 
what appeared to be the leaping of a pan- 
ther behind him. As he had a few pounds 
of fresh venison, he picked up a hea\y 
bludgeon and hurried on until he came to 
a large log, when he cut the venison into 
two or three pieces and throwing one into 
the mouth of the log, which was partly hol- 
low, and the others a little distance from it, 
awaited the approach of the enraged beast. 
The moon was shining sufficiently to enable 
the hunter to see the panther .ipprnach and 
attempt to enter the log, when the hunter 
sprang forward and with one blow laid the 
animal almost powerless upon the ground. 
Repeating the blows, the huge beast was 
soon dispatched and the hunter took off his 
skin and retraced his steps homeward. A 
grand hunt was organized the following day, 
in which three panthers, five woh'es and si.x 
bears were killed. 

Eleazer Fuller was an earl\- settler in Free- 
town, coming from Northampton, Mass., 



420 



IlisTORv OF Cortland County. 



in 1806 and locating on lot No. 12, where 

lu' purcliasrcl one hundred acres. lie had 
a t'aniil)- of foi:r children ; a daughter be- 
came the wife of W'ni. !\Iantan\-e ; his .son, 
Austin I'^ulier, removed to Indiana, li\ed in 
Springfield and became auditor of that 
State. 

Rockwell Wildm.in and Isaac Robertson 
came into the town in 1808, the former 
locating on lot No. 15. He died in 1855, 
leaving children on the homestead. The 
latter came from Connecticut and died in 
181 1, followed by his wife in 181 5. 

John Akerand Henry Gardner, the form- 
er from Albany county and the latter from 
Plainfield, N. Y., came to the town in 1809; 
they both settled on lot No. 32, where Mr. 
Gardner bought one hundred acres. He 
died in Illinois in 1858 at the age of eighty 
years. He was the father of seven chil- 
dren. About this time or a little later the 
settlers in the town received accessions in 
the persons of Charles and Curtiss Richard- 
son, Wm. Tuthill, Jacob Hicks, Isaac Doty, 
John Backus and Aruna Eaton. Such were 
the hardy men who made the first impres- 
sions of civilization in the wilderness of 
Freetown. Graduall>- the>- cleared away 
the forest, opened and improved roads and 
prepared the region for the better enjoy- 
ment of those who were to come after 
them. 

At the opening of the War of 181 3 the 
town had become sufficient!}- settled so that 
neighbors could reach each other without 
a pilgrimage of half a day or more through 
the woods. 

In 1812 John Conger migrated from 
Granville, Washington county, and located 
on lot No. 12, where he bought one hun- 
dred and five acres. The farm, with sub- 
sequent additions, is now owned by Ed. 
Warren. Mr. Conger was an enterprising j 
and intelligent man and became a promi- I 
nent citizen. He died at tlie age of fiftv- 



five, in 1836. He had five sons and four 
daughters. 

Harmon S. Conger \\'as elected to Con- 
gress in 1846 and 1848 and held other posi- 
tions of trust, wherein he earned a reputa- 
tion for integrity and ability ; the entire 
family was one of the utmost respectability. 

In 1 81 3 Austin Waters removed from 
Saybrook, Conn., and located on the same 
lot with Mr. Conger, where he also pur- 
chased one hundred and five acres, then 
entirely covered with forest. By years of 
persevering toil he cleared and improved 
his land and li\xd there until over eighty 
years of age. 

Walton Sweetland, a nati\-e of Connect- 
icut, came from Granville in 18 [4 and set- 
tled on lot 22, on what was afterward known 
as the Tripp farm. With his subsequent 
purchases he acquired a farm of one him- 
dred and tliirt\- acres. He devoted his at- 
tention to clearing and improving his land 
until 1838, when he sold it, and in 1846 
engaged in mercantile business at Freetown 
Corners. He was a man of native ability 
and was elected to the offices of school in- 
spector, sui)erintendent, and justice of the 
peace, holding the latter position for twenty- 
eight years. In 1844 he was appointed 
associate judge, which office he held several 
years. He was also conspicuous in early 
military organizations, and rose from the 
office of corporal to major. 

Geo. I. Wa\le, from Montgomery count}-, 
N. Y., settled on lot No. 4 in 18 14, where his 
widow now resides. He purchased there 
four hundred and fift}- acres, was an industri- 
ous and refiutable citizen, an<l died in 1835, 
leaving, a respectable famil}- of children. 

Minor Grant, who was born in Chenango 
count}-, 1806, came to Freetown in 1824 
and settled on one hundred acres of land, 
which he soon sold and removed to Cincin- 
natus. In three or four years he returned 
and has lived in the town e\er since. 



Town of Freetown. 



421 



During the period of the early settlement 
of Freetown, it was generally regarded as 
somewhat sterile and subject to severe 
frosts ; the crops were often cut down, which, 
with the rugged character of the surface, 
tended to retard rapid settlement. But tiie 
town is now one of the most prosperous 
dairy districts in the county. It is isolated 
from railroad communication with markets, 
but is well supplied with good roads over 
which numerous stage lines give direct 
connection with Cortland village and other 
important points. The log houses of the 
pioneers have given place to the comfort- 
able and neat framed farm houses to be seen 
in all directions, indicating the general pros- 
perity of the community. 

In the War of the Rebellion this town 
responded to the calls of the country for 
men and means with the Siu'iie degree of 
patriotism that characterized the other 
towns of the county. The following list 
embraces all those who enlisted in the town 
and received bounties ; — 

Call of October 17th, 1S63. Bounty 
paid, $300. Total bounty, $3,900. — John 

B. Richards, Lafayette M. Torrance, Henry 
Seeber, Everett Vosburg, James H. Haight, 
Duane Hammond, James C. Tuttle, Wil- 
liam J. Mantanye, Nelson W. Smith, Theron 

C. Guernsey, D. Webster Smith, George D. 
Watrous, James S. Hammond. 

Call of July 1 8th, 1864. Bounty paid, 
$1,000, except $700 to one. Total bounty, 
$13,700. Total brokerage, $350. — Wil- 
liam A. Brink, Ezra C. Carter, John H. 
Cormick, Loren P. Copcland, Coleman 
Guernsey, Adolphus Hopkins, Austin Man- 
tanye, Isaac M. Richardson, Clinton D. 
Stanton, Charles Tanner, Henry S. Tilling- 
hast, Chauncey L. Judd, Dewitt P. .Allen, 
William Hamburg. 

Call of December lyth, 1864. Amount 
of bounty $600, except $500 to two. Total, 
$6,400. Brokerage, $15. — James J. Hig- 



gins, William H. Mitchell, William Lamgan, 
Bernard Derrigan, Charles Taylor, Edward 
CoU'les, Arthur Hunt, Ahi W. Coltrane, 
John M Creaton, Stephen Herdy, M. 
Shields. 

Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
calls October 17th, 1863, February, 1864, 
and March, 1864, $3,900. Paid for filling 
quota, call July 18th, 1864, $14,050. Paid 
for filling quota, call December 19th, 1864, 
$2,215. Grand total, $20,165. 

HAMLETS. 

Freetown Corners is the largest hamlet 
in the town and contains about twenty-five 
houses and two churches. The first mer- 
chant in the town began business here ; his 
name was Peter McVean. He continued 
only a short time and was succeeded by 
John M. and Sylvester M. Roe, who came 
from Virgil ; they were in business here in 
1834. At a later date Zachariah Squires 
was in business here eight or ten years and 
was succeeded by C. B. Perkins, and he in a 
short time by Walton Sweetland, who be- 
gan in 1846, as already stated. He con- 
tinued in trade many years. Samuel Fierce 
was afterward in business and was burned 
out, since which time there have been 
numerous changes, the more prominent 
proprietors having been John Hubbard, and 
at the present time Alphonso Dcarman, 
who was formerly Mr. Hubbard's clerk for 
several years. Mr. Dearman is also post- 
master in the place and clerk of the town. 

Churches. — The P"irst Baptist Church at 
Freetown Corners was organized in 1810, 
by Elder Caleb Sheopard, who first 
preached there. The first settled minister 
was Benjamin W. Capron. This was the 
first church in town. 

The Presbyterian Church of Freetown 
bore the name of the original town of Cincin- 
natus until the year 1825. It was received 
under the care of the Presbyterj' of Onon- 



42: 



History of Cortland County. 



daga September ist, 1812, and on the 
division of tliat count)', was assigned to the 
Presbytery of Cortland. The cluircli seems 
to have always been small and feeble and to 
have had no regular pastor. It has been 
reported at limes as statedly supplied and 
at other times as vacant. Rev. Kleazer 
Luce preached in 1833 ^'"^^ 34- 

East Freetown. — This hamlet contains 
a post-office and a church, .Vt an earl_\- 
day a tavern was kept here b\' Geo. I. 
Wavle, in the house now occupied by 
Nanc\' Wa\k'. There is at the present 
time no hotel in the town. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church at this 
place was erected in 1846 anil is in the cir- 
cuit of Freetown Corners. The building 
committee were A. Underwood, H. Orcutt, 
M. Grant, L. Peck, S. C. Coleman. W. 
Colwell and E. D. Fish. The earl_\- promi- 
nent members of the church, before the 
erection of the building, were Hamilton Or- 
cutt and wife, Miner Grant and wife, L\'man 
Peck and wife, Elder Cameron and wife, 
Perry Gardner and wife, Joseph Gardner 
and wife, Sally Ripley, Russell Grant, 
.\lanson Underwood and wife, Philander 
Underwood and wife, Alden Harrington 
and wife, Warren J. Scouten and wife, and 
some others, most of whom are now dead. 
The officers of the society at the present 
time are Turner Butman, John Butman, W. 
H. Colwell, D. M. Grant, Alanson Under- 
wood and Stephen H. Ford. The niember- 
shi]i of the church is about si.\t\'. 



There is a church society, few in member- 
ship, in the southeast part of the town, of 
the Methodist denomination.- They erected 
a church building during the late war, the 
ground for which was donated by Calvin 
Eaton. 

I. C. Beebe established a creamery near 
Texas Valley in 1870 and has carried on a 
successful business since. He has had a 
patronage of 425 cows at one period. The 
building is two stories high, one wing being 
24 by 55 feet and the other 14 by 14. 

The post-office at East Freetown has 
been kept by P. P. Grant since i860. John 
King hatl the office in 1851 and is thought 
to ha\-e been the first postmaster. 

The following is a list of the officers of 
this town: — 

Supervisor — ]\Iarcus Borthwick. 

Town clerk — .\lplu>nso Dearman. 

Justices of the peace — S. L. Woods, 
Nelson R. Moon, Daniel Bowdish. 

Assessor — \\ M. Grant. 

Commissioner of highway's — Horace 
Martin. 

Collector — John S. Woods. 

Overseers of the poor — William McKee, 
Ithemur Dunbar. 

Inspectors of election — Clarence Tripp, 
Lawrence Caffrey. 

Town auditors — Levi Smith, Bernard 
Caffrey. 

Constables — John S. Woods, D. Col- 
well, James A. Wavle, Chas. Monroe and 
Orvil Picket. 



Town ok Taylor. 



4^3 



CHAPTER XXX. 

l^sTOK^■ OK Tur. town of tavlor. 



THE town of Taylor lies near the center 
of the eastern border of tlic county 
and is bounded on the north b\' Cuyler; 
on the east b}' Chenango count}' ; on the 
south b)' Cincinnatus, and on the west by 
Solon. As a civil organization it is com- 
paratively recent, being formed from Solon 
on the 5th of December, 1849; '^ ^^-'s 
named in honor of General Zacharj- Tay- 
lor and comprises 18,738^7 acres of land. 

The surface of the town is \-er)- hill)- and 
broken. The declivities are very steep, 
some of them precipitous and rising from 
600 to 800 feet above the valleys. Mt. 
Roderick, which lies partly in this town and 
partly in Solon, is the highest point. The 
uplands of the town are, however, mostly, 
arable while tin; valle_\-s arc rich and pro- 
ductive. The town as a whole is remark- 
ably well adapted to grazing, and butter 
and cheese are the staple products. 

A number of small streams flow through 
the town in a southerly direction, most of 
them emptying into the Otselic creek. 
Ta\'lor pond is a small bod)- of water in the 
central part of the town. The soil is largely 
a gravelly loam. 

The first permanent settlement within 
the limits of Taylor was made b)- Ezra 
Rockwell and his sons, Ezra and Thomas. 
They came from Lenox, Mass., in the year 
■793 'i''"-! 'located on lot jS. Mr. Rock- 
well, sen., served in the Revolutionary arm)- j 
and for his services drew the lot on which 
the family located. In 1795 Thomas Rock- 
well remo\'ed to Cincinnatus and after a 
residence there of thirt)--two years, re- 
turned to Taylor and located on lot I GO, 
where he purchased si.\ acres on wiiich the 
village of Ta)-lor now stands. He also pur- 



chased one hundred acres on lot 99. His 
house on lot lOO originally stood on the 
ground now covered by the public house, 
which was afterward owned by E. W. Fish. 
The building was burned in 1828. 

Ezra Rockwell was a man of consider- 
ble prominence in the town, held several 
offices, among which was that of justice, 
which he creditably filled for a number of 
years. He was nearly ninety-six years old 
when he died. 

The Beebe family were originally from 
Connecticut. Roderick located on Mt. 
Roderick, on lot 75, in the spring of 1794. 
He was a hardy, industrious man, capable 
of great endurance. 

Orellana Bcebc migrated from New Ha- 
\-en in 1796 and settled on lot 7, in Solon, 
now Truxton. After remaining there two 
years he removed to Taylor and settled on 
lot 100. He lived to the age of ninety. 
His youngest daughter became the wife of 
Ira Rockwell. 

Increase M. Hooker located on lot 88, in 
1797, but removed to Truxton the follow- 
ing year. He came from Vermont. 

Lewis Hawley, from Huntington, Conn., 
located on the Howe farm in Pitcher, in 
1805. He remained there but a brief 
period and then came to Taylor and set- 
tled on the form now owned by Frank Wire. 
A few years later he removed to the West, 
or rather started for that region, but as he 
was traveling on the snow- and it having 
suddenly disappeared, he was unable to 
proceed farther than Bath. The next fall 
he returned to Lisle, and the following 
spring to Taylor, locating ^n lot 78. He 
subsequentl)- purchased one hundred acres 
on lot yj, where he died January i 5th, 1858. 



424 



History of Cortland County. 



He was an active and prominent citizen and 
reared a family of children. Lewis T. went 
to S)-racuse, where he became a prominent 
member of the comnuinit>-. James T. set- 
tled on lot Sj, and Francis remained on the 
homestead ; the latter being now dead. Hi- 
ram L. removed to Liverpool, Onondaga 
county, where he died. Cyrus M. removed 
to Chicago where he was a well known law- 
yer, and John H. went to Kansas. 

John L. Boyd and John Phelps came to 
Taylor from Saratoga county. The former 
located on lot g8 in 1811, where he pur- 
chased 1 19 acres, to which he subsequently 
added 251 acres. The latter settled on lot 
86, purchasing eighty-si.\ acres, to which he 
afterwards added more than a hundred 
more. Mr. Phelps found the region about 
his farm heavily covered with timber, and 
such was the case with some portions of the 
town a number of years later. 

In 1 8 14 David Wire, who came originalh- 
from Connecticut, located on lot lOO, where 
he reared a family of eleven children. His 
father was a native of England and had a 
somewhat thrilling experience. He was 
kidnaped in London when he was but 
se\-en years old and sold in Boston, where 
he remained until the beginning of the war 
between the French and the English. He 
was then impressed in the English service 
for a term of six years ; he subsequently 
.settled in Connecticut. When the War of 
the Revolution broke out he enlisted in the 
American arm\- and serxed throughout that 
conflict. 

The earl}- pioneers of this town, in com- 
mon with those of surrounding localities, 
suffered all tiie hardships and privations in- 
cident to life in the wilderness. They dwelt 
in simple log houses as a rule until long 
after the War of 1812. No mill was erected 
in the town until that year, previous to 
which the inhabitants had to pound their 
corn into a semblance of meal, or carr)- it 



1 a distance of from twenty to forty miles to 
have it jjround. Money was very scarce, 
and the exchangeable produce of the clear- 
ings on the farms was barely sufficient, 
after the necessities of the family were sup- 
plied, to obtain the bare comforts of life. 
But the hardy and determined pioneers 

j were generally equal to any lot that fell to 

: them. Gradual!)- their lands were cleared. 
Mills and shops came nearer, their farms 

' brought them increased products, money 
became more plenty, the log cabins were 
displaced by more comfortable framed cot- 
tages and general prosperit\- attended the 
growing settlement. 

Thaddeus S. Whitne_\- came into Taylor 
from Delaware county, N. Y., in 1830. His 

I father, David Whitney, was born in Nor- 
walk, Conn., in 1775, and married Nancy 
Raymond, removing to Delaware county 
in 1805. He died in 1834. Thaddeus S. 
married Laura Rockwell, daughter of 
Thomas Rockwell, in 1832. 

Newell Cole, a native of Rhode Island, 
came into the town before 1820, and lo- 
cated on the farm now ow-ned by Mr. Welch. 
Besides being a farmer, he was a skillful 
mechanic, following his trade of carpenter 
for many years. He was, moreover, one 
of those pioneers who were unfortunate in 
getting an in\-alid title to their farms, and 
after making an ineffectual attempt to pay 
for his land a second time, was compelled 
to give it up. He died in 1864. His wife 
was Susan Potter, daughter of Chas. Potter, 
and w-as also from Rhode Island. Their 
daughter, Mrs. Edwin E. Hoag, now resides 
in Taylorville. 

We cannot, in the space allotted, trace 
the growth of settlement farther towards 
the present time, the object being to pre- 
serve the names especially of those who 
conquered the wilderness and laid the foun- 
1 dations of the town's present prosperity. 
There are but two hamlets in the town 



Town of Taylor. 



425 



of Taylor — Taylorville and Union Valley 
— although there is a post-office and some 
business done at Taylor Center. Taylorville 
is situated in the southeastern part of the 
town and contains one store, post-office, 
and about twenty-five houses, with two 
churches. Union Valley, in the northeast- 
ern part of the town, contains a church, a 
store, hotel and several shops, with a small 
collection of dwellings. 

As a rule one of the first mechanics in a 
settlement was the blacksmith. His trade 
could be made of such varied use to the 
pioneers that he usualh- followed closely on 
the heels of the first settler in a new dis- 
trict. William Blackman was the first 
blacksmith to locate in Taylor; but just 
when or where he settled we have not 
learned. He was followed b)- Alexander 
Hart, who worked at the trade, in connec- 
tion with gun- smithing, for a number of 
years. His shop was sold to Thaddeus S. 
Whitne)-, who changed it partly to a man- 
ufactor}- of edge tools, in which he did an 
extensive business during a period of more 
than twenty years, manufacturing axes 
principally. 

Ambrose Allen was a blacksmith at Tay- 
lor for a time, and the shop is now owned 
by Philander Kingsbur)'. 

Edwin E. Hoag owns a wagon and re- 
pair shop, which was formerly established 
by G. P. Swan many years ago, and was 
afterward owned by John D. Joyner. The 
first saw-mill in the town was built in 18 12, 
by Thomas Rockwell. He sold it to a Mr. 
Isbell, after whose proprietorship it passed 
through the hands of PIzra Rockwell, Ira 
Wicks, Jonathan Brooks, Joseph Rice, and 
is now owned by Hiel Tanner, who has had 
possession of it for a nimiber of years. 

The grist-mill built at an early daj- by 
Messrs. Wells & Lord was the first one in 
the town. Hayes & Out owned it in 1881 
wlien it was burned. 



Mr. Durkee built the saw-mill at Taylor 
pond in 1830. It is now owned by Isaac 
H. Smith. A grist-mill was also built here 
by Potter Joslyn about the year i860, but 
it has gone into disuse. 

The first mercantile business in the town 
was done at Taylorville, by Hiram Rock- 
well. The store afterward passed into the 
hands of EU Dickinson, Ezra Rockwell, and 
after a number of other changes was pur- 
chased by Albert West, under whose pro- 
prietorship it was burned in the winter of 
1869. Edmund Potter rebuilt the structure 
and subsequently sold out to A. J. B. Nor- 
ton. P'oUowing him the business was con- 
ducted by A. West, J. B. Kellogg, Kellogg 
& Clark, in 1880, who transferred it to Wil- 
liam Comstock in 1884. 

In Union Valley Messrs. Hulbert & Gil- 
bert, and afterward Enos and Allen Hul- 
bert, conducted a store and an ashery as 
early as 1830. They subsequently removed 
to Gilbertsville, and the property changed 
hands a number of times. E. Jipson had 
it in 1869, and it is now owned b}' Valen- 
tine Jipson. 

In 1869 Isaac H. Smith did some trad- 
ing at Taylor Center and took charge of 
the post-office which he still continues. 
There has been a little business done there 
since that time. J. I. \'. Potter also kept a 
country grocery there. 

In later years the attention of the farmers 
of Taylor has been given largely to dair\- 
ing interests. The Hawley factory, which 
was built by Lewis Hawley in 1866, was 
the first of its kind in the town and is also 
the most extensive. The building was 108 
by 20 feet ; it received the patronage of 
145 cows and has always had the reputa- 
tion of manufacturing an excellent product. 
It is now owned by the widow of the orig- 
inal proprietor. 

The cheese factory owned by William 
Brown has since been converted into a town 



426 



History of Cortland County. 



hall. It was built in the spring of 1868, 
but was not long used for its intended pur- 
pose. 

The factory buih b}- W'illiam Gorsline in 
1866, a half mile from Union Valley, was 
sold to Calvin Warner, who in turn trans- 
ferred it to the present owner, James Lake. 

The first post-office in Taylor was opened 
at Taylorville in 1834, under the official 
charge of Ezra Rockwell ; he continued in 
the office for fifteen successive years, and 
al.so had the oflice in 1856. He was suc- 
ceeded by Edwin Potter and Orrin Leonard. 
G. W. Gage, the present postmaster, took 
the office in 1880. He is also clerk of the 
town and proprietor of a shoe shop. 

As before stated, Isaac H. Smith is the 
postmaster at Taylor Center and X'alentine 
Jipson at Union Valley. A dail\' mail from 
Cortland village reaches these places by 
stage. 

The first tavern in the t(J\\ n was kept by 
Orlando Beebe, on lot 100, for man\- )'ears. 
The first one in Taylorville was built by 
Leonard Holmes in 1842 and was kept as 
a public house until 1875, when it was 
bmncd. It was at difterent times owned 
b)' Levi Mallery, Levi Lock, Mr. Neal, Mr. 
Chatficld, E. W. Fish, M. Lock, George 
Thorpe, and probablj- others. Mr. Thorpe 
was its owner when it burned 

The hotel in Union Valley was built be- 
fore 1830, but was afterward used as a pri- 
vate house. P. Kingsbur)- kept tavern here 
for some years. 

The first school teacher in the town was 
Barak Niles ; he was a man of ability and 
was sent to the Assembly in 1825. 

The first birth in the town was Hezekiah 
Beebe. The first marriage was that of 
Asaph Butler and Luc\- Beebe. The first 
death that of Zerah Beebe in 1800. 

Of the physicians of Taylor we find little 
to record. Dr. Ichabod Allen was one of 
the earliest and continued in practice man)- 



years. Dr. Jerome Angell, of Union Val- 
ley, is an old and skillful practitioner. He 
was vice-president of the County Medical 
Society in 1869. 

The inhabitants of Ta}-lor paid early at- 
tention to religious matters, and as soon as 
circumstances would admit, churches were 
organized and houses of worship built. Dr. 
Williston, a Congregational minister, first 
preached .as a missionar)- in the town. Reu- 
ben Hurd was the first settled pastor, but 
when he began his labors is not now known. 
He was pastor of a church in Pitcher in 
18 13; but if there was a church at that 
time or later of this denomination in the 
town, it has long since closed its career. 

The W'eslejan Methodists of Taylorville 
and vicinity erected a house of worship in 
1835, but their organization has always 
been weak. The Rev. A. M. Blackman is 
now the pastor. Some members of this 
society and others joined in the formation 
of the I'Lpiscopal Church of this place a few 
years after the erection of the Wesleyan 
Church ; but this organization is also small 
in numbers. The Rev. W. Robertson is 
the present pastor. 

The Union Church at Union Valley is 
now used by the Methodist societj', but has 
no pastor at the present time. The M. E. 
Church at Taylor Center was built in 1873. 

The following table shows the names of 
the patriotic sons of this town who enlisted 
in the service of their country in the War 
of the Rebellion, under the different calls 
for troops, and were paid bounties, with the 
amount of the same : — 

Call of October 17th, 1863, February and 
March, 1864. Bounty paid $300. Total, 
$6,000. — James W. Smith, Benjamin J. 
Strong, 1-ibeas H. Merry, Orlando Oliver, 
Hiram W. Perry, Oren Coon, Edson C. 
Rogers, Moses M. Whiting, Dudlej- W. 
Wier, Lewis Perrj-, William C. Young, 
James Mahoney, John W. Foster, Charles 



Town ok Taylor. 



427 



Marsh, Henry Williams, John Farrell, 
James Vaughn, George Smith, Charles Hill, 
James P. Clark. 

Call of July 18th, 1864. Bounty $1,000, 
except $600 to two, $700 to one and $300 
to two. Total, $23,100. Brokerage, $575. 
— Bartholomew Castle, Henry Harden, 
William S. Barnum, Leonard W. Wood, 
John T. Earl, Robert W. Brooks, Martin 
E. Cliapin, Alfred E. Watrous, Austin A. 
Watrous, George W. Chapin, Egbert Peck, 
Henry E. Phelps, Enoch Rood, Nathan W. j 
Sperry, Orson B. Torry, Melvin Wavle, [ 
Edgar Burlingham, Edmund Eaton, Charles 
A. Goodjear, William H. Oliver, Alanson 
Oliver, Harden Potter, Samuel C. Potter, 
Welcome J. Potter, Samuel Sluth, Joseph 
L. Cotton, Albert J. Wildman. 

Call of December 19th, 1S64. Bounty, 
$600. Total, $6,600. Brokerage, $15. — 
John Ryan, John Grant, Thomas Fannon, 
Alexander H. Radford, Lewis Stanton, Jo- 
seph Thompson, Theophile Clouter, Thomas 
W. Ackerman, James Kierns. \\ illiam John- 
son, Charles Edwards. 

Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
calls October 17th, 1863, F"ebruar)- and 
March, 1864, $6,000. Paid for filling quota, 
call July 1 8th, 1864, $23,675. Paid for 
filling quota, call December 19th, 1864, 
$6,615. Grand total, $36,290. 

The organization of the town of Tajlor 
was perfected on the 5 th of December, 
1849, and the officers elected for the year 
1850 were as follows : — 

Supervisor — Sheldon Warner. 

Town clerk — John R. Wire. 

Superintendent of schools — Nelson L. 
Brooks. 

Justices of the peace — Stephen Kellogg, 
Eli Wright, Stephen Skinner. 

Assessors — Aaron W. Dunbar, S. Ful- 
ler. 

Commissioners of highways — Hubbard 
Harrison, Horace Neville. 



Collector — David Wire. 

Constables — Perry Mudge, David Wire, 
2d, Calvin M. Barber, Matthew W. Rich- 
mond. 

Overseer of the poor — Israel Ellis. 

Inspectors of election — Potter Joslyn, 
James Blanchard, Seth Hulbert. 

Following is a list of the supervisors and 
town clerks since the formation of the town, 
the supervisor's name occurring first in each 
year : — 
I Sheldon Warner, John M. Wire, 1851 ; 
I Eli Wright, Horace Place, 1852; Thomas 
C. Wentworth, David Wire, 1853 ; Sheldon 
Warner, Orrin Leonard, 1854; Zadoc Short, 
Horace Neville, 1855 ; Leander Greene, 
i Samuel B. Kenyon, 1856; Sheldon Warner, 
Orrin Leonard, 1857-58; Wm. C. Angell, 
Orrin Leonard, 1859-60; Ir\in Phelps, 
Orrin Leonard, 1861-62; Edmund B. 
j Heath, PLdmund Potter, 1863; O. F. Forbes, 
Orrin Leonard, 1864; O. I*". Forbes, D. W. 
Whitney, 1865 ; O. F. Forbes, G. W. Gage, 
1866; Ir\in W. Phelps, Francis Hawley, 
1867; O. F. Forbes, Edwin E. Hoag, 
1868 ; Irvin W. Phelps, Albert Clark, 1870; 
Irvin W. Phelps, Leander Brooks, 187 1 to 
1873, inclusi\e; Calvin P. Warner, Valen- 
tine Jipson, 1S74; J. Lorenzo Cotton, J. B. 
Kellogg, 1875 ; J. Lorenzo Cotton, Jerome 
A. Norton, 1876; J. L. Cotton, Leander 
Brooks, 1877 ; J. L. Cotton, N. C. Rock- 
well, 1878 to 1880, inclusive ; G. W. Gage, 
Albert Clark, 1881 ; Jerome Angell, Albert 
Clark, 1882 ; Albert Clark, G. W. Gage, 
1883-84. 

The present justices are Wm. B. Stetson, 
L. R. Serven, Valentine Jipson, Sterling A. 
Smith, George W. McDonald. 

Assessors — L. Birdlebough, Thomas G. 
Brooks, Martin Wire. 

Commissioner of highways — Almon W. 
Angell. 

Overseers of the poor — Wm. G. Skinner. 
' Burdett Skinner. 



428 



History of Cortland County. 



Constables — John C. Rogers, Ransom 
Halbert, Benjamin Wilcox, A. F. Potter, 
Harris C. Allen. 



Collector — A. F. Potter. 
Inspectors of election — Jefferson O. Hill, 
Rufus L. Cass, Lerov W. Finn. 



CHAPTER XXXL 



HI.SIOKV OF THK TOWN OF WIl.FIT. 



THF town of Willet lies in the southeast 
corner of the count)- and contains 15,- 
839.19 acres, with an assessed valuation ot 
$15.01 per acre, with an aggregate valua- 
tion of $248, 135. The town is bounded on 
the north b\- Cincinnatus ; on the east bj' 
Chenango count)- ; on the south by Broome 
county, and on the west by Marathon. 

The surface of the town consists mainl\- 
of the narrow- valley of the Otselic river and 
the ridges which rise to a considerable height 
on either side. The uplands are broken by 
numerous narrow ra\'ines through which 
flow small streams. A considerable por- 
tion of the town is still unsettled, and some 
of it is too rough and inaccessible for profit- 
able cultivation. Bloody pond is a small 
sheet of water in the northwest part of the 
town. The soil consists of gravelly loam 
and shale. 

Willet hamlet is situated a little north of 
the center of the town and consists of two 
churches, four stores, a hotel, two mills, 
several shops and about twenty dwellings. 

Burlingame Mills, formerly a place of 
some note, now comprises a grist-mill and 
a carpenter's shop only. A store was for- 
merl)- located here. 

This town was formed from the south- 
eastern corner of the old township of Cin- 
cinnatus, and was named in honor of Col. 
Marin us Willet, who acquired an honorable 
fame wliile second in command at Fort 
Stanwix, in 1777, and who made a gallant 
sail)- upon the forces of Sir John Johnston, 



capturing their stores and baggage. Col. 
Willet drew lot No. 88 of the old town of 
Cincinnatus ; it w-as situated in the south- 
east quarter of the township and when the 
division was made, the militar)- hero was 
honored with the application of his name to 
this new town, wherein he found the tract 
of land which was awarded him for his pat- 
riotic services. 

Ebenezer Crittenden was one of the ear- 
liest settlers in the town of Willet, coming 
in in the )-car 1797. He had married at 
Binghamton and it is indicative of the deter- 
mined character of the pioneers of the 
county, that he took his wife and one child, 
embarked with their little all in a frail boat 
or canoe and with the aid of oars and set- 
ting-pole, finally reached their destination 
in safet)-, w-ith no other shelter than the 
blue dome of heaven, and exposed to what- 
ever elements were destined to overtake 
them. 

.\rrivcd at his land, Mr. Crittenden cut 
some crotched sticks, set them upright, and 
with the further aid of some poles and their 
bed clothing, made a tent in which they 
li\ed until he could complete a sort of log 
house. This was constructed in the follow- 
ing manner: he cut sufficient logs for the, 
sides and gable ends of the cabin, getting 
them small enough to enable him to handle 
them single-handed. These he laid up in 
the usual manner, and then set up tw-o pairs 
of rafters, one at each end of the cabin. 
Rcachin" from one to the other of these 



Town of Willet. 



429 



were placed a few poles, upon which he laid 
the rough shingles that he was able to split 
out with his axe, fastening them in their 
places with wooden pegs. In the absence 
of a grist-mill, he hollowed out the top of a 
stump, rigged up a spring pole, and thus 
made the family corn meal. His gun fur- 
nished the necessary meat and the Otseiic 
his drink. So life was begun b}' the jjio- 
neers of Willet. 

While this mode of li\ing must be looked 
back upon from the present time as scarce!)" 
civilized, yet the families who thus began 
the work of subduing the wilderness un- 
doubtedly found much to encourage and 
comfort them in their rude homes. There 
is almost nothing to record in the towns of 
Cortland county of deeds of blood by sav- 
ages ; the wild animals were such as bra\e 
men never feared to encounter, while peace 
and contentment, with the physical health 
that always attends such a life, all tended 
to render the life of the pioneer of this re- 
gion one that was not all unblest. 

The next settlements that we find to re- 
cord in this town were made in the years 
1806 and 1807, when Benjamin Wilson 
came in from Oxford, having originally mi- 
grated from Westchester count)- ; John 
Fisher came from England ; Jonathan Gaz- 
Jay from. Duchess count)', and Thomas 
Leach from Madison county. Benjamin 
Wilson became one of the most prominent 
citizens of the town ; the same may be said 
of severaUof his descendants who now re- 
side in Willet. He was born on December 
2 1st, 1764, and died August 20th, 1839. 
His wife was Phoebe Merritt. One of his 
daughters was Hetty Wilson, who was the 
mother of Wihson and Burrill Greene, who 
are now among the most prosperous farmers 
in the town. Hetty Wilson was born Jan. 
2 1 St, 1786, and married Benjamin T. Greene 
on the 17th of October, I. Si 7. He was a 
native of Rhode Island and resided in this 



town from the date of his marriage until 

Sept. 15th, 1853, when he died at the age 
of sevent)'-one years. The children were 
Harriet, Burrill, Giles and Wilson. The 
former is the wife of Peter h'.aton, of Willet. 
Giles Greene is a well-to-do farmer in Illi- 
nois. 

Jabez Johnson came from Vermont, in 
the )'ear 1807, and Phineas Sargent, whose 
native place is unknown, also came the 
same year. Ebenezer Andrews came in 
and located in 1808. He was from Massa- 
chusetts. 

In the year 1809 Joseph Merritt, from , 
Westchester, N. Y. ; Solomon Smith, Dan- 
iel Roberts, from Madison count)', John 
Covert from Windham, Greene county, 
William Greene, from Kent county, R. I., 
Ira Burlingame, from Oxford, Chenango 
county, N. Y., A. Burlingame, from Kent 
county, R. I , and ICdward Nickerson, from 
Cape Cod, all came into the town and set- 
tled in various locations. 

Arnold Thomas from North Kingston, 
Washington count)', R. I., came to the 
town in 1 8 10. Solomon Dodge, from Ver- 
mont, came to Oxford in 181 1, where he 
remained but a short time, and then came 
to this town. 

In the )'ear 1816 Samuel Dyer, from 
North Kingston, R. I., with John and Perry 
Eaton, from Cherry Valley, Samuel and 
Abraham Canfield from Orange county, 
entered and located as pioneers. 

In, the year 1812, the first death in the 
town occurred, it being the wife of Solomon 
Smith, whose settlement we have chronicled. 
The first birth in the town was a child to 
Mr. and Mrs. Flbenezer Crittenden. The 
first marriage was that of Solomon Smith, 
which occurred in 1813. 

The names given above embrace most 
or all of those who made the beginnings of 
civilization in this town and laid the foun- 
dations of its present advancement. Al- 



430 



History of Cortland County. 



though the town is rugged and hilly, there 
are many producti\e and valuable farms in 
it, among which maj- be mentioned those of 
Wilson Greene, Andrew Babcock, Burrill 
Greene, G. M. Landers, Peter Eaton, Fred- 
erick and Austin Moone)'. Morris Deiavan, 
Charles and Ogden Burlingame, Luman B. 
Morey, L. D. Meacham, and doubtless 
others. 

No establishment is more needed bj- tiie i 
pioneers of a wilderness than a grist-mill, 
and it is one of the first manufacturing en- 
terprises started in such regions. It was 
only about ten years after Ebenezer Crit- 
tenden first pitciicd his improvised tent in 
W'illet, when a grist-mill was built by Ben- 
jamin Wilson. It was finished in 1807 or 
1808. He also erected a saw-mill, a card- 
ing works and a distillery. The grist-mill 
and saw-mill stood on opposite sides of the 
creek on lot 57, and were continued in 
operation for fifteen or twenty jears. 
Mr. Wilson also established an ashery in 
the same locality. Goodwin says: "Wilson 
built his mills on the waters of the Otselic, 
in the north part of the town, as may well 
be proved by most of the learned judges, 
lawyers and wearied juries of the county ; 
and of such importance had the building of 
those mills become in the legal movements 
of the human mind, that could they. all be 
written down as were the acts of the apos- 
tles, they might well be called the ' books 
of uncertainty.'" Wilson's mill was the 
mill of the town during the first half of the 
century. His carding machine was oper- 
ated until 1844 or 1845. 

Mr. Wilson also erected a blacksmith 
shop as early as 18 10 or i8i i, and in 1808 
he kept a public house. It will be correctly 
inferred that he was a very active and use- 
ful citizen ; and he was rapidly building up 
a village, having also started a small store. 
But his propert\- finall\- passed into the 
hands of a Mr. Adams, w ho seems not to 



have cared particular!)' about making a bus- 
iness center at this point, and_ allowed the 
budding industries to decline. He con- 
tinued the distillery for a time, but it is 
said that his whisky was not of sufficient 
purity to give it a selling reputation and 
that industry also languished. 

John Fisher built a saw-mill on the Ot- 
selic, in the southwestern part of the town, 
and about the same time Jabez Johnson 
built another on the outlet of Bloody pond, 
in the northwestern part of the town. 
Johnson also had a cloth-dressing estab- 
lishment and a grist-mill, which is now 
known as the Burlingame mill and is 
owned by Wescott Burlingame. It is now 
the only grist-mill in tl\e town. 

Wilson Greene built a saw-mill in 1861, 
on the outlet of Bloody pond, which was 
operated until 1878, when it was abandoned. 
Daniel Edwards now owns one on the same 
stream, a little farther up. 

This town, like many others in the 
county, is particularly well adapted to graz- 
ing ; but it w-as not until 1882 that Julius 
Crittenden erected a cheese factory, which 
is now operated by his son, Frank. He is 
also proprietor of a cheese factory in the 
town of Cincinnatus. 

Thus the town grew and prospered, the 
forests were gradually cleared away and the 
lands brought under a state of culti\ation, 
until the year 1 818. when the town was set 
off from Cincinnatus. as before stated. The 
first town meeting was held at the house of 
Benjamin Wilson, in 18 19. Altitius Bur- 
lingame ofTiciated as moderator, and Wil- 
liam Throop as justice of the peace. The 
following officers were elected for the term 
of one year : — 

Supervisor — William Throop. 

Tow-n clerk — Samuel Dyer. 

Assessors — William Throop, John Ea- 
ton, Benjamin Greene. 

Collector — Joseph Nickerson. 



Town of Wiij.et. 



431 



Overseers of the poor — Altitius Hurlin- 
ganie, Henry Sawdy. 

Commissioners of highways — Benjamin 
T. Greene, John Briggs and Jolin Eaton. 

Commissioners of schools — John Briggs, 
Benjamin T. Greene, Abner Wilbur. 

Constables — Joseph Nickerson, John 
Campbell. 

Commissioners of lands — Benjamin T. 
Greene, Altitius Burlingame, Peter Eaton. 

Inspectors of common schools — W. 
Throop, Orlando Salisbury, John Corbett, 
Anson T. Burt, Bickncll Freeman, Samuel 
Dyer. 

Sealer of weights and measures — Alti- 
tius Burlingame. 

An incident occurred in the town about 
this time which cast a gloom over the com- 
munit}'. It is thus described b\- Goodwin : 

"Arnold Thomas and his much-esteemed 
wife were drowned in the Otselic river, at or 
near the termination of the o.\•-bow^ Mrs. 
Thomas was a sister of Altitius Burlingame. 
They were endeavoring to cross the river on 
an illy constructed raft, with a design to at- 
tend a prayer meeting. Miss Hannah 
Corpse, Nelly Miller and Mr. Burlingame 
were in company w^ith the unfortunate 
couple. Mr. Burlingame, being an excellent 
swimmer, succeeded in saving himself and 
the two young ladies. The bodies of Mr. 
Thomas and his wife were recovered from 
the w-ater)' element and now repose in one 
grave, sacred to their memory, in Mr, Burl- 
ingame's orchard." 

The first school-house was erected in the 
town in 18 14, but it is not known who was 
the first teacher. The business center, as 
before intimated, was on lot 58, where it 
continued to be until the enterprising John 
S. Dyer came to the front and established 
a store where the village of Willct is now 
located. This was in the year 1834; in 
1837 he started another store, and a third 
one in 1848. He also erected the tavern. 



which has since been considerably enlarged. 
Mr. Dyer afterward formed a partnership 
with Chauncey Bean, under the firm name 
of Dyer, Bean & Co. 

Samuel Dyer, father of John S., was the 
first postmaster in Willet, in 1823. 

The first store, established by John S. 
Dyer, is now conducted b\- C. P. McVean. 

Samuel C. Dyer, successor to Elbert J. 
Dyer, is also a merchant in the village. The 
others now trading there are David A. 
Wiles, who carries on a general store, and 
Walter H'orshce, who has a hardware estab- 
lishment. 

Henr\- Wiles, a native of Otsego count)-, 
born January 3d, 1805, first migrated to 
Cincinnatus with his father, Adam. In 
1852 he removed to Willet, where he was 
in mercantile trade until his death in 1871. 
His son's store is now on the site of the 
former one which was burned in 1864. 
Rhoda M. Wiles, daughter of Henry, is the 
wife of Wilson Greene. 

William Dellovv came to Willet in 1857, 
bought a vacant lot and erected a shop in 
which he carried on the manufacture of 
furniture for sixteen years. At the same 
time Mr. Dellow began business, John S. 
Dyer, Geo. B. Morgan and Henry Wiles 
were the merchants in the place. Adam 
Seaber succeeded Morgan ; then the firm 
was Seaber & Weld, then E. J. Dyer, and 
the store is now conducted by A. Dyer.^ 

The first hotel in the town was kept by 
Benjamin Wilson. The first in the village 
was kept by John S. Dyer, who continued 
in the business fro.m 1832 to 1842. The 
propert)- was then rented for a period of 
about twenty years, during which there were 
nimierous changes, which need not be fol- 
lowed. In 1853 it was sold to Asa Can- 
field, who remained for a time, as did also 

1 It is the opinion of Wilson Greene that the first goods 
sold in the town were brought in by a traveling salesman, 
who opened them in n room in Samuel Dyer's house. 



43 : 



History of Cortland County. 



William Canfield. The hotel is now con- 
ducted bj' Frank Smith, who makes it a 
po])iilar phice. 

There are in the \ilia^e a reasonable 
number of skillful mechanics. George Mo- 
ses was probably the first blacksmith in the 
village. J. McMinn and Silas Leroy are 
now engaged in this business. Walter For- 
shee has a tin shop. William (iardner is 
the harness maker, and Joseph L. Hawley, 
shoemaker. Chas. Genson and Chas. Finn 
are the wagon- makers. 

Churches — The Methodists have been 
earnestly engaged in religious work in this 
town since asearh-as 1815 or 18 16. Their 
number has, however, always been small. 

The Baptist Church was organized in 
1821, and the Congregationalist in 1852. 
The latter had but few members and has 
been abandoned for some time. The Bap- 
tist Society continues, but with a limited 
membership. 

Willet was not behind her sister towns 
in ofFerintr men and means to aid the gov- 
ernment in putting down the Southern 
Rebellion. The quotas were filled under 
the different calls as shown by the following 
list : — 

Call of October 17th, 1863. Bounty, 
$300. Total, $3,900. — Freeman T. Wil- 
lard, Silas Adams, Valentine Babcock, Os- 
car Seymour, John Potter, John E. Vos- 
burgh, Frank Minter, Joseph Quick, Daniel 
Farmane, Charles L. Tarbox, Lyman Joy- 
ner, Patrick Condon, Edward Condon. 

Call of July i8th, 1864. Bounty, $1,000. 
Total, $22,000. Brokerage, $550 . — Rob- 
ert Wilson, Charles R. Brown, Theodore 
H. Fitch, William B. R. Gritman, Abram 
S. Holland, William H. Jones, Ex-erett S. 
Johnson, George M. Kinney, Uriah Loomis, 
George Loomis, Ephraim Loomis, Charles 
W. Robinson, George H. Slack, William A. 
Smith, Frederick A. Skillman, William 
Taylor, Myron Wooster, John A. Winchel, 



Roderick Wilber, Thomas Torry, James W. 
Ostrander, O. F. Pickney. 

Call of December 19th, 1864. Bount}-, 
$600. Total, $1,800. Brokerage, $15. — 
S. Wetmorc, William J. Hedge, William 
Martin. 

Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quiUa, 
calls October ijth, 1863, ]-"ebruary and 
March, 1864, $3,900. Paid for quotal call, 
July 18th, 1864, $22,550. Paid for filling 
quota, call December, 19th, 1864, $1,815. 
Grand total, $28,265. 

We gi\e below a list of the supervisors 
of Willet from the year 1834 to the present 
time: John S. Dyer, 1834 to 1839, in- 
clusive; Geo. Isaacs, 1840; \N . A. Coc, 
1841—42; Benjamin T. Green, 1843; Jo- 
seph P. West, 1844 ; Joseph Greene ; 1845- 
46; Stephen Adams, 1847; Silas Court- 
ney, 1848; Lewis Mooney, 1849; Silas 
Courtnc)-, 1850-51 ; John S. D}er, 1852- 
53; BurriU Greene, 1854; John S. D)-er, 
1855; John Miller, 1856; John S. Dyer, 
1857-58; W^m. R. Coles, 1859; John D, 
Greene, i860; Benjamin S. Coe, 1861—62; 
John S. Dyer, 1863 ; Benjamin S. Coe, 
1864-65; O. C. Hall, 1866-67; E. F. 
Nichols, 1868 to 1870, inclusive; Ogden 
Burlingame. 1871-72; Chas. D. Bowen, 
1873; S. C. D)'er, 1874-75; O. Burlin- 
game, 1876; W. Greene, 1877 to 1884, in- 
clusive. 

F"ollowing are the present officers of the 
town of Willet (1884):— 

Supervisor — Wilson Greene. 

Town clerk — Joseph L. Hawley. 

lustices — Jefferson Green, John D. Coe, 
Wm. E. Bailey, Geo. B. Landers. 

Commissioner of highways — ^eo. Talbot. 

Assessors — Samuel C. Dyer, Almon 
Talbot, Wilber J. Delevan. 

Overseer of the poor — Elijah Tennant. 

Excise commissioners — Calvin Bliss, 
Milton Glovers, Marcellus Landers. 

Game constable — Davton Conrad. 



Town of Harford. 



433 



Constables — Coriell Katon. Milttus 
Hotchkiss, Jackson McMinn, Win. C. Stern- 
berg. 



Collector — Coriell Eaton. 
Inspectors of election — Horace Tiffanj-, 
.\ddison Whitmorc, Adclbert Babcock. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 



HI.STORV OF I'HE TO\V.\ OK H.ARFORI). 



THE town of Harford comprises the 
southwestern quarter of the original 
militar}' township of Virgil, (No. 244) of 
the military tract, and is now the extreme 
southwestern town in the count)'. It is 
bounded on the north by Virgil ; on the 
east b\' Lapeer ; on the south by Tioga 
count)' and on the west by Tompkins 
county. rhe tow n was not organized until 
May 2d, 1845, and consequentl)' mucli of 
its early history is identified with that of 
Virgil, in preceding pages. 

The surface of the town consists of high 
broken and rugged uplands rising from 500 
to 700 feet above the intervening valleys, 
and from 1500 to 1700 feet above tide wa- 
ter. The Owego hills in the central part 
of the town constitute the most elevated por- 
tion. The declivities are generally steep 
and often rocky, and most of the hilly sum- 
mits are still crowned with heavy forests. 
The town is watered by small, clear brooks 
which arc fed b)' springs, the largest stream 
being what is commonly called Owego 
creek, which runs southward through the 
central part of the town. The soil of the 
town is a sandy, gravelly loam, of moderate 
productive capacity and better adapted to 
grazing than to grain-raising. 

Harford is, with one exception, the small- 
est to\\ n in the county, its acreage being 
but 519 more than that of Preble, which is 
the smallest town. Harford has 14,612 
acres. 

Settlement in this town was more back- 



ward than in most other sections of the 
county, and the clearing and impro\ement 
of the more remote and hilly portions pro- 
portionatel)- retarded. Even at the present 
time lumbering is an industr)' of consider- 
able importance to the town. 

Dorastus De Wolf was the first settler in 
the town and located, in 1803, o" 3 farm 
west of the \illage on the hill, now owned 
by Norton L. Brown. He subsequent!)- 
moved into a small frame house which stood 
on the road north of the village near the 
corners. Putnam De Wolf, a brother of Do- 
rastus, settled in the town not long after- 
ward and near his brother. 

The forests with which the town was then 
covered abounded in wild game. W'olves 
were very numerous and it was near the 
end of the first quarter of the centur)- be- 
fore the few settlers could leave their sheep 
unprotected at night, confident of finding 
them safe the next morning. The woods 
were traversed b)' numerous d^x'r, which 
were often seen in droves ; bears were 
plentiful and an occasional elk was seen in 
the secluded valleys. 

Josiah Brown was one of the early set- 
tlers of Harford, coming in from Chenango 
county during the progress of the War of 
181 2. He settled a little north of Harford 
\-illage on the farm where Homer Brown 
now lives, and which is owned by Dexter 
Brown, of Marathon. Morris Brown came 
in with his father, Josiah, and married 
Matilda Holden, daughter of Benjamin 



434 



l-llSTORY OF CORTLAXI) CoUNTV. 



Holdcn, who settlcti in t!ic tnwn at about 
the same time with Mr. Brow'ii ; lie came 
from tlic State of Maine and located about 
a mile southwest of the village, on the farm 
now occupied b\- Solomon Roj^crs Hcnja- 
min Holden was the grandfather of Samuel 
Holden, now a merchant in Harford. Lu- 
ther Holden, another grandson, now owns 
the Heaton farm and lives there. After 
the marriage of Morris Hrown and Matilda 
I lolden, the\- settled on the farm where 
Mrs, Brown still li\es, and where hei' hus- 
band died ill March, 1883, about .1 mile 
north of the village ; there they resided 
permanently for nearly seventy years. 

Mrs. Brown's niemory of early settle- 
ments in the town is .still remarkably clear, 
and we are indebted to her for details of 
the progress of settlement at the date of 
her arrival, wliich was as earl\- as 1815 and 
probabl)- a year or two earlier. 

Jacob Hemingway was then in the town 
and lived where the hotel now stands, which 
he built in about the vear 1820. 

Of the settlers who had followed Ue Wolf 
into the town before the year 1815, Mrs. 
Brown gives us the names and locations of 
the following: Josiah Hart, father of Josiah 
Hart, of Cortland \illage, settled on the 
place in the \illage now owned by Alanson 
Burlingame and built the old red house 
which still stands there. 

Lemuel Barnes located on the Slaterx ille j 
road about a mile west of the \-illage. He | 
was grandfather of George and Eli Barnes, 
who still li\e in the town. 

Barnev Norwood and George Cooley 
were both here before 1815. The former 
was the father of I'hilip Norwood and set- 
tled where he lived until recently, and the 
latter located in the village ab(jut opposite 
where the old hotel stands. 

Calvin Totman settled on what was long 
known as " Chicken Point," where he kept 
the first store in town It was a small affair 



and its existence has been forgotten by 
most t)f the old inhabitants. Philip Hard- 
enburg is of the opinion that Totman sold 
goods in the \'illage, or on the site of the 
village, for a short time before locating at 
" Chicken Point." 

Levi Moore settled in the town early and 
lived where Mrs. Harriet Moore now re- 
sides ; she is a widow of Le\i's son. Levi 
Moore kept a ta\ern on this corner, which 
was the first on the site of the village and 
one of the earliest in the tow 11. 

Enoch Allen ami Chas. (iraxes were in 
the town before ]8i5 and kept taverns, one 
on each side of the road near the site of 
the Nathan Heaton house. Allen shot 
himself subsequentlv in his own house. 

Nathan Heaton settled on the site of 
Harford Mills before 1815 and built the 
grist-mill at lliat point before the year 
i8jo. Warren Hart ami Richard Collins 
were located lure at the same time. The 
latter li\ cd where Hiram Wilcox now re- 
sides. .\ saw-mill was built beside the 
grist-mill at I lartord Mills about the same 
time that the grist-mill was erected ; but we 
ha\e not leariud b_v wlmm. Colf)iiel Hem- 
ingway built a saw-mill at Chicken Point at 
an early da\' and Tisdale Jones built an- 
other a little farther u]i the stream, while 
Josiah Hart built a third one still farther up. 
These niilN w i.re in operation as early as 
about 1 S44 riiey are all now abandoned. 

Samuel L'msby settled before 1815 on 
what is known as the Beard place, which 
he ownetl and where he built a distillery 
not long after 1820. Another earl\- distiil- 
er\- stood about on the site of the cheese 
factor\-, which was operated b_\' .\aron lien- 
edict. An asher\' stood near it, which was 
managed b\- Theodore Hart 

Israel (iraves and Da\id Crosby were 
here before 1815. Graxes lived at Chicken 
Point and Crosby where Robert Purvis 
now resides. 



Town of Harford. 



435 



John Straight settled where Hallock Mar- 
tin lives, a mile and a half from the village, 
before 1815. It is said that he owned three 
square miles of land at <Mie time ; but be- 
came a too stead)- patron of the distillery 
and finally lost all of his property. 

Gordon Hurlingame was an early settler 
on the farm now owned and occupied by 
his grandson, Allen W. Tyler, his father, 
Jeremiah Tyler, of Virgil Corners, having 
married Mr. Burlingame's daughter. The 
brick house now on the farm was built by 
Mr. Burlingame in 1828, the brick having 
been made on the farm near the barns. 
There were other brick yards in the town 
at an early da)-, which accounts for the 
number of substantial brick houses in ditifer- 
ent localities. 

Lorenzo Totman, a brother of the first 
merchant, settled before 1815, about four 
miles east of the village on the road leading- 
to Marathon. His father lived on that farm 
and must have been one of the earliest 
settlers. 

Daniel Allen was in the town before 1815 
and built one of the first grist-mills in the 
town, near where Sealer Jackson subse- 
quentl)' li\^ed, about half a mile east of Har- 
ford Mills. 

Stephen Cross settled in the town before 
1 81 5 and located on land now- owned by- 
John Valentine. He was from Chenango 
county. Mr Cross built the brick house 
now occupied b\- Mr. Valentine. His 
son, Marvin, now of Brooklyn, built the 
old wooden house now occupied b)- Otis 
Clark, and kept house there for the first 
time. He soon afterward mo\-ed to Brook- 
lyn and has become wealth)- in the lumber 
business. Gu)- Barnes, a son of Lemuel, 
before mentioned, was an early resident 
about half a mile west of Harford village, on 
the S!ater\'ille road, where Spencer Seaman 
now lives. John Moss was another early 
settler in that \'icinit)-. 



Nathan Heaton, Theodore E. Hart, Levi 
Moore and Seth Stevens were among other 
early settlers in the town. The Graves 
family and the C"rosb\s came in about the 
year 18 14. 

Benjamin Holden, a native of Massachu- 
setts, removed from the State of Maine to 
Harford in 18 16, and located on land now- 
owned by Milo Day. He died in 1842. 
His daughter, Betsey- B., now the wife of 
Dexter Brown, of Marathon, was six months 
old when her parents left Massachusetts and 
three vears old when the)- came to Har- 
ford. Dexter Brown was born in Harford 
in 1 8 16, was married in 1839 and remo\'ed 
to Marathon in 1876. Until that time he 
residetl constantl)- on the farm where he 
was born and which he still owns. His 
father, Josiah Brown, died in i860, at the 
age of ninet)--one years. 

Henry Ballard was one of the compara- 
tivel)- early settlers and died in the tow-n in 
1853. having attained the gre.it age of 109 
years. 

This town is more fortunate than some 
others in the county, which might otherwise, 
perhaps, have left it behind in matters of 
prosperity, in the fact of its having ample 
railroad communication o\-er the Southern 
Central, with Auburn on the nortl-|, con- 
necting with the New- York Central, and 
Owego on the south, where it connects with 
the New York, Lake Erie and Western. 
In the year 1852 a companj- was organized 
under the name of the Lake Ontario, Au- 
burn and New York Railroad Company, 
with a capital stock of $1 ,500,000. 

A route running from Fair Haven on the 
north to Pugsley's Station jon the south was 
established and much of the right of wax- 
secured. .A.bout $375,000 was spent on 
grading, when the company collapsed. In 
1853 another company was organized and 
$450,000 was spent in grading between the 
lake and Weedsport. Operations on the 



436 



History or Cortland Colxtv. 



enterprise were sus])ende(l willi the break- 
ing out of till- Rebellion ; but in 1865 the 
eonipan)- was reorganized and the route 
ciumged to its present course. The road 
was comi)leted antl trains began lunning in 
I 869, when the Owego vallc)- through the 
town of Harford echoed with the shriek of 
the steam whistle. The inhabitants of the 
town full)' ajjprcciated the importance of 
this improx'enient and celebrated the event 
in a joyful manner. The railroad lias been 
of vast benefit to the tow n and shipments 
of produce and lumber from the stations at 
Harford and Harford Mills ha\e been large. 

Kbenezer Burgess came from the State 
of Maine with the Hniwn famil\- in 1813, 
and located east of the village, on lands 
now owned by Henry Wavle. In the fol- 
lowing year, as stated bj- Erving Taintor, 
who is connected with the family b\ mar- 
riage, Mr. Burgess bought the apple trees 
and pear trees that are now standing on the 
old place. The trees were bought of lohn 
Straight (elsewhere alluded to), w^ho then 
had a nursery. 

Asel Sexton, father of Ransom Sexton, 
settled in 1814 on the ])remises now occu- 
pied by Miss Moore in Harford village. 
Ransom was born in i 8 1 3 and came to Har- 
ford Mills about twenty-five years ago. 

The late Lansing Hay settled in Harford 
in December, 1826, locating on the farm 
now occupied by Henr}- Bnyce. He was 
then twentv years old. Mr. Ha\- became 
one of the leading farmers of the town. 
One of his daughters is the wife of H. C. 
Gray of Harford Mills : another is the wife 
of Ransom Jennings; another lives at Har- 
ford Mills, and his son. I.. ]•'. I lav. is a mer- 
chant of Harford Mills. 

Following is a list of the brave sons of 
Harford who went forth at the call of their 
country, with the amounts paid them as 
bounties, under the different calls of the 
government for troops: — 



Call of October 17th, 1863. Bounty 
paid, $300. Total, $6,900. — James Hyde, 
Alexander Xetif, Otis C. Clark, Isaac E. 
Keech, Squire Morton, Emery \V. Smith, 
Prentis Elliott, Josephus Haskell, Manville 
P. Teed, Hallet Shepard, David Douglass, 
Samuel I. Hulslander, Joseph Neff, George 
VV. Lason, Rutger B. Marsh, Miles R. Fos- 
ter, S)'l\'ester M. Foster, Taylor Maricle, 
Hugh Caton, Rile\' D. Sheppard, Cornelius 
Morrison, Halsey I,. Leonard, Francis L. 
Sheppard. 

Call of Jul)- ivSth. 1864. Bount)- paid, 
$1,000, except $700 to one, and $500 to 
one. Total buunt\', $14,200. Total brok- 
erage, $465. — Ciilbert James, Isaac Hultz, 
James Matterson, .Alexander Ogden, Xel- 
son Thompson, James R\'an, Thomas Ryan, 
Henr\- .\dams, Erastus Babcock, Asahel 
Tillotsiin, Benjamin II. Decker, Alonzo 
Perry, William II. Tarbox, Robert P. Ho])- 
kins, Patrick Dunn, H. D. Goddard. 

Call (if December 19th, 1864. Bount\- 
paid, $600, except $500 to one. Total, 
$5,300. Bri)kerage, $135. — Ale.xander 
Dalziel. Cliarles H. Chichester. Frederick 
J. Turner. Inhn Gregor\-. Thomas Swift, 
George Silas, James Callaghan, Charles H. 
Bennett. Thomas Miller. 

Recapitulation. — I'aiti for filling quotas, 
calls of October 17th, I 863, February, 1864, 
March, 1864, $6,900. Paid for filling quota, 
call Jul\- iSth, 1864, $14,575. •'■'''^ fo'' 
filling quota, call December 19th, 1864. 
$5,435. (Hand total, $26,910. 

Following is a list of the superx'isors and 
town clerks of Harford from its organiza- 
tion to the present time, with the e.xcep- 
tion of the _\ ear 1851, of which there is no 
record available. The name of the super- 
visor appears first in each instance : Josiah 
Hart, Oreii M. Moore. 1 846 ; Alanson 
Burlingamc, Oren M. Moore, 1847-48; 
David Da\is, Oren M. Moore, 1849; A. F. 
Delavergne. .\lfred A. Jones. 1850; Jo- 



Town of Harford. 



437 



siah Rood, VVm. Lincoln, 1852; Josiah 
Rood, J. H. Knapp, 1853 ; J. H. Knapp, 
A. Burlingamc, 1854; J.. \V. Rood, Jas. P. 
Smith, 1855: Krvini; Taintor, S. W. Nel- 
son, 1856-57; J. J. iM-eer, S. W, Nelson, 
1858; J. H. Knapp, James Heath, 1859; 
J. H. Knapp, W'm. Vorhees, i86o; S. W. 
Nelson, Daniel H. Miller, 1861-62; Rob- 
ert Purvis, Homer J. Brown, 1863 ; Erving 
Taintor, Homer J. Bro^\■n, 1864; Ervinij 
Taintor, H. F. Jones, 1865; Erving Fain- 
tor, D. H. Miller, 1866-67; S. H. Steele, 
L. W. Tanner, 1868-69; S. H. Steele, H. 
J. Brown, 1870; S. H. Steele, L. \V. Tan- 
ner, 1871 ; W. J. Baker, L. \V. Tanner, 
1872; S. H. Steele, M. S. Da\-. 1873-74; 
S. H. Steele, L. W. Tanner, 1875 ; S. H. 
Steele, A. W. r\ler, 1876; S. H. Steele, 
L. W. Tanner, 1877; S. H. Steele, B. F, 
Silsbee, 1878; S. H. Steele, J. C. Ed- 
munds, 1879-80; A. W. Clinton, J. C. 
Edmunds, 1881 ; A. W. Clinton. H. T. 
Bushncll, 1882; H. C. Gray, G. A. Wavle, 
1883; H. T. Bushnell, C. A. Sessions, 

1884. 

In 1849 l^avid Davis, and in 1859, J. H. 
Knapp were app(~iinted b\- the board, the 
vote being a tie. 

The officers of the town of Harford for 
the year 1884 are as follows : — 

Supervisor — H. T. Bushnell. 

Town clerk — C. A. Sessions. 

Justices of the peace — M. S. Day, E. J. 
Holdridge, A. W. Brown, R. Blodgett. 

Assessors — A. W. Tyler, John Mc- 
Pherson, Sherman Morse. 

Overseers of the poor — Philo A. John- 
son, George R. Wilcox. 

Collector — Willis Johnson. 

Constables — Edwin Dawson, John C. 
Edmunds, Charles Lang, Smith Allen. 

Inspectors of election — Henr)- D. Bris- 
tol, E. Phelps Corbin, Jerome Maricle. 

Sealer of weights and measures — John 
K Miller. 



HARFORD VILLAGE. 

The village of Harford is a pretty hamlet 
in the southwestern part of the town, and 
contains two churches, three stores, two ho- 
tels, several shops and about forty dwell- 
ings. It is situated towards the northern 
limits of what was known many years ago 
as "Virgil Flats." The first settlements on 
the site of the village have already been 
detailed, and it remains onh- to notice the 
business places, etc. It is said that Calvin 
Totman was the first merchant here, but 
removed his goods at a subsequent date to 
" Chicken Point." Theodore Hart began 
selling goods here before 1830, where the 
school-house now stands. Mr. Hart was 
the first postmaster in 1825-26, the \'illage 
being then called Worthington. It was 
soon, however, changed to its present name. 
Henr)- Lyman succeeded Mr. Hart as a 
merchant, in the same building, for about 
two years, and failed. His place was taken 
by Royce & Stevens. This store was 
burned about the year 1849. 

In the mean time Samuel Hart built the 
original store on the site now occupied by 
Holden & Bushnell. Hart was succeeded 
by Smith & Tjler, and they by Samuel R. 
Griffin about 1854. He died and his son- 
in-law, Samuel W. Winston, closed up the 
estate. The store stood empty for a time 
when it was leased in 1875 by H. T. Bush- 
nell, who conducted it for three years. 
The building was then bought by Mr. Hol- 
den, who rebuilt and added to it. Mr. 
Bushnell, who had been away for one year, 
returned in 1880, since which time the firm 
has been doing a good business as Holden 
& Bushnell. 

When Mr. Bushnell first came to Har- 
ford in 1872, he began mercantile business 
with J. C. Stewart, in the Southern Central 
building. The)- were succeeded by the 
present proprietors, R. J. Barnard & Son. 



438 



History of Cortland County. 



In 1878 the firm of Edmunds & Abels 
opened a meat market in the old Presbyte- 
rian conference room. After about a year 
L\'man Austin bought out Abels. The 
new firm continued there about two years 
when they added groceries to their business 
and removed to their present location in the 
old hotel. This store was formerly occu- 
pied by Tjlcr & Holden. Tyler's interest 
was subsequently purchased by L. C. Ball, 
about 1870. The partners divided the 
business in 1873, Mr. Holden going out; 
Johnson & Tyler continued together in that 
location until 1880. 

Hotels. — The first hotel in the village 
was kept b)' Levi Moore, where the Widow 
Moore lives. Jacob Hemingway built the 
first installment of the old hotel now stand- 
ing, about 1820. Or\ille Hart bought the 
house in 1838 and in turn sold it to a man 
named Bradle}-, who was also a tailor and 
worked at that business in a room of the 
house. A year or two later he sold to a 
Mr. McWhorter, who was succeeded about 
two )ears later b>' Samson & Terpening. 
The latter remained in the firm one year 
and Mr. Samson kept the house three years 
longer. Then Philip Hardenburg took the 
property (1856) and owned and managed 
the house until 1873, when he sold it to M. 
W. Hotchkiss. He sold it to James Joy- 
ner, who still keeps it. 

In 1 87 1, soon after the completion of the 
railroad, the brilliant anticipations of the 
inhabitants of Harford village as to the fut- 
ure of the place, led twenty-two of their 
number to form a stock companj- for the 
erection of a large hotel near the railroad 
station. This resulted in the building of 
the Southern Central House, a large and 
handsome three-story structure, costing 
more than $12,000. As is too often the 
case under such circumstances, the invest- 
ment proved an unfortunate one. The 
house was opened by Chas. B. Ellis, but it 



has never proved a source of much profit, 
and has since changed hands several times, 
having been kept by C. Shafer, Capt. Sig- 
ner, Fred Rainsford, M. VV. Hotchkiss and 
now b}' John Stewart. 

Blacksmiths. — Seneca Howard was the 
earliest blacksmith in the village of whom 
we have any information. He was here as 
early as 1830 ; his shop stood near the site 
of the present hotel barn. He was suc- 
ceeded by Fay Royce, and he by M. B. 
Williams, who built his shop on the Burlin- 
game place about the year 1842. Nathan- 
iel Austin and Teal Hackett were in the 
business later. Wesley Main now carries 
on the business, and I'rank Maricle occu- 
pies a shop built by Mr. Hardenburg. 
Chas. Leonard began in the business in 1 880. 

Warner Stratton was a wagon maker 
where Burt Sessions li\-es about the )-ear 
1842. Nathaniel Tompkins was located in 
that business soon afterward in the old two 
story building standing near the bridge. 
Abram Banker was in the .same building 
later. George Guire and Frank Maricle are 
now engaged in the business. 

Churches. — The old Union Church was 
erected in the year 1835 by all the Chris- 
tians in the vicinity, the Unixersalists being 
prominent in the work. This was consid- 
ered quite an event and most of the men in 
the communit}' turned out to the "raising." 
The omnipresent whisk)' jug was there and 
circulated, as was the custom during that 
period at all similar undertakings. It is 
said that the late Lansing Haj- mounted the 
top timber of the spire after the frame was 
up, swung the jug aloft and christened the 
building " The Union Church of Virgil 
Flats." The structure has since been re- 
built and passed into the control of the 
Presbyterian denomination, and later has 
become Congregational. The society has 
been weak for some years and there is no 
settled pastor at the present time. 



Town of Harford. 



439 



The Methodist Church was built about 
the year 1858, and was rebuilt in 1882. 
Rev. Mr. Legg is pastor at the present 
time. 

The first cheese facturx- was built nn tlie 
site of the present factory about the year 
1874, by D. B. Marsh. He operated it 
about two years when he failed and the fac 
tor\- was soon afterward burned. The new- 
factor}- was built by Cornelius Schernier- 
horn some eight years since. He conducted 
it until 1SS4, when lie sold it to John Bhi- 
mers. It is now operated for the manu- 
facture of several different kinds of fine 
cheese and first-class butter, wiiich is sold 
in New York. 

The first iiost-olifice was established at 
Harford in about the year 1826, under the 
name of " Worthington," which was subse- 
quently changed to its present name. The- 
odore Hart was the first postmaster. .Sam- 
uel Nelson had charge of the office for a long 
period, but in just what \-cars we arc not 
informed. He was succeeded by L. C. 
Ball and the office was taken in June, 1874, 
by Samuel L. Holden. 

Physicians. — The names of Drs, Fox, 
(^wen, Terry, Houghtaling, Davis and Ship- 
man ha\e been given us as among the earl)- 
physicians of Harford. Dr. Terry was here 
in 1832. Dr. Ellis was in the town as earl)- 
as 1820 and lived where Worden Tarbox 
now resides. These physicians practiced in 
the town during periods of different lengths, 
and were followed by Dr. J. H. Knapp. 
Dr. Knapp became a member of the County 
Medical Society in 1858, and was elected 
its president in 1861 and again in 1867. 
He is a man o( more than ordinary promi- 
nence in the profession and has a large prac- 
tice. 

Dr. v.. A. Allen is a graduate of the New- 
York Eclectic Medical College in 1879, and 
came to Harford in 1880. He is a member 
of the Central New York Medical Asso- 



ciation and practices in the homeopathic 
school. 

The first school in the town was taught 
by Betsey Curran in the winter of 1806-07, 
in the house afterwards occupied by Abner 
Rounsville. The first school-house in the 
village of Harford was built probably as 
earl)- as 1 820 and stood near the site of the 
cheese factory ; the next was located on the 
site of the present school-house, but has 
been rebuilt and otherwise greatly im- 
proved. .An excellent school is now kept 
there. 

The steam saw-mill of A. 1). & I. D. 
Hemingway was built in 1 S6j. It has since 
passed into possession (if H. \V. Bradley, 
w-ho now owns it and rims it a part of the 
time. Since the forests have been mostly 
cleared away, such mills find less and less to 
feed them. 

II.VRFORI) Mil LS. 

This is a hamlet situated about one and 
a half miles south of Harford \-illage, on 
the line of the Southern Central Railroad, and 
contains tw-o stores, a church, a hotel, a steam 
saw-mill, a grist-mill, several shops and 
about thirt)- dwellings. Settlements on the 
site of the hamlet were made a little later 
than in the vicinit\- of Harford village and 
at what was called '■ Chicken Point." A 
post-office was established here about the 
year 1 866, with David Wilcox as postmas- 
ter ; it was then called South Harford, but 
w-as subsequently given its present name. 

Since the railroad was completed this has 
been a prominent shipping point for lum- 
ber, shingles, posts, etc., and the inhabi- 
tants shared to some extent the bright an- 
ticipations of their neighbors as to the future 
of the place, leading to the erection of the 
large hotel, the Owego Valley House, and 
other buildings which were, perhaps, be- 
\-ond the demands of the place. 

A grist-mill was built at Harford .Mills 



440 



History of Cortland County. 



about 1820, by Nathan Heaton, which 
stood near the site of the present mill. The 
old mill \\as afterward used as a shed for 
the present mill, which was built by John 
C. Davis in 1841. It has since been re- 
built and improved at different times and 
changed hands a good man}- times ; it is 
now owned by Simon Seaman and leased 
by the Myers brothers. 

Another grist-mill was built previous to 
the erection of the Heaton mill, but the 
date of its completion is not available. It 
was built by a man named Clapp on Michi- 
gan creek, a little way from the corners of 
the cast and west road. He made his dam 
b\' placing a log across the channel from 
the rocks on either side, driving down posts 
and then planked it up perpendicularly. 
The consequence of this mistaken engineer- 
ing method was that the bottom of the 
dam swung outward with the pressure of 
the water above, and the dam hung like a 
gate to the log across the gulf Clapp did 
not operate the mill after this calamity. 

Simeon R. Griffin built the first steam 
saw-mill at Harford Mills near the corners 
of the road leading to Marathon, in 1861- 
62. He sold it to Perrigo & Fields about 
the year 1 867 ; they operated it about four 
years, when it was transferred to Coots & 
Lytle. The latter ran it alone a year or 
two and failed. The assignee sold the 
property to R. W. Clinton, who moved it 
near to the railroad station and rebuilt it in 
1874. It was burned down in 1880 and 
rebuilt in its present form. 

In the same year that he erected the mill 
Mr. Clinton built the store building now 
occupied by Clintons & Chappuys. Clin- 
tons & Bristol, Clintons & Clark and Clin- 
tons & Elwell conducted the store before 
the present firm was formed. 

The first store at Harford Mills was 
built by Charles Baker. The building is 
now occupied as a residence by the Widow 



Hazen. The store was kept there succes- 
sively by Elisha Hart, P. L. Hardenburg, 
Mr. Burghart, W. J. Baker, who was there 
in 1870 and was closed up; Geo. Peters, 
who also closed out his business, and finally 
by Carrie Tarbox. No store has been 
open there for about seven years. 

L. E. Hay began business in his present 
location in 1870, having erected the build- 
ing. He has done a large business since 
that time in selling goods, buying and 
shipping produce, etc. 

The hotel was built in 1870 by George 
W. Griggs. He was succeeded by Capt. 
Signor, John Hammond. Griggs & Kincaid, 
Kincaid alone, George Saltsman, O. M. 
Sears & Son and Henr\- \\'a\le, who is the 
present proprietor. 

Solomon Smedley was one of the earliest 
blacksmiths at Harford Mills. A man 
named Rowley then began the business 
and Chauncey Crum opened a shop about 
fort}^ years ago. He was located where ~> 
Damon Miller has carried on the business 
for nearly thirty years. Chester Johnson 
also had the shop at that point for a time. 
Eron Hackett and Lewis Rood, with Mr. 
Miller, are the present blacksmiths. 

Chas. \V. Harrington is the first harness- 
maker in the place, having occupied his 
present location since 1865. 

William Hammond is the present wagon 
maker and A. W. Brown does repairing in 
the same line. 

The postmasters of the place since Da- 
vid Wilcox ha\e been W. J. Baker, George 
Frank, A. W. Clinton and the present in- 
cumbent of the office, A. Clinton. 

Churches. — Meetings have been held at 
Harford Mills since an early day, in private 
houses, school-houses, etc., by the Christian 
denomination and the Methodists. Among 
those who have ministered to the people 
have been Elders Wade, Edward Tyler, 
Fletcher and Austin Damon, who is the 



Town of Lapeer. 



441 



present pastor. Methodist services have direction of H. C. Gray. The property 

been conducted by ministers from Harford had to be sold subsequently on a mortgage 

at different times. The handsome little and was purchased by eight of the leading 

church uas built by a union of the Chris- men of the place, who give the use of it for 

tians in the vicinity in 1872, chiefly under religious purposes. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



mSiUKV OF THE TOW.V OF l..\l'Kl::i<. 



THIS town embraces the southeastern 
corner of the original township of Vir- 
i.;il, and was not organized until the 2d of 
Ma\', 1845. It lies upon the high ridges 
that rise west of the Tioughnioga ri\'er, and 
is upon the southern border of the county, 
just west of the center. It is bounded on 
the north by Virgil ; on the east by Mara- 
thon ; on the south by Broome and Tioga 
counties, and on the west by Harford. 

The surface of the town is, for the most 
part, hilly and rugged. The declivities of 
the hills bordering upon the river are pre- 
cipitous. Luce Hill, in the northwestern 
part of the town, is the highest point, rising 
from 1600 to 1700 feet above tide. The 
hills are laterall)- cut by narrow ravines 
worn by small streams. Fall creek runs 
through the town, and upon this stream, 
near the southern border of the town, is 
Hunt's falls, a beautiful cascade fift)' or 
sixty feet in height. The soil of the town 
is a sandy, gravelly loam. 

The first settlement in Lapeer was made 
by a colored man named Primus Grant ; he 
purchased on lot 594, and settled on it in 
1799. He was a native of Guinea, and the 
farm on which he lived long bore that name. 
He died there and was buried on one of the 
1ii_l;1i blulTs which overlook the stream known 
as the Big brook. The Grant farm is now 
owned by Orlando Jennings. 

Peter Gra)-, a nati\e of Fishkill, Duchess 



county, was the first white settler in the 
town. He came from Ulster (Sullivan) 
count)- in Jul}', 1.S02, and located on lot 
70. His son, Ogden Gray, afterward lived 
on the farm, which is now occupied b\- a 
}ounger Peter Gra\-. He left a respectable 
faniil_\- of children, the \-oungest of whom 
became the wife of Dan C. Squires ; she is 
now dead. 

Ill the \-ear 1803 Seth Jennings settled 
on lot 597, where he remained until his 
death; he was from Connecticut. His son, 
j Harry Jennings, lived in Harford where he 
died. Seth Jennings's sons were Rufus, Al- 
fred and Harry. Rufus settled where 
Aaron Genung now lives, and Alfred where 
George Jennings lives. The Seth Jennings 
farm is now owned by D. D. Dye. 

Dan C. Scjuires, one of the foremost cit- 
izens of this town, was born on the 23d of 
November, 1798. His father was John S. 
Squires, a native of Connecticut, who re- 
moved to Lapeer from Lisle, Broome 
count}-, and settled on lot 68, in 1 807. Dan 
C. Squires acquired a good education in 
spite of his limited opportunities, which en- 
abled him to fill many public oflices and 
places of trust with signal abilit}'. It is 
related of him that his }'outhful desire to 
obtain an education led him to lie on the 
hearthstone, often the entire night, studying 
b}- the fitful light of a pine knot, going to 
his arduous farm labors the next da\-. Mr. 



442 



History of Cortland County. 



Squires held the office of justice of the peace 
twenty-eight years ; supervisor of the town 
fourteen \'ears, and was chairman of the 
board six years ; was superintendent of 
schools several years and school commis- 
sioner one term ; justice of sessions three 
years and Member of Assembh- in 1865 and 
1872. Mr. Squires was a successful school 
teacher for some j-ears, and the faith nf his 
townspeople in his inteijrit}' often led to his 
being' called upon tn administer estates. He 
was instrumental in prtjcuring tin; dixisioii 
of the town and in giving the name of La- 
peer to the new organization. He served 
twenty-two years in the militia of the State, 
holding the offices "f captain, lieutenant- 
colonel and colonel. In earh' life he inter- 
ested himself in religious matters and was 
among the first to espouse the cause of 
temperance, while the anti-slavery move- 
ment found in him a courageous worker. 
James S. Squires, a prominent citizen of 
Cortland \illage, was a brother of Dan C. 
Squires. 

Timothy Robertson, h'om I'cjiniecticut, 
came to Lapeer about 1803 or 1804, ^'"cl 
lived for a short time with Seth Jennings. 
He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War 
and was with Montgomery at the storming 
of Quebec. He had a son, I-^liphalet Rob- 
ertson, who made his home in Lapeer. 

Thomas Kingsbury and Robert H. 
Wheeler settled in the southeast part of the 
town in 1804. The former was a Re\'olu- 
tionary soldier and drew a pension as such. 
One of his daughters married Marvin Raich. 
Kingsbur_\- and Wheeler were both from 
Connecticut. 

Simeon Luce located on lot 57, in 1805. 
It is believed that he kept the first taxern 
in the town. He was an ingenious me- 
chanic and a useful citizen generalh-. He 
lived to a very old age and left a large fam- 
ily. Martin Luce, long a jirominent resi- 
dent of \'irgil, was a son. 



In 1806 Zachariah Squires and Robert 
Smith located on lot 70. The former was 
the father of Col. William Squires, after- 
ward of Marathon. Mr. Smith was an offi- 
cer in the Rexolutionary army and was a 
pensioner. 

James Richards settled on lot 79 in I 807, 
on the farm miw owned b)- John P. Ses- 
sions. 

Si.xteen soldiers of the Revolution settled 
in Lapeer, all but one of whom died here. 
We have been able to obtain the names of 
all but two. The\' were Robert Smith, 
George Totman, Thomas Kingsburx', Ste- 
phen KelK . Oliver Hopkins, Williain Par- 
ker, l)a\id Crowell, Nathan Smith, Henr)- 
Turk, Nathan \\'alker, Timoth)- Robertson, 
Samuel Soule, Asa Parker and James Pol- 
lard. 

Asa Hunt, founder of Hunt's Corners, 
was a native of Windham, Windham county, 
Conn. When eighteen years of age he went 
to Boston, Mass., and in 1822 came on foot 
to Harford, locating on lot 41, where he re- 
mained until 1854, when he went to Mara- 
thon, where he now lives. His paternal 
grandfather was a Revolutionary soldier, 
whose heroic wife did her share in the great 
struggle b>- making gunpowder and casting 
bullets for her husband's use. He married 
Sallie Johnson, daughter of Abner Johnson, 
who settled on lot 89. Mr. Hunt has been 
engaged chiefly in agriculture, but has also 
carried on mercantile business in several 
different localities. He has been justice of 
the peace and supervisor. His son, Wm. 
V. Hunt, who resides on the homestead, 
has been a prominent citizen of the town ; 
was elected supervisor in 1866, 1879 and 
1881 ; has held the office of justice of the 
peace sexenteen years and town clerk several 
terms. 

.\n incident in the life of Mr. Hunt will 
bear relating. While a bo\- in Boston he 
worked for a man named Sigourne\-, and 



Town of Lapeer. 



443 



by stringent economj' saved the sum of 
five dollars, which he placed in the State 
Savings Bank of that city. Not long after- 
ward he learned of the downfall of that in- 
stitution. With shattered faith in monetary 
establishments he started for New York, 
without making any attempt to regain his 
deposit. Two years ago, in 1882, more 
than sixty \-ears after this occurrence, he 
was surprised by a notification that the de- 
funct bank was ready to settle his account, 
and he recei\ed a draft for $79.98. His 
unfortunate Boston experience had entirely 
escaped his memor)'. Mr. Hunt's father-in- 
law, Abner Johnson, died many years ago, 
from the eft'ects of a slight cut on his hand. 

Jesse Storrs was an earl\- resident of tiiis 
town, who subsecjuently became known as 
a great nurserj' man throughout a large part 
of the country. He was a school-teacher 
in his early life, and on a small property- 
which he owned, turned his attention to 
the raising of fruit trees. He subsequently 
sold out and remo\-ed to Fainesville, Ohio, 
where he was long the head of the nursery- 
house of Storrs, Harrison & Co. He died a 
few years since. 

It will be correctly inferred that a large 
proportion of the settlement in this town 
has been effected during a comparative!)' 
recent period. It is within the memor)- of 
living men and w-omen, that the greater 
portion of the land was forest- covered, while 
the howl of the wolf and the panther's 
scream is not forgotten by them.' We have 

1 A few rods to the south of the residence of H. Ge- 
nung, was, at a former period, an Indian canipinjj ground. 
This was on a bluff overlooking and close to the Big 
|irook. From the banks of this stream flowed beautiful 
rivulets of cool, transparent water. Here, too, were im- 
mense forests of elms, basswood, maple and other tim- 
ber, the favorite resort of the black bear, once so plenty 
in Ciirtland county. Deer, too, roamed the hills and val- 
leys. The wolf and panther made night hideous with 
their discordant notes of revelry. From this camping 
ground the Indians daily radiated in quest of game and 
fish, and at night returned to their cabins loaded with 
peltry, the pi'oducts of the chase. 



given a majority of the names and locations 
of the earlier pioneers, who, with their im- 
mediate successors and co- laborers, laid low 
tlie heavy forests and brought the land into 
a state of cultivation that places the town 
in a position that compares favorabl)- with 
others in the county. 

The first grist-mill in this town was 
erected b)- Simeon Luce, in 1827. Pre\-ious 
to that comparatively recent date, the in- 
habitants of Lapeer, like their brethren 
in surrounding towns at an earl\- period, 
were compelled to go long distances in 
order to get the most imperative necessit)- 
of the table — corn meal — or else manu- 
facture it themselves in the primitive way. 
We ha\-e not learned when this mill ceased 
operation, but there is now no grist-mill in 
the town. 

In 1825 Samuel and John Gee btiilt the 
first saw-mill ; this was followed by a num- 
ber of similar mills in different parts of the 
town where the brooks suppliefl sufficient 
water to run them. But the streams have 
all decreased in volume with the falling of 
the forests, and the water-mills lia\-e grad- 
ually been abandoned. The Gees were 
succeeded in their mill b)- Isaac Barrows ; 
but it ceased operation long ago. Harry 
Jennings owned the last water-power saw- 
mill, which w as burned man)- years since. 

Sidney Pease built his steam saw- mill in 
1874. He has in connection with it a feed- 
mill, a planer and matcher, and a cider-mill, 
doing a comparatively large business. 

John Butterfield built a tannery just west 
of the Corners, which was subsequently 
purchased by Stephen Atw ood and removed 
to and upon Spring brook, where it burned 
in 1883. It formerl)- did a good business, 
which, however, declined in later \'ears. 

Hunt & Kell)' were the first merchants in 
the town of Lapeer, Mr. Htint afterward 
running the business alone. In 1855 W. 
E. Hunt and Lewis Swift became the pro- 



444 



History of Cortland County. 



prietors, continuing together until i S6o, 
when the mercantile business at that point 
was abandoned. 

The trading for the town during earlier 
years was done largely at Virgil Corners. 

Asa Hunt kept the first and only tavern 
in the town, at Hunt's Corners ; this was, 
however, scarcely a regular public house, 
but was opened hospitabl\- to \\lioc\er hap- 
pened to require such acconiniodations. He 
purchased of John Smith the farm adjoining 
his own and rcmoxctl from his own log- 
house into the other, which was a framed 
structure and the second one of that descrip- 
tion built in the town. This building was 
afterw ard mo\ed to 'its present location, 
where it was occupied bj- William K. Hunt, 
a son of Asa Hunt. The house is now the 
property of IVIrs. Betsey Ann Peck. It is 
worthy of remark that in all these years no 
death has ever occurred in this house. There 
is now no hotel in the tow n. 

The first framed house in the town was 
built by Origen Roice, and is now owned 
b\' Philip Clark and used as a barn. 

There are two cheese factories in the 
town. The one at Hunt's Corners was 
erected in 1875, by a stock compan}-. There 
were twenty shares of stock of $100 each. 
The company was called the " Hunt's Cor- 
ners Cheese and Butter Company," and the 
following were the original shareholders : 
O. S. Day, G. H. Brown, Wm. E. Hunt, 
E. D. Harris, John Tarble, A. B. Jennings. 
D. R. Jennings, Geo. W. Goodale, Philander 
Jennings, Talma Hill, H. H. J. Wattles, 
Asa Hunt, Seymour Hultz, John P. Ses- 
sions, S. S. Bliss, S. S. Houghtaling, Eugene 
Cleaveland. 

The present ow ners of the factor)' are : 
Asa Hunt, W. E. Hunt, Geo. H. Little- 
wood, C. Day, John Tarble, W. Johnson, 
John P. Sessions, Geo Goodale, Sally 
Cleaveland, Talma llill. Mr. Littlewood is 
business manager of the factory for 1.SS4 



The product of the factory for 1883 was 
47,329 pounds of cheese : this sold for ^4,- 
525.60. 

The second cheese factory was built by 
1{. D. Harris in 1877 and is now owned b\' 
(ieo. Gcjodalc. 

Churches. — A church of Free or Open 
Communion Baptists was formed in the 
southeast part of this town about the year 
1820, by Elder Lake, which embraced 
members from Marathon and Lisle. Their 
preachers were Elders Lake, Hart and 
Matthews. The society was at one period 
(juite strong, numbering nearly eight)- mem- 
bers. The .Methodists also held frequent 
meetings in that part of the town and there 
was a church of the Christian order that 
held meetings in a school-house near the 
former residence of Dan C. Squires. 

There is but one church edifice in the 
town ; this is located at Hunt's Corners 
and is called the Union Church. It was 
built in 1.S68. The original trustees were 
Wm. E. Hunt, S. Day, H. J. Wattles, 
James W. Bliss, John Tarble, Willard E. 
Stockwell, D. W. Ensign. The building is 
now occupied mostly by Methodists. The 
present trustees are H. J. Wattles, Stephen 
Atwood. Miles Pollard, Wm. E. Hunt, Nel- 
son Cleaveland, C. L. Day, Philip E. Clark. 

Dr. Charles Thomas was the only physi- 
cian who ever located in Lapeer. He be- 
came a member of the Count)' Medical 
Societ)' in 1848. He onlv' remained here 
about two years, beginning in the \'ear just 
mentioned. 

Following is a list of the soldiers who en- 
listed from this town in the last war, under 
the calls of the president, and who were 
paid bounties for their serxices : — 

Call of October 17th, 1863. Bounty 
paid $300. Total $2,400. — Edgar Free- 
man. Charles N. Eassley, Lewis Rood, 
Lynden Parker, Eli Parker, James M. Kells, 
Thomas B Hopkins, Jerome W. Case. 



Hiram J. Messenger. 



445 



Call of July 1 8th, 1864. Boiiiit\- paid 
$900: except $1,000 ti) i)iK-, ami $600 to 
one. Total, $11,500. HrokeraL^c, $335. 
— John Line. W. E. Stockwell, P'lirman 
Cook, David H. Ruiixan, Job Avers, Web- 
ster Parker, Hurdett Hammond, Le\i Bliss, 
William W. Parker, Stephen Potter, Orin S." 
Day, James W. Parker, Peter Michaelson. 

Recapitulation. — Paid for filling quotas, 
calls October 17th, 1863, Feburary, 1864, 
and March, 1864, $2,400. Paid for filling 
quota, call July iStli, 1S64, $11,825. 
(jrand total, $14,225. 

Following are the present officers of the 
town of Lapeer (1884) : — 

Supervisor — S. R. Jemison. 

Town clerk — J. L. Talbot. 

Justices of the peace — Wm. E. Hunt, 
Lero_\' Smith. A. B. Johnson, A. A. .Alvord. 

Assessors — Mortimer Parker. Henry 
Hay, A. B. Jennings. 

Constables — Egbert Peak, J. C. (jra\'. 

Collector — Jason Gra}-. 

Game constable — lohn (J. Talbot. 



Inspectors of election — Fred Pollard, 
{■red Kinne}'. 

Following is a list of the supervisors of 
Lapeer from the formation of the town to 
the present time, with the years of their 
service : — 

Dan C. Squires, 1847; Asa Hunt. 
1848-49; Noah Pollard, 1850: Ogden 
Gra\', 1851: Royal Johnson, 1852; Elijah 
Freeman, 1853; Ogden Gray, 1 854: Royal 
Johnson, 1855; Dan C. Squires, 1856; 
Elijah Freeman, 1857; Dan C. Squires, 
1858; D. O. Surdam, 1859-60 : Royal 
Johnson, 1861 : D: O. Surdam, 1862 to 
1865 inclusive; Dan C. Squires, 1866: 

D. O. Surdam, 1867; Dan C. Scjuires, 
1868 to 1 87 1, inclusive; Royal Johnson, 
1872; Peter N. Gray, 1873; Weaker L. 
Chaplin, 1874: Peter N. Gray, 1875; Wm. 

E. Hunt, 1876; Jerome Squires, 1877-78; 
Wm. E. Hunt, 1879; James Robinson, 
1880; Wm. E. Hunt, 1881 ; F. J. Squires, 
1882; Leroe Smith. 1883; S. B. Jemison, 
1884. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 



BKHiK.Al'HK Al., 



HIRAM J. MESSENGER, second son 
of Nathan and Averick Messenger, 
was born on the east bank of the Tiough- 
nioga river, near the State Bridge, in the 
town of \Mrgil, Cortland count}-, N. Y., on 
the I 2th da\- of August, 1816. The fam- 
ily residence was a comfortable log house 
corresponding fairl}' with its neighbors. 
Owing to the necessity for his ser\ices on 
the small new farm, he was prevented from 
attending school in the log school- house 
after he was of sufficient age and size to be 
Iff use at home, consequentl)- his school ed- 
ucation was \erv limited, as was the case 



with most boys at that date. His father 
died in 1833, before Hiram was seventeen 
years of age, and it seemed to fall upon 
him to take the little sidehill farm of thirty- 
five acres, pay the debts, paj' his elder 
brothel' and sister their interests and sup- 
port his mother and younger sister. This 
he soon learned was a hard bargain, but he 
fulfilled it, and si.x \ears after, at the age of 
twenty-three, sold the farm and other prop- 
erty, and with $1,200 clear engaged in the 
mercantile business at F^ast V'irgil in com- 
pany- with William Gray, b\' the purchase 
of a lialf- interest ; at the end of the first 



446 



History of Cortland County. 



year he became sole owner !))■ iMirchase of 
the otlier half, and continued the business 
there on a much larger scale from 1S39 to 
itS54, v\'hen he sold out his business at this 
place and also a branch store at Killawog 
and moved to Canandaigua, \. \ . There 
he engaged in the mercantile business with 
his brother-in-law, William Richardson. 
During his residence in Virgil he was con- 
stable for two years, justice of the peace for 
one term of four years, supervisor of the 
town one term, postmaster at East Virgil 
for several years and was the candidate of 
the Whig party for Member of Assembi\' 
in 1852, but w.as defeated b}- the temper- 
ance faction who put in nomination the 
venerable Ur. Miller, of Truxton, the result 
being the election of Dr. Patterson, of Ho- 
mer, the candidate of the Democratic part)-. 
On Januar)- 20th, 1842, Mr. Messenger 
married Luana L. Heaton (then but seven- 
teen years of age), second daughterof the late 
Hon. Nathan Heaton, of Harford, who dicil 
in April of the previous year at his home, 
while on a visit to his family on a temporary 
leave of absence from the Legislature, of 
which he was tiien one of the honored 
members. This count}' was then entitled 
to two members, his colleague being the 
Hon. A. H. Mickle, of Homer. The fruits 
of this marriage are four children — one 
daughter, now a resident of Chicago, and 
three sons ; of the latter, two are acti\ e 
members of the Chicago Board of Trade, 
and the youngest, a graduate of and now 
teacher in, Cornell Uni\'ersit\\ While a 
resident of Canandaigua, horn 1854 to 
1857, Mr. Messenger was principally en- 
gaged in mercantile business and as a cattle 
dealer. In 1857, soon after the financial 
panic and general bank suspension, he pur- 
chased a controlling interest in the Bank of 
Canandaigua, then owned by Mrs. Messen- 
ger's uncle, Theodore E. Hart, and William 
Antis. This bank suspended and closed its 



doors in August and remained closed until 
the day Mr. Messenger made the purchase, 
when it was promptly opened, to the great 
satisfaction of the citizens of the place, the 
first business being to.promptl)- rctlecm and 
put in circulation $6o,ooo of the ciixulating 
notes of the bank, then held under protest 
by the New Vork Clearing House of the as- 
sociated banks. In i858hesold out liis inter- 
est in the mercantile business and in i860 
established the H. J. Messenger Bank, orig- 
inally at Marathon, but mo\ed it to Cort- 
land the same year, taking up his residence 
there permanently at the same time. From 
i860 to 1865 his success was very marked, 
and during these years he ])urchased the 
other half-interest in the Bank of Canan- 
daigua, established the new Bank of Onta- 
rio at Canandaigua, the Bank of Canton, 
Canton, N. Y., the First National Hank of 
Geneva, N. Y., a banking office in New 
York and one at Herkimer, N. Y. ; his bank 
circulation now being about $500,000, se- 
cured by $100,000 New York State stocks 
and $400,000 United States five-twenty six 
per cent, bonds, with deposits aggregating 
about three million dollars. In 1863 he 
was solicited to build what is now the Mes- 
senger House at Cortland, on the site of 
the old h^agle Tavern, which was burned 
in 1862. Accepting the invitation, in June, 
1864, that house was formally opened, com- 
pletely furnished for the accommodation of 
the traveling public. His attention was 
then directed to the necessity of a public 
hall and a plan was soon matured for the 
construction of Messenger (now Taylor) 
Hall, which was dedicated in February, 
1866. On this occasion an address was 
delivered by the late Hon. Horatio Ballard, 
in which the following sentence appears : — 
" In January, 1862, the ' Eagle Tavern ' 
(a name cherished in memory by thousands 
of guests) was destroyed by fire. It was a 
calamit}- to our town and a loss to the public. 



James Watts Sturtevant. 



447 



But there were agencies at v\ork beyond 
tile pcnctr.itiun of lumian iniai^ininijs wliicli 
more than restored the loss. Just before 
the opening of our railway a citizen, then 
engaged in a limited mercantile trade in an 
adjoining town, removed to anotlier county 
and entered upon a large field of action. 
He was successful. In the year 1860 he 
returned to this, his nati\e county, entlowed 
with a fortune and a public spirit. He was 
not slow in disco\ ering the sure e\ idences 
of an advancing trade centering here. One 
of the first exhibitions of his good will and 
devotion to public interests was his unex- 
pected announcement tliat if the site of the 
'Old Eagle' was tendered to him he would 
cover it with a hotel unsurpas.sed in Central 
New York. The offer was accepted, and 
rising above the smouldering ashes was 
soon seen the stateh' pile, aliki- an (irna- 
ment to the town and a boast to the count)'. 
But he did not stop there. He saw the 
business of the tow n demanded more room 
and he projected the erecti(5n of this block 
which lifts its majestic proportions to the 
sight and embraces this splendiel hall in 
which we are now assembled. And for 
these edifices, grand in size, elegant in fin- 
ish, useful in arrangement and durable in 
structure, we would here record <jur thanks 
and tender our gratitude to our noble citi- 
zen, Hiram J. Messenger. They are the 
monuments of his genius, his taste and his 
liberalitj'. He has connected his memory 
with the best specimens of architecture, and 
the most su])erb styles of interior finish, as 
the exquisite work of this loft\' hall fully 
attests. \\ e will hold this [jlace 

consecrated to this high purpose: to the 
cause of Liberty and Union ; and the name 
of its generous founder we will ever cherish 
in grateful remembrance for that personal 
influence and munificence which he has so 
repeatedly anil signall)* devoted to the ])ros- 
perit}- of this town." 



The erection of otlier buildings followed 
this in succession, among them being Ma- 
sonic Hall Block, and comprising alto- 
gi'tlur the Messenger House, Messenger 
Hall, Masonic Hall, twelve stores and 
several other business places, all constructed 
within the short space of four years. The 
war closed in 1865 and depression followed. 
The government tax law of ten per cent, 
on every dollar of State bank circulation 
paid out took effect July 1st, 1866, and the 
half-million of State bank circulation owned 
by him and which was returning an annual 
income of forty thousand dollars was, of 
necessity, committed to the flames b\- the- 
superintendent of the bank tU'partment as 
fast as it could be gathered up and sent to 
him, and the State stocks and government 
bonds becoming depreciated from four to 
thirty per cent, were sold on the market, 
aggregating a loss approximating $60,000. 
Other losses on mercantile and commer- 
cial paper aggregating some $150,000 fol- 
lowed, and after pa\-ing liabilities of over 
two and a half millions, he was obliged to sus- 
pend in Ma\-, 1 868, with less than half a 
million of unpaid indebtedness, which was 
settled b\- bankruptcy proceedings of the 
fashionable kind. Since this occurrence 
Mr. Messenger has quietl\- pursued the real 
estate and fire insurance business in the 
town he helped to build up. In politics he 
was a Whig when and as long as that party 
had an existence. During the war he was 
activel}- and earnestl)' engaged with the late 
Hon Henry S. Randall and Hon. Horatio 
Ballard in filling Cortland county's quota 
of soldiers. In religion he is a firm believer 
in the universal salvation of all and a warm 
supporter of the late Rev. Dr. K. H. Chapin. 



JAMh:S WATTS STURTKN'AXT. The 
subject of this notice was born in San- 
gerfield, Oneida county, N. V., on the 25th. 
of Julv, I Si I, and died in Cortland August 



448 



History of Cortland County. 



9tli, 1873. The earlier \-ears of liis life 
were passed at his parental home near 
Madison village, N. V. His father was a 
well-to-do farmer and ijave his son such 
opportunities as then existed in the vicinity 
for securing an education His name was 
James Sturtevant. His children were 
Thomas Groves, Justin, Oman, Abigail, 
Polly, James Watts, Willard, Hetsey, and 
Demas. All of these with one exception 
were living at the time of James W.'s 
death ; five of them are now deceased. 

James \V. Sturtevant began mercantile 
pursuits at an early time in his life, starting 
first as a traveling salesman in a small wa\'. 
In tliis manner he accumulated considerable 
means with the \iew of opening a store as 
soon as practicable. Accordingly he came 
to Homer, N. Y., in the spring of 1834 
and began trade under the firm name of 
Sturtevant, Stebbens & Co., associated with 
Kellogg & Son of Utica. This business 
connection continued for eight \'ears, dur- 
ing which period Mr. Sturtevant acquired a 
reputation for general business integrity 
and enterprise. In 1842 they dissolved 
witli Kellogg & Son, went to Auburn and 
continued the trade under the firm name of 
Sturtevant & Stebbens. 

This connection continued three years 
when the firm dissolved and Mr. Sturtevant 
entered into partnership with Enoch H. 
Doud (fall of 1845), ^\ho came in the same 
year to Cortland village in quest of a bus- 
iness site. Mr. Sturtevant came in 1846, 
and what was then known as the old Pome- 
roy stand on Main street was secured, and 
there they continued in successful trade, 
under the firm name of J. W. Sturtevant & 
Co., until 1 861, when Emmet .A. Fish 
came in and the firm name became Sturte- 
vant, Doud & Co., remaining thus until 

I 
1869. This firm was favorabh- known j 

throughout the count)' and was one of the 
most successful and honorable in the history ] 



of Cortland. In 1869 Mr. Doud retired 
and his place was taken b\' Cah in P. Wal- 
rad, the firm name being changed to Stur- 
tevant, Fish & Co., It remained thus until 
Feb., 1871, when Mr. .Sturtevant retired. 
During the period covered by the existence 
of these firms the reputation and business 
of the house constantly grew in favor. 

It was here in Co'rtland that Mr. Sturte- 
vant met his future wife, Miss Sarah R. 
Freer, daughter of John A. Freer, an ac- 
count of whose family appears in these 
pages; he was one of the prominent pio- 
neers of the county. Mr. Sturtevant was 
married on the 24th of November, 1834. 
His widow still resides in the attractive 
homestead in Cortland village. 

James W. Sturtevant was in all essential 
respects a business man and his mercantile 
afifairs received the greater share of his at- 
tention and energy. Consequently he 
sought no opportunity to seek public office 
of any kind. He was a man of positive 
convictions on all current topics and well 
knew how to express them. But the fol- 
lowing estimate of his character from the 
pen of an intimate acquaintance, written at 
the time of his death, more fitly fills this 
place than any eulogy we are capable of 
writing : — 

" The death of the subject of this sketch 
comes home to me as a personal bereave- 
ment — for such it is, in the fullest sense of 
the term. Not only ties of kinship, but of 
friendship dating from my earliest recollec- 
tion, tend to deepen and intensify my sor- 
row. 

" Never have I met a man of greater na- 
tive intellectual force, of more absolute in- 
dependence of thought, of clearer or sounder 
judgment, of higher or purer moral convic- 
tions or principles. This may seem the 
partial judgment of one biased by friendship 
and relationship — but I know the same esti- 
mate was made b\' men of wide acquaint- 



J. \V. Sturtevant. — Nathan Salisbury. 



449 



ance with mankind, and by those who 
knew best the quaUty and character uf the 
man. Never did circumstances bring us 
together without giving me fresh cause to 
wonder at his exuberant intellectual energy, 
at the keen and original bent of his mind, 
at the extent, thoroughness and value of his 
reading, at his hearty hatred of shams and 
falsehoods, and the joyous vigor with which 
he took up the toils and cares of life. 
Forced b)' the hard necessities of poverty 
to forego, in his early years, the advantages 
of a liberal education, led b\- the same 
cause to devote the strength of his man- 
hood to business, which he prosecuted long 
and with uniform success, he made up for 
himself, to a great extent, for his early dep- 
rivations, by a reading which was the 
wonder of all who knew him. His friends 
and intimates recognized in him a man who, 
under different circumstances, might have 
been a philosopher and a scholar — a leader 
in the intellectual uorld, as he was to them 

— for he had the broad and comprehensive 
intellect, the pure and artistic taste, and the 
vast capacity for labor which go to make 
up genius. The regret among all who 
knew him is keen that he has left behind him 
nothing by which those who knew him 
not could fair!}- estimate his pow ers and his 
worth. Never did I meet him without be- 
ing led into fresh intellectual fields, which 
his acti\'e and restless mind had explored 

— never without fresh cause to admire the 
devotion which he always manifested for 
the truth for its own sake. 

"The death of his-onl)- child, in infancy, 
twenty years ago, clouded with sadness the 
latter portion of his life. .A. sorrow which 
would have killed a man of less vigor, could 
such a man feel it as he did, did not make 
him for a moment misanthropic or morose. 

" He died suddenly — without a moment's 
warning. ' His eye was not dimmed nor 
his natural force abated,' but. in the full- 



ness of his strength, he passed at once, 
without the intervention of aiTy period of 
sickness or suffering, from the company of 
friends into that of the loved who had gone 
before." 



NATHAN SALISBURY. The earliest 
appearance of the Salisbury family in 
this country was about A. D. 1644. At 
this time, for political reasons and to avoid 
the confiscation of property, etc., during the 
contest between the Parliament and the un- 
fortunate Charles I., John Salisbury and 
Edward Salisbury, his brother, sons of Hen- 
ry Salisbury, esq., and younger brothers of 
Sir Thomas Salisbury, quietly got them- 
selves away from Denbigh and emigrated 
to this' countr)'. The former settled at 
Swansea, Massachusetts, and the latter near 
Mount Hope, in Bristol, Rhode Island. 
Thomas Salisburj- of Llanrust, Denbigh 
count}', either came with tliem or followed 
soon after, and settled in Cranston. From 
family records and traditions, Thomas was 
supposed to be a brother of John and Ed- 
ward, but it appears from P2nglish records 
that he was probably not a brother but 
cousin. John and Edward derived from 
Henr\- Salisbury, second son of John Salis- 
bur}-, who became heir of Lleweni by rea- 
son of the death of his elder brother, Thomas, 
who suftered death Sept. 20th, 1586, for 
endeavoring to deliver Mary, Queen of 
Scots, from imprisonment. 

Thomas, derived from Robert Salisbury, 
fourth son of Thomas Salisbury heir of 
Lleweni. 

The branch of the family to which the 
subject of this sketch belongs derives from 
Thomas Salisbury, who settled in Cranston. 

" The Salisbury family took its rise in 
Germany, and long before the conquest of 
England its head resided in Bavaria. The 
original name of the family was Guelph, and 
its leading member, Henry Guelph. was in 



450 



History of Cortland County. 



the year 1024 made Duke of Jiavaria, 
by the Kinpeior Comad the Second. The 
fii-st duke liad .several sons, the voungestof 
wlioni, Trinco Adam, came over to Eng- 
land in the train of William of Normandy, 
in the year io66. This young prince did 
not, iiowever, come with William as a sub- 
ject of his Xorman dukedom, for he owed 
him no allegiance ; but he came in the char- 
.icter of a soldier of fortune, and in that 
ciiaracter took his part in the great battle 
o( Hasting-s. For his services on that occa- 
sion he was rew arded bj^ King William with 
a grant of an extensive tract of land in Rich- 
mondshire. running southward to the river 
Ribble in L;incashire, and it was in this 
place the x'ounger branch of the royal fam- 
ily of Bavaria (ii-st settled in England. 

■■ Adam Guelph soon dropped his German 
surname. He followed the Xorman fashion 
of taking up the name of a particular place 
for a surname and thus became a dc Saltz- 
burg, or Adam of Saltzburg — S;iltzburg 
being tl\e name of die place in Bavaria from 
which he came. He settled upon hts new 
possessions, built himself a home at no 
great distance from Preston, called it after 
his new name, and b\ that name. Salms- 
bury Court or Salebury Hall, it is known 
to this day. 

"" Adam de Saltzburg was not, as many of 
his descendants proudly suppose, a Norman, 
but a pure Saxon, having the same origin 
as the House of Saxony." 

The time of Adam de Saltzburgh's death 
is uncertain, but in the year 1 102 his eldest 
son, Alexander de Saltzburg, had succeeded 
to the fathers vast jK^ssessions .\le.\ander 
died in 1153 He left two sons, Alexander 
and Henr\ The eldest succeeded to the 
l^ancashire property- and Henry to an es- 
tate in Cheshire. 

Nathan Salisburx- was bom in Cranston, 
Rhode Island. Oct. loth, 1793. His pater- 
nal grandfather, whose wife's maiden name 



was Pierce, resided at Cranston at the time 
of his death. 

The following were his children: Peleg, 
know 11 as the " (^/jj Wiiii 0/ Wiirwick," Mar- 
tin, Job, Mial, Nathan, Rebecca and Phoeba. 
Nathan, sen., the father of the subject of 
this sketch, was born Dec. ist. 1751, and 
married May i6th, 1 77 1. .Abigail Stone — 
born Oct. 16th, 1753, only daughter of Dea. 
Joseph Stone, of Cranston, a descendant of 
Hugh Stone " tfu- stokii boy" Abigail 
Stones mother s maiden name was Brown, 
a near relative of John Brown, the founder of 
Rhode Island College, afterwards Brown 
Univei^sity. 

Nathan Salisbury, sen., was Lieutenant 
under Capl. Burgess of the company which, 
from Warwick Neck, fired into, captured, 
and burned the British schooner, Gtispf in 
1772. He resided in Cranston until 1795. 
when he moved to Providence. R. I. In 
March, 1803, 'ic moved his family to Hart- 
ford, Washington county. New York, where 
he purchased a fanii and remained until 
1S06, when he again moved his family to 
Cazenovia, Madison county. New York. 
At this place he only remained through the 
winter, and in Marcli, 1807. came witli his 
famil\- to Homer, then in Onondaga county. 

He purchased land and reared a log cabin 
on lot 5, located on the waters of Cold 
brook, where his family settled in the fall 
of xhc same \ear. Here he remained until 
his death, which occurred May 4tli. 1S17. 
his wife surxiving him until Dec, I4tli. 
1S36. The following were their eleven 
children : Waity, Sally, John, Joseph Mar- 
tin, who followed the sea and died on a voy- 
age returning fr«m Cliina. Anna, Mar\-. 
Lucinda, Ambrose. Cynthia, Nathan, jun.. 
and Phoeba. .\t the time of the families' 
settlement on Cold brook, but half a dozen 
pioneers had recently reared their log cabins 
on tlie adjacent slopes of the valley. Tlie 
wx>lf still prowled in the hemlock's deep 




^'^a.;t^ayn CZ^^J-^c^/ry- , ^^-- 



Nathax Salisbury. — EBEXEziiR Mudge. 



45' 



shadov\s, deer and other game were abund- 
ant, and the cool streams swarmed with 
beautiful trout. Hence, it is not strani^c that 
young Nathan should sometimes ha\e fol- 
lowed the deer trail, often with great suc- 
cess. In 1813 he was baptized by Rev. 
Alfred Bennett and received into the Bap- 
tist Church of Homer, subsequently remov- 
ing his standing to the First Baptist Church 
of Scott, where a large and flourishing so- 
ciety e.xisted for many years. Always in- 
terested in the welfare of the young, he has 
devoted much time to organizing and con- 
ducting Sabbath and singing schools. In 
181 5 he purchased a farm on lot 95 in the 
southeast corner of Scott, then an unbroken 
wilderness, which is the present site of Ever- 
green Terrace, the Sa/isbmy Home. The 
next summer, 1816, known as the "cold 
season," he raised two acres of corn ; and 
in 1 8 18, was able to raise thirty acres of 
fine wheat. Thus, gradually the forest fell, 
and in its place waxed fields of golden 
grain. 

June 2 I St, i8i8, he was married to Lu- 
cretia A. Babcock (born September 30th, 
1792), daughter of James Babcock and 
Mar}' Gibbs, who emigrated from Blanford, 
Mass., to Scott, N. Y., in May, 181 5. They 
reared the following nine children : Justin, 
Justus, James Henry, Samuel, John, Lucre- 
tia A., Adeline, Mary and Matilda. 

The fire which Nathan Salisburj- kintlled 
upon the first hearthstone is still burning. 
Around it ha\c clustered and been reared 
eight children — Amanda A., Charles B., 
James H., Milton L., Burdett J.. Charlotte 
A., Wallace W. and Nathan, jun., all of 
whom are now lixing. Of these, James H. 
is a well known physician of Cleveland O., 
now of New York cit\-. \\'allace W. is a 
graduate of Albany Law Uni\'ersit_\-. 

During a long life Nathan Salisbur\' has 
occupied various positions of honor and trust 
and enjoN'ed the respect of all who knew 



him. Possessed of good judgment and per- 
severance, his undertakings were successful. 
For many )ears he was engaged in breed- 
ing and handling sheep and cattle. As a 
floriculturist and horticulturist, he delights 
to adorn his home with the beautiful, and 
has devoted much time to the production 
of fine fruit, being the originator of several 
fine varieties of seedling pears. 

As an agriculturist his fields are produc- 
tive and his granaries seldom empty. Hav- 
ing a taste for the natural sciences, as an 
amateur geologist, he has collected and ar- 
ranged at his home a cabinet of rocks, 
fossils and minerals, second to few private 
collections. 

Resulting from an accident, his estimable 
wife died, much lamented, March 4th, 1 88 1, 
in the eighty- ninth year of her age. 

At this writing, Sept., 1884, he lacks but 
a month of being ninety-one years of age. 
For one who has seen the snows of so many 
winters, he has great vitality and still pos- 
sesses his natural faculties in a remarkable 
degree. 



EBENEZER MUDGE. — Among the 
prominent millers of Cortland countv 
should be mentioned the name of Ebenezer 
Mudge. He came to Cortland village, then 
but a small hamlet, in 1839, with an already 
large experience in his business. He fol- 
lowed it until the \-ear r866, when he re- 
tired from acti\e pursuits. His father. 
Abram Mudge, was a native of Otsego 
count)-, in this State, but subsequentlj- 
remoxed into Montgomer\- county, where 
he operated a mill previous to his removal 
to Cortland. He ser\ed as a soldier in the 
war of 1812. After coming to this count)- 
he became the owner of the mills now oper- 
ated b)'Thos. F. Bra)-ton, in the eastern por- 
tion of Cortland village, which he continued 
to run for about eighteen years, when he re- 
tired from business. He was born in 1793 



452 



History of Cortland County. 



and died in 1869. He served the people 
of Cortland county several terms as super- 
visor, in which office he was often chosen 
on committees having charge of the most 
important interests of the public. In such 
positions his judgment and his integrity 
were always unquestioned. His family con- 
sisted of six children, four sons and two 
daughters ; their names being Isaac, Ebe- 
nezer, Byron, Romeyn, Harriet and Eliz- 
abeth. Ebenezer is the only one who now 
resides in this county. The early years of 
his life were spent in the town of Charles- 
town, Montgomery county, where he was 
born on the 6th of April, 18 16. His father 
soon afterward moved into the town of Can- 
ajoharie, in the little village of Ames, where 
he operated a mill, in which PZbenezer as- 
sisted during portions of each year, alter- 
nating his labor with attendance at district 
school, and later at the academ)-. When 
he came to Cortland he found the mill 
which he owned for so many years in a bad 
state of repair, doing but little business and 
the general prospect anj'thing but attrac- 
tive. But he went to work with energy, 
repaired the buildings, put the machinery 
in better order and gave his unremitting at- 
tention to his business. These improve- 
ments, with the excellent character of the 
product of his mill, soon had their expected ' 
effect and the business increased every sue- j 
ceeding year. Mr. Mudge remained in 
charge of this mill for a period of twent)' 
eight years, during which time he made for 
himself a large circle of business acquaint- 
ances and friends, and gained ;i reputation 
for integrit)' and ^terlin;.; char.icter as (.lui- 
able as it was deserved. He retired in 1866, 
having secured a handsome competence. 
He has never sought public office or dis- j 
tinction of any kind, being content with the 
successful prosecution of his own affairs and 
the respect of the communit\ . 

In I 8 ^7 Mr. Mudge was married to Miss . 



Hannah C. Hodge. Four children were 
born (if this union — Powers C. Mudge, 
now proprietor of the well-known grist-mill 
at Little York ; Mary E. Mudge, now the 
wife of Charles VV. Collins, of Cortland vil- 
lage; Charles Jay Mudge, who died in in- 
fancy; and Olivia L. Mudge, who died at 
the age of fourteen. Mrs. Mudge died in 
1867. Mr. Mudge was again married to 
Harriet E. Phelps, dauijlitcr of Judge Henr)- 
J. Phelps, of Michigan. 



ALFRED L. CHAMBERLAIN. The 
subject of this sketch is, probably, the 
oldest living citizen of Cortland county who 
was born in the village of Homer. He is a son 
of Deacon Charles Chamberlain, who came 
to Homer in 1801, purchased fift}' acres of 
ground embracing the site of the village, 
and building his dwelling just back of the 
site of the Congregational Church. Of the 
land he had purchased he deeded six acres 
(Mr. Garrison, the former owner of the tract, 
doing likewise) for what is known as the 
village '■ green." 

Mr. Chamberlain came from Dudley, Con- 
necticut. He was a man of considerable ed- 
ucation for those times, and a good deal of 
natural force of character ; he taught school 
for a short time, was one of the first trustees 
of Cortland Academy, and in 1803 returned 
to Brimfield, Mass., where he married Miss 
Ro.vsc)- Lyon. During the following year 
their oldest son, the subject of this sketch, 
was born. In 1807 he remo\ed to Sum- 
merhill, where he li\ed about eighteen years, 
when he returnee! to Cortland and pur- 
chasetl a farm on lot 34, in the village of 
Homer. Here he resided until his death, 
which occurred on the 6tli of October, 184 1, 
at the age o( fift\-cight \ears. He was an 
active man, both in the community at large 
and in the church, filling several positions 
of trust and responsibilit\- to the satisfac- 
tion of his fellow citizens IK- was a super- 



Alfred L. Chamberlain. — Silas Blaxchard. 



453 



visor in Tompkins county several terms, and 
justice of the peace, and was deacon in tlie 
Presbyterian Cliurcli for many years. His 
wife died on the 26th nf No\embcr. 1843, 
at the age of si.xty years. Their children 
were Alfred L., Ormond, Charles V., Car- 
oline, George W' . and Mary. Charles be- 
came a prominent and wealth)- merchant 
(^f South Carolina and was in that State 
during the late war. Caroline, Mrs. Hib- 
bard, was a resident of Vincenncs Ind., 
where her hushand was also a merchant. 
She died the i8th of December, 1843. 

Alfred L. Chamberlain, being the oldest 
of the children, performed much of the ar- 
duous farm labor in his early life, that nat- 
urally devolved upon him ; but at the same 
time he made the best possible use of the 
opportunities gi\en him for securing an ed- 
ucation, and when he had reached a proper 
age, completed his studies by a course in 
the Cortland Academy, of which he was in 
later life a trustee. He was married on the 
23d of April, 1834, to Miss Semantha Boies, 
daughter of Capt. Rufus Boies, who came 
from Blanford, Mass., with an o.x team in 
the year 1812, and located on lot 54. His 
children were Dolly, Leverett, Semantha, 
Israel, William and Caroline. Israel Boies 
became a prominent citizen of Homer and 
was one of the foremost in securing the con- 
struction of the Syracuse and Binghamton 
Railroad. William and Leverett went west, 
and Caroline is now the widow of the late 
Manly Hobart. 

After Mr. Chamberlain's marriage he 
purchased the old Major Ballard farm, where 
he lived for thirteen years. He then pur- 
chased his present property of Caleb Cook, 
formerly owned by the Rev. F'Llnathan 
Walker. He has always been prominent 
in the agricultural interests of the county, 
devoting himself stricth" to it and apph-ing 
thorough-going business princi]iles to the 
work. His success has been most gratify- 



ing in practical results. He has been a 
prominent member of the Cortland County 
Agricultural Society and was its president 
for several years. He early turned his at- 
tention to the breeding of Merino sheep, 
anil finall\- sold his \-aluable flock to the late 
Hon. Henry S. Randall, thus starting that 
j gentleman in this industry. He also en- 
gaged largely in raising Durham cattle, in 
which he was eminentlysuccessful and gain- 
ed an extended reputation. He was for many 
years president of the Cemetery Association, 
and it is but simple justice to state that to 
his generous labor and unselfish interest is 
due much of the beaut\- of the Homer cem- 
eter)-. 

Mr. Chamberlain has always been a 
member of the Congregational Church So- 
ciety and has lived in broad harmony with 
his professions. He is the father of Mrs. 
Grace Walrad, wife of Calvin P. Walrad, of 
Cortland village. He has had three other 
daughters, all of whom are dead. Although 
he is now nearly eighty years of age, Mr. 
Chamberlain still possesses remarkable vigor 
and energy of both body and mind, and 
is receiving the unqualified respect of all 
who know him. 



SILA^ 
ofC 



SBLANCHARD. The Blanchards 
Cortland county are descended from 
a family consisting of three brothers who 
came from England to America some time 
in the i6th century. William Blanchard, 
of Windham Co., Conn., seems to have 
been the ancestor of those in this part of 
the State. His son Azariel was born June 
13th, 1 741, and was first married to Abigail 
Mason January lOth, 1764. He was thrice 
married, his second wife being P-unice Culver 
and his third. Thankful Peck*. He was the 
grandfather of Silas Blanchard. Abigail 
Mason was born April 3d, 1741, and their 
son William was the father of Silas. He was 
born Nov. 13th, 1772, died Sept. 16th, 1S54. 



454 



History of Cortland County. 



Silas Blanchard was born in the town of 
Ciiyler on tlie stli of June, 1814, and died 
at his home in Homer villatjc July loth, 
1 88 1. His father was Wm. Blanchard, as 
stated, and his mother was Hannah Whit- 
marsh, born Sept. 28th, 1775. She died 
Oct. 21st, 1844. They were married Feb. 
22d, 1797, and migrated immediately there- 
after to the town of Fabius, aftcrw arc! Tru.x- 
ton and now Cuyler, locating on lot 66. 
Their immediate neighbors then were Chris- 
topher Whitney (lot 96), Nathaniel Potter, 
father of Mrs. Nathaniel Patrick (lot 57), 
Hcnjaniin Brown (lot 47), Simon Keeney, 
Wm. Wallace and one or two families of 
the Websters and F"o.\es on lots 47 and 57. 

Azariel Blanchard was a soldier in the 
War of the Re\'olution and was on duty in 
the \icinity of Lake Champlain He was, 
probabl}", captain of a compan\', as he al- 
ways bore that title. His wife died of small- 
pox ; the children of William Blanchard 
were Asahel.born Jul\- 1 6th, 1 798, died Aug. 
Stli, 1801; Daniel, born Dec. 29th, 1799; 
Asahel, born Aug. 31st, 1801 ; Harry, born 
Dec. 30th, 1803 ; Eliza, born Dec. 18th, 
1806; Clarissa, born Dec. 7th, 1808; Wil- 
liam W., born Sept. 25th, 1810 ; died March 
13th, 1831 ; Azariel Mason, born Aug. 5th, 
1812; Silas, born June 5th, 18 14; Levi, 
born I\Li)'2ist, 1816; Lewis, born Aug. 
4th, 1 8 18, died July 4th, uS2o; Lewis 2nd, 
born Oct. 21st, 1820. 

Silas Blanchard spent his earl\- lift on his 
father's farm in Cuyler, attending school 
but a small portion of the time. By his 
natural aptness for study and his tempera- 
ment, he became a good mathematician. 
He was married to Miss Elvira Wilson, 
daughter of Reynold Wilson, on the 31st 
of October, 1839. Mr. Wilson was a na- 
tive of Windsor, Conn., and in February, 
18 1 7, removed with his wife (who was 
Chloe Mallery) to the town of Fabius, 
where he resided until his death on the 14th 



of September, 1835 ; his wife died Aug. 
30th, 1843, aged si.\ty-two j'ears. Mr. 
Wilson was prominent in the town, having 
been repeatedly elected to the office of su- 
pervisor and to other positions of trust. 
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson had a family of eight 
children, Mrs. Blanchard being the eldest 
of the four now living. 

Mr. Blanchard began his married life on 
a farm purchased of Henry and Seth Purin- 
ton, where he carried on dairying some- 
what extensively. He soon became gen- 
erally recognized as one of the leading citi- 
zens of his town, which fact is indicated by 
his election first, for two terms, as justice 
of the peace. In 1861 he was elected su- 
pervisor, which office he filled for five terms. 
In 1870 he was elected superintendent of 
the countj' alms-house, which position he 
filled until his death in I 88 I. He became 
a Christian belie\er in 1856 and ever after 
lived a life consistent with his faith. 

As superintendent of the poor, Silas 
Blanchard was a model officer ; always 
alert for securing the best interests of the 
county and the comfort, as far as posssible, 
of the unfoitunates under his care. His 
peculiar fitness for this trust and his suc- 
cessful administration of the same, are shown 
by his repeated re-election to it. Previous 
to his removal to Cortland he had filled the 
office of supervisor, as stated, and to the 
best of satisfaction to his constituents. As 
a member of the board of education of the 
academy he was painstaking and earnest, 
and as a member of the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church, was always mindful of the best 
interests of the societ}'. As a man, a neigh- 
bor, he was greatly missed in all the ordi- 
nary relations of life. His funeral was at- 
tended very largel}', including the academj' 
board and the directors of the First Na- 
tional Bank who attended in a body. 

Though a man of active labor in life and 
therefore recognized as of great worth to 



Silas Bi.anchard. — A. W Gates. 



455 



the community, Mr. Blanchard was, never- 
tliele.'is, (|uiet and nnassimiini; and of few 
words. He acted rather than talked: his 
work was noiseless and liencc all that he ac- 
complished was not know n to the world. 1 le 
was not impulsive; slow to act until he knew 
he was right, when he became the embodi- 
ment of perseverance and quiet industr\-. 
His on!)- child was Wilson Blanchartl, born 
Aug. 3d, 1841 ; died Oct. 19th, 1.S42. His 
widow, Mrs. Eh'ira Blanchard, is still li\ing, 
one of the honored and bclo\'ed members 
of society in Homer. 

At a special meeting of the board of ed- 
ucation of Homer Acadeni}' and Union 
School, held nn Tuesdaj' Jul_\- 12th, 1S81, in 
recognition of the death of Silas Blanchard, 
the following resolutions were unanimousl)' 
passed by the board and (Ordered published: 

" Jl'/u'/rds, The hoard of education of Homer 
Acadeni)' are deeply afflicted in the removal by 
death of OLU' honored associate. Mr. Silas Hlanch- 
ard, therefore. 

■' /ifso/'i'c'i/. I'hat we hereb)' record our appre- 
ciation of the urbane, wise and t'aithful services 
of our brother during his long term cif office upon 
this board. 

'^Resolved, That we hereby express our deep 
feeling of personal loss and berea\'enient in the 
death of one so efficient and trustworthy and so 
eminently courteous in all his relations w ith us. 

•' Resolved. That we hereby tender to the im- 
mediate family and Iriends of our departed col- 
league, our sincere sympathy in the scjrrow that 
peculiarly rests upon theui ; assured as we are 
that their best consolation will come tVoui the 
example and memory of him whom we mourn, 
and from the same truths and the same faith 
which shaped his life. ga\e him victory in 
death and ens\u-od tor him the eternal life of a 
Christian." 

A similar series of resolutions were 
adopted by the trustees of the Methodist 
Church of Homer, but they need not be 
quoted here. They are simply an added 
testimony to the general worth in lite and 
the loss felt in the death of Silas lilanchard. 



A. 



W. GATES. The subject of this 
sketch is the grandson of Amos Gates 
and Susan i'ike. natives of Massachusetts. 
His fatlier was Da\is Gates, who left 
Harnestown with his father in 1824, and 
came to Caroline, Tompkins county, N. Y. 
He was born Sept. 7th, 1803, and married 
Lucinda Bonney January i8th, 1827, the 
l\e\ .\lfVed Bennett, of Homer, ])crforming 
the ceremony. Lucinda Bonney was the 
daughter of Capt. Jethro Bonney and Lu- 
cinda Webster. Jethro Bonney was born 
in Litchfield Co., Conn., in 1771. He 
died of dropsy Nov. loth, 1866, aged ninety- 
six years. At the age of fourteen, he re- 
moved to this State and settled in what is 
now Washington county, where he married 
Lucinda Webster Sept. 22d, 1791. In 
1800 he, with his in\alid wife, remo\-ed to 
Homer (now Cortland). His wife died in 
1820. In 1787 Mr. Bonney entered the 
military serxice, being but sixteen years of 
age, and served twenty-five years, passing 
through the different official grades to a 
captaincy ; he filled these offices with 

I honor, and resigned just before the war of 

! 1812. During this war he enlisted in a 
company of exempts, paying his own ex- 
penses, and recei\'ed from the governor a 
second captain's commission. In this vet- 
eran band he did \aliant service. He lived 
to the age of ninuty-six and died in the vil- 
lage of Cortland. Lucinda Webster was a 
daughter of Oliver Webster (uncle to Dan- 
iel Webster) and Patience Wriglit, both of 

I Massachusetts, and Daniel Webster was a 
double cousin of Silas Wright, governor of 
the State of New York in early years. 

Lucinda Bonney was a native of St. 
.Albans, Vt., and was born Noxcmber 13th, 
1803, and is at present living in vigorous 
health at Lyons. Clinton county, Iowa. 

t Davis Gates and Lucinda Bonney were 
married in the old log house on lot 51, in 
the tow n of Cortlandville. This house and 



456 



History of Cortland County. 



lot of fifty acres was then owned by her 
brother. 

During the year following the marriage 
of Lucinda Bonney and Davis Gates the 
family made three removals, returning to 
Caroline, Tompkins county, where Alonzo 
W. Gates was born Feb. 5th, 1829. In 1830 
they removed to Clarance, Erie county, 
where Jethro Gates was born, Oct. 28th of 
that year. During their stay in Erie 
county Mr. Gates purchased the propcrt}' 
belonging to his wife's brother in Cortland- 
ville and came back in 1834 to the liouse 
in which they were married, and where 
Berintha was born Sept. 17th, 1835, and 
Olive Mary July 7th, 1837. 

On this farm of fifty acres the earlier 
years of Alonzo \V. Gates were spent in 
aiding to clear and till the land and to per- 
form other severe labor incident to pioneer 
life. When seventeen years old he assisted 
his father in building the frame house which 
still stands on the site ; this was his first ex- 
perience as a carpenter. In this \-ocati()n 
he was well known to the communit)' of 
former years. His leisure hours and a por- 
tion of each winter he devoted to stud}-, 
and to such good purpose that he fitted 
himself for the academy, which he entered 
when nineteen years of age, and where he 
qualified himself for teaching. This pro- 
fession he followed for several \-ears in the 
schools of Homer and Cortland, becoming 
eminentl}- successful. He was fitted for 
this work not only by education, but by 
nature, being able to enter into sympathy 
with those under him and awaken in them 
a desire to learn. This is the first and im- 
portant step towards securing an education. 
His labors as an educator brought him in 
due time a fitting reward ; he having re- 
ceived a State teacher's certificate on the 
14th of November, i860, from the Hon. H. 
H. Vandyck, State superintendent of pub- 
lic instruction. This honor was conferred 



at the instance of the Hon. Daniel E. 
W'hitmorc. now of Marathon, then county 
school superintendent, and whose knowl- 
edge of Mr. Gates warranted his bringing 
him to the proper notice of the State 
official. 

In 1856 Mr. Gates removed to Knox 
county, 111., settling and building a house 
in the village of Wataga, where he taught 
school for two years, when the death of his 
father occurred in 1858, and he returned to 
Cortland, bought out the other heirs to his 
father's estate and has since that time re- 
mained in this town. In his school work 
in Wataga Mr. Gates was also eminent!)' 
successful. He began with fort)' pupils, 
but his fame as an educator soon spread 
over the surrounding country, and pupils 
from abroad increased his enrollment to a 
hundred and fifty. This increase necessi- 
tated an addition to the building and an 
assistant teacher, which were promptl)' 
granted him by his board. 

In 1852 he was married to Miss Jerusha 
M. Carr, daughter of Wm. Carr and Rule 
Underwood, of Freetown, in this count)'. 
Mr. Carr was a native of Rhode Island and 
when nineteen years old came to this State 
and subsequently settled on what is now 
lot 20 of the town of Freetown. This was 
in the year 1820. He became, through 
his characteristics of energy, combined with 
a nature of fine sensibilit)', and deep, 
thorough religious convictions, a man of 
j prominence and the utmost respectability. 
He died in 1873, on the 17th of Januar)', 
while in attendance at a debating society in 
his own neighborhood. He was an active, 
vigorous debater, and the same character- 
istics governed his conduct in other pursuits. 
1 He died suddenly after making an earnest 
eftbrt in behalf of his Master. His wife 
Ruie was a sweet-spirited Christian woman, 
revered and loved by all who knew her. 

Mrs. Gates has been to her husband a 




ALONZO W. GATES. 



A. W. Gates. — Charles W. Gage. 



457 



helpmeet in the broadest meaning of the 
term. During their married hfe of thirty- 
two years, and especially so during their j 
sixteen years' administration of the affairs of 
the Countj--house, beginning in 1864. 
Here she labored assiduous!)- in caring for . 

the wants of the unfortunates placed under j 

1 
her care and with a degree of success known I 

only to those who have felt the gentle influ- 
ence of her presence and kindness. 

As we have said, Mr. Gates was first ap- 
pointed superintendent of the Cortland 
count)' alms-house and farm in 1864, 
serving two )'ears, and was re-appointed in 
1868, from which date he held the office 
fourteen successive years, and was re-ap- 
pointed, but owing to the ill health of his 
wife, declined the position. The length of 
this term and the unqualified satisfaction 
with which he performed the duties as- 
signed him, speak eloquentl)- of his fitness 
for responsible public or private station. 

Mr. and Mrs. Gates have but one child, 
Althea Eudora Gates, now the wife ofTa\-- 
lor A. Gage, of Cortland village. 

Mr. Gates has been a lifelong member of 
the church. While in Illinois he assisted 
in the organization of the First Methodist 
church of Wataga village, and was its first 
class-leader, and has long filled an official 
position in the church of this place. As 
superintendent of the poor, Mr. Gates has 
always been assiduous in his labors, pains- 
taking in all his duties ; he possesses a sym- 
pathetic heart that instinctivel)' turns to- 
wards those unfortunates whose hopes in 
life have been blasted and need the kind- 
ness of a considerate overseer to ameliorate 
their unhappy condition ; and it is gratify- 
ing to know that the people of Cortland 
county, in consideration of the fitness of 
Mr. and Mrs. Gates for this place, repeat- 
edly re-elected him to the position. 

Mr. Gates's principles were strongly anti- 
slaver)- for several )-ears previous to the 



formation of the Republican party, and he 
was an active participant in the first Re- 
publican Convention of Cortland county, 
when that party was organized, and has 
been a supporter of its principles ever since. 
He has retired to a great extent from active 
business and lives to enjoy his home and 
the respect of all w-ho know him. 



CHARLES W. GAGE is a descendant 
of William Gage, of Albany, a relative 
of General William Gage of colonial days 
and the Revolutionary War, and one of 
three brothers who came to America in 
the earlier portion of that period. One 
of these brothers settled in Massachusetts, 
one in Albany, N. Y., and one in Madison 
county, N. Y. F"rom William Gage, of 
Albany, descended Wesson Gage, father of 
the subject of his sketch. Wesson Gage 
was born in 1797 and was inured to the 
hardships of pioneer life, laboring on his 
father's farm. In 1813 he married Martha 
Miller. In 181 5 he became a member of 
the Methodist Church and was an earnest 
worker in the cause until his death. In 
the year 1818 he received a license to 
exhort; in 1822 to preach, and in 1826 
was ordained a regular minister of the 
gospel. His life in tiie ministry was 
replete with all that entered into the hard- 
ships of earl)- Methodism, and before the 
8th of March, 1831, he had preached at 
one hundred and ten funerals, and before 
his death, which occurred in August, 1847, 
he had officiated on similar occasions three 
hundred and ninety-nine times, besides 
performing a large number of baptisms. 
During his ministerial work he also carried 
on farming. His labors in the ministry 
were never for a stated salar)-, but were 
given to the cause without cost while he 
labored as a farmer for his means of living. 
He was an adept in the use of tools, was 
ingenious and possessed inventi\-e genius 



45S 



History ok Corti.axu Countv. 



Man)- devices originated by him were 
afterward patented by others. As neces- 
sity arose in his own experience, joined 
with a desire to economize time and labor, it 
was natural for him to study out some 
means to the desired end. riu- results of 
such study were in several instances taken 
advantage of b}' others, who reaped sub- 
stantial benefit therefrom. The revoking 
ha\' rake was one of his iiuentions and was 
Lised a long time before being finall\- pat- 
ented b\- others. It was unixersally em- 
ployed until recent years. This was on!}- one 
of man\' practical devices of his, which en- 
title him to rank high as an earl}- mechanic. 
He was born Feb. 7th, 1793, and died Jul)- 
29th, 1847. His wife was born Jan. 20tli, 
1795. Their children were Ira, William M., 
Da\-id W. Jeremiah, Henry S., Irena, Lor- 
ena, Martha, Sidne}- V., Naiic}-, Charles W., 
Ruth M., Zephaniah, Hannah and Wesson, 
jr. But four of these are now living. 

Charles VV. Gage, the subject of this 
sketch, was born Mny 19th, 1833, in the 
town of Knox, Albany county, X. \' In 
1843, when ten years of age, his mother 
died, antl when thirteen \-ears old his father 
died leaving him to make his own way in 
the world. Being one of a ver}- large 
famih- of children, there was but little pat- 
rimony for each. And necessit\- drove him 
to start out in life for himself When six- 
teen years of age he began work for a far- 
mer, who put him at chopping wood. The 
first da)''s wurk was well jjerformed, but 
upon being sent into the timber the second 
da)-, to do a class of labor which he had 
been accustomed to perform b\- horse 
power, he was disgusted with the backward 
character of his cmplo\-er's management, 
stuck his axe in a log ;uid left without sa)- 
ing good-bye. Years after this occurrence 
his employer settled with Mr. Gage for his 
labor, as far as the principal of the debt 
was concerned. 



Mr. Gage then went to Cleveland, 
Oswego county, N. Y., where he began 
work in the chair factor)- of Hitchcock & 
Son. He remained here one year and a 
half and by economy saved a little money, 
which he expended in the laudable work 
of securing more education, attending 
school in Alban\- countv one year. He 
ne.vt sought .md obtained work in a car- 
riage shop at Bainbridge, N. Y. Here he 
became acquainted with his present wife. 
He subsequently worked for Geo. Ben- 
noyer, in Greene, Chenango coimt\', X Y.,' 
for two )-ears. On the 14th of March, 1854, 
he was married to Abigail Bearsall, daugh- 
ter of Samuel Bearsall, a farmer of Che- 
nango count)-. In the fall of 1855 Mr. 
Gage removed to Homer and began work 
for Ra)-niond Smith, a carriage maker; but 
he soon gave rein to his in\-entive talent 
and devoted his energy to the patent busi- 
ness for several years. Some of the inven- 
tions of Mr. Gage made during this period 
are w-ell known and extensixel)- used. 
Among these we ma\- mention Gage's but- 
ter-worker, Gage's churn, Gage's anti- rat- 
tling shaft coupling, and others. 

In 1 868 he first established what has 
developed into the immense business of 
which he is now- the head. The beginning 
was coniparati\-el)- small and was located in 
a shop improvised out of his barn. The 
first year he employed no help and manu- 
factured 105 cutters, doing all the work 
himself These were readih- sold, and the 
second year he employed two hands, which 
force w-as rapiilh- augmented as the demand 
grew. Now he has ninct\- skilled workmen 
in his employ and his shops have been ex- 
tended until thcv embrace several large 
buildings three and four stories in height ; 
: these stand as a significant exposition of 
j of Mr. Gage's tireless energ)- and indomita- 
ble spirit. 

When Mr. Gage first began this whole- 



C. \V. Gage. — James Henry Salisbury. 



459 



sale manufacture of cutters, the facilities for ' 
doing the work were of such a character j 
that the cost of manufacture was from four 
to six times what it now is. This great 
reduction is due almost entirel)' to improve- 
ments in machinery invented by Mr. Gage. 
VVe cannot in this limited space mention 
but one of the more important, which is 
called the novel saw-mill. The scarcity of 
basswood and the necessitj' of producing 
cheaply first class thin lumber of large 
width, for dash-boards, were the causes 
which led to the inx'cntion of this machine, 
coupled with the waste suffered in being 
able to use onh' the "white" or sap wood 
of the logs for this purpose. The mill in 
question simply saws thin boards from the t 
circumference of a log, exactly as one would i 
unroll a carpet. The devices adopted to 
eftect this wonderful work cannot be de- 
scribed here, but the)- are wonderful in in- 
genuity and yet simple in construction. 
This machine is controlled through patents 
by Mr. Gage and his son. Five of them 
are constanth' running in their works. ■ 

Adelbert S. Gage, of the firm of Gage, i 
Hitchcock & Co., is the son of Charles \V., 
and possesses in a large degree the in\en- 
tive genius of his father, while his excellent 
business qualifications render him an indis- 
pensable factor in the great business. The 
direct management of the manufactory 
devolves largely upon him. The nati\'e 
urbanity and courteous and affable disposi- 
tion of both father and son serve them well 
in the daily contact with many employees, 
from whom they win not onh' good service, 
but respect and confidence. 

Mr. Gage has four children, one son and 
three daughters. The son, Adelbert S., 
married, on the i ith of January, 1877, Miss 
Delia Watrous ; they ha\e one son, Carl 
VV. Of the daughters. Belle M. is the wife 
of Edwin C. Johnson, a farmer of Chenango 
counlw and a banker; Carrie M is the wife 



of Frank Rronson, a tobacconist of Cortland 
village ; Franc D. is living at home. 

Mr. Gage erected his handsome residence 
in Homer in 1882, on the site of his former 
dwelling, which was burned on the memor- 
able cold morning of Feb. 2d, 1876. Mr. 
Gage is a gentleman of pleasant social 
cpialities. His address is easy and uncon- 
ventional, his manner affable and his gen- 
eral demeanor such as evinces a courteous 
regard for the rights and feelings of others. 
He has been a trustee of the village of Ho- 
mer for three years, and is at the present 
time president of the Agricultural Society' 
of Cortland countv. 



JAMES HENRY SALISBURY, B. N. 
S., A. M., M D., was born at "Evergreen 
Terrace," Scott, Cortland county, New 
York, October 13th, 1823, and was the 
second son of Nathan Salisburj- and Lucre- 
tia A. Babcock, who were married June 
2 I St, 1818. Nathan was born in Cranston, 
Rhode Island, October loth, 1793, and his 
wife, in Blandford, Massachusetts, Septem- 
ber 30th, 1792. Nathan is still living at 
"Evergreen Terrace" (No\ember 28th, 
1881), in his eight\-ninth year, and is yet 
\igorous mentally and ph\-sically. His 
wife died in her eighty-ninth year from an 
injur)'. Nathan Salisbur\- was the son of 
Nathan Salisbury, who was born December 
1st, 1751, and married May, i6th, 177 1, 
Abigail Stone (born October i6th, 1753), 
onlv daughter of Deacon Joseph Stone, of 
Cranston, Rhode Island, a descendant of 
Hugh Stone, " the stolen boy." Abigail 
Stone's mother's maiden name was Brown. 
She was a near relative of John Brown, the 
founder of Rhode Island College, afterwards 
Brown Universit)-. Nathan Salisbury was 
lieutenant of the compan)' under Captain 
Burgess that from Warwick Neck fired into 
and captured the British frigare Gc7S/>f 
a short time before the Revolutionary War. 



46o 



History of Cortland County. 



The earliest appearance of the family in 
this country was in about 1644. At tliis 
time, for political reasons and to a\()id the 
confiscation of property, etc., during the 
contest between the Parliament and the 
unfortunate Charles I, John Salisbur}- and 
Kdward Salisbury, his brother, sons of 
Henry Salisbury, Esq., and yountjer broth- 
ers of Sir Thomas Salisbury, quiet))- i;ot 
themselves awaj- fi-om Denbigh and emi- 
grated to tin's country. The former settled 
at Swansea, Massachusetts, and the latter 
near Mount Hope, in Bristol, Rhode Island. 
Thomas Salisbury of Llanrwst, Denbigh 
county, either came with them or followed 
soon after, and settled in Cranston. From 
family records and traditions, Thomas was 
supposed to be a brother of John and Ed- 
ward, but it appears from English records 
that he was probabl)- not a brother, but a 
cousin. Jt)hn and Edward derived from 
Henry Salisbury, second son of John Salis- 
bury, who became heir of Elcweni b)' 
reason of the death of his elder biother, 
Thomas, who suffered death .September 
20th, 1586, for endeavoring to deliver 
Marj- Queen of Scots, from imprisonment. 
Thomas derived from Robert Salisbury, 
fourth son of Thomas Salisbury, iieir of 
Lleweni. 

The branch of the famii}- to which the 
subject of this sketch belongs deri\es from 
Thomas Salisbury, who settled in Crans- 
ton. "The Salisbur)' family took its rise 
in German)-, and long before the con- 
quest of Flngland its head resided in 
Bavaria. The original name of the family 
was Guelph, and its leading member, 
Henry Guelph, was in tlic year 1024 
made Duke of Bavaria, b)' the emperor, 
Conrad the Second. The first duke had 
several sons, the youngest of whom. 
Prince Adam, came over to England in the 
train of William of Normand)-, in the year 
1066. This young prince did not, how- 



ever, come with William as a subject of his 
Norman dukedom, for he owed him no al- 
legiance ; but he came in the character of a 
soldier of fortune, and in that character 
took his part in the great battle of Hast- 
ings. For his service on that occasion he 
was rewarded b)- King William with a 
grant of an extensive tract of land in Rich- 
mondshire, running southwards to the river 
. Ribble in Lancashire, and it was in this 
i place the younger branch of the royal 
! famil)- of Bavaria first settled in England. 
j " .Adam Guelph soon dropped his Ger- 
man surname. He followed the Norman 
I fashion of taking up the name of a particu- 
lar place for a surname, and thus became a 
I de Saltzburg, or Adam of Saltzbur" — 
Saltzburg being the name of the place in 
I Ba\-aria from which he came. He settled 
I upon his new possessions, built himself a 
home at no great distance from Preston, 
called it after his new name, and b)- that 
name — Salmesbur)- Court or Salebur)- 
Hall — it is known to this da)-. Adam de 
Saltzburg was not, as many of his descend- 
ants proudh' supposed, a Norman, but a 
pure Sa.von, ha\-ing the same origin as the 
house of Saxon)'." The time of Adam de 
Saltzburg's death is uncertain, but in the 
year i 102 his eldest son, Alexander de 
Saltzburg, had succeeded to the father's 
vast possessions. Alexander died in 1153. 
He left two sons, Alexander and Henr\'. 
The eldest succeeded to the Lancashire 
propert)', and Henr)- to an estate in 
Cheshire. 

The following curious document ma)' be 
of interest. It is copied from Mr \\'il- 
lianis's Records of Deitbigh : 

" Ru/ii/. Pobnc of Chester, Aid., Deputy to 

the Office of A rmes. 

■• lo all .\tain people to uiiojii iliis present 
writing shall come to be scene or read, Greet- 
inge, in our Lord God Everlastinge, — Know ye 
that whereas Mr. Foulke Salisburv, one of 





^/^/^J/U^yr- y^4)- 



James Henrv Salisbury. 



461 



the 24 alderman of the City of Chester, and 
also one of his Majesties Coroners for the said 
Citty is desirous to have a Certyficate of his 
descent, that the same may appear by good Tes- 
timony, for to remayne upon record for his future 
posterity, and also to cleare all douhtes and cpics- 
tions, that eather now are or hereafter may arise 
conserninge his progenv, hath requested vs his 
kinsmen, beinge descended of the same blood 
and familey, \ nder our hands for to Certifie the 
truth thereof, by this our Testimoniall to w*^'' his 
lawful request and desire wee have yealded, as 
Christian Charity byndeth vs thereunto, to de- | 
dare and relate the same when and so often as 
wee be thereunto desired. Wherefore we do 
Certyfie that the said Mr. Foulke Salisbury was 
borne Evenighted in the County of Denbigh 
and was second sonne by birth, but now heyre, 
to Henry Salisbury of Evenighted aforesayd, in 
the County of Denbigh, Gent., lawfully begot 
ten of Margery his wife, dau. to Peirs Salisbury 
of Llanrayder, in the said County, Gent., w"^"" sayd 
Henry dyed in Chester, 6th October 1637, be- 
inge of great age; and was youngest sonne to 
Foulke Salisbury of Maes Kadarne in the sayd 
County Gent , lawfully begotten by Morvith his 
wife, daughter of Merideth Lloyd of Havod\nos. 
in the County of Carnarvon, Esq., and the for- 
sayd Foulke Salisbury was 3 sonne to Peirs Salis- 
bury of Brachymbydd. or Ruge, in the County 
of Denbigh, Esquier. laxvt'ully begotten by Mar- 
garet his first wife ; daughter and heyre to Evan 
.\p Holl, Ap Rees of Ruge, in the said County, 
Esq"'', and sayd Piers Salisbury was sonne and 
heyre to John Salisbury of IJrachymbydd, in the 
County aforesayd. Esij''- lawfully begotten of 
Lowreyhis wife: dau. and heyre to Robt. .\p 
Meredith -\p Tudyr Estj''- and the sayd Joiin 
Salisbury «as a younger somie of I'homas Salis- 
bury Hen of IJeweny in the County of Den- 
high, Esq'- and brother to S'- Thomas Salisbury; 
who was Knighted at Blackheathfield, 1464, of 
whom is decended S'- Thomas Salisbury of 
Lleweny, baronett no« lixinge, both beinge law- 
fully begotten of the body of Ellen daughter to 
S'' John Done of Vtkington in the County of 
Chester Kt. and the said I'ho : Salisbury Hen 
was Sonne and heyre to Henry Salisbury of 
Lleweny, Esq"' lawfully begott of .\gnes daugh- 
ter and hevre of S''- [ohn Curtevs. Kt. and the 



said Henry was sonne and heyre to Rafe or 
Rawlyn Salisbury, sonne and heyre to William, 
sonne and heyre to Henry, sonne and heyre to 
S"'- John, sonne and heyre to Thomas, sonne 
and heyre to Alexander, sonne and heyre to 
.\dam Salisbury, all of whose Matches remayne 
to be seen in the several! pedigrees of the said 
famileys. from w"'' this lyne mentioned in this 
Certyficate was care-fully and diligently extract- 
ed, at the request of the sayd Foulke Salis 
bury, and for more verity hereof, wee have here- 
unto subscribed our names the 14th day of No- 
vember 1638. 

" Tho. Powell of Berkhead. baronett. 

"John Conway, Kt. de Botry Dan. 

"Thomas Mvddelton, Kt. de Chirk. 

" Roger Mostvn, Kt. de Mostyn. 

•• Thomas Mostvn, Kt. de Cilken. 

" Simon 'Thelwall de Placeward, Esq. 

■■ \\illl\m Wynne de Llanvayre, Esq. 

"John Lloyd de Llanryder, Esq. 

• Peter Evans of Northop, Esq. 

•• Hugh Nanny of Nanny, Esq. 

••John Lloyd of Ruedock, Esq. 

•' Willia.m Salisbury of Ruge, Esq. 

•• John Salisbury of Brachegrigh. Esq. [sonne. 
•John Salisbury of Brachegrigh. Esq., his 

•■ William Salisbury of Llanraydrer, Esq. 

'•Willia.m Thomas of Carnarvon, Esq. 

■ John Jeffreys of Ro\ ton. Esq. 

•' Willia.m Conway of Perthekensey. Esq. 

■• PJdward Conway of Sughton. 

•■ Hugh Parry of Chester, Doctor. 

" RouLAND Griffith of Carnarvon. 

■•John Powell of Lhvynskotog. 

•■ Jenkin CoNWA^ . 

'• John Lloyd of Llanynjs. 

•• Foulke Salisbury of Denbigh. 

••Thomas Salisbury of Denbigh. 

••John 'Thelwall of Ruthen. 

••Gabriell (iooD.MAN of Ruthen. 

••John F^aton of Lleeswood, Esq. 

•• Thomas Mostyn of Rhed, Esq. 

•• Piers Conwa\ of Ruthland. Esq. 

•• Rich. Perry of Combe. Esij. 

•• Peter Wynne of Tythcn. Esq. 

■•Thomas Salisbury of Ledbrooke, Esq. 

•' Hugh Lloyd of Foxhole. Esq. 

•• Jarrait EvroN of Eyton, Esq. 

■ Edward Norris of Speke, Esq." 



462 



History of Cortland County. 



James H., the subject of this sketch, 
received his early education .a I lonier 
Academy, Cortiaiu! cminlx-. New York, 
then presided over b>- the justly celebratetl 
Professor Samuel \\'oi>lworth, who was for 
many j'ears — up to his recent death — 
secretary of the board of regents of the 
University of the State of New York. He 
received the degree of Batchelor of Natural 
Sciences (B. N. S.) at the Polytechnic In- 
stitute of Troy, New York, in 1846, pre- 
vious to which he had been appointed as- 
sistant under professor P'benezer Emmons, 
in the chemical department of the Geological 
Survey of the State of New York, which 
place he filled till January 1st, 1849, when 
he was made principal, with his brother, 
Charles B., as assistant, until 1852. 

Dr. Salisbury received the degree of 
Doctor of Medicine from the Albany Med- 
ical College in Januar_\-, 1850. and that of 
Master of Arts from Union College, Sche- 
nectady, New York, in August, 1852. 
He was elected a member of the American 
Association for the Advancement of Science 
in 1848, and the same year was also made 
a member of the Albany Institute. In 
1853 he was elected corresponding member 
of the Natural History Society of Montreal. 
In 1878 he was chosen president of the In- 
stitute of Micrology, a position he continues 
to hold. In 1857 he was elected member 
of the American Antiquarian Society, and 
in 1876 was made vice-president of the 
Western Reser\-e Historical Societ)'. In 
1879 he was elected a member of the Phil- 
osophical Society of Great Britain. In 

1848 Dr. Salisbur\- received the prize gold 
medal from the \'oung Men's Association 
of Alban\-, for the best essay on the 
" Anat(jniy and Histolog)- of Plants." In 

1849 he won the prize of three hundred 
dollars, ottered by the New York State 
Agricultural Society for the best essay on 
" The Chemical and Physiological Examin- 



ations of the Maize Plant, during the 
! various stages of its growth." This made 
a work of over two hundred pages, and 
was [niblished in the New York State Agri- 
cultural Reports for 1849, and subsequent!)- 
copied entire in the State Agricultural Re- 
I ports of Ohio. In 1851 and 1852 he gave 
[ two courses of lectures on " Elementary 
; and applied Chemistry" in the New York 
! State Normal .School. He also conducted 
a series of experiments on different sub- 
jects, which were embodied in several 
papers read before the American Associa- 
tion for the Advancement of Science in 
1851, and were published in their transac- 
tions, and also in the A^ezv York yoiinial 
of Medicine of a later date. 

While in charge of the State Laboratory 
of New York from 1849 to 1852, he was 
constantly engaged in chemical and medical 
investigations, the results of man\' of them 
being published in the Transactions of the 
American Association for the Advancement 
of Science, in State Geological and Agri- 
cultural Reports, and in the various scien- 
tific and medical journals of that period. 
In 1849 li"^ began his studies in Microscopic 
Medicine, in which he has been so success- 
ful. He has persevered in these studies, 
with scarcely any intermission, ever since, 
devoting much of his time daily to micro- 
scopic investigations. In 1858 he began 
the study of Healthy and Unhealthy Ali- 
mentation, and the influence the latter has 
in producing the x'arious chronic diseases 
that are supposed to be incurable. He has 
found by his long continued and persistent 
researches in this direction that consump- 
tion, Bright's disease, diabetes, meilitus, 
rheumatism, gout, nearh- all abnormal 
growths, the wirious paralytic diseases — 
aside from those which are the result of in- 
jury — and nearly all cases of mental de- 
rangement and fatty disease of organs, arise 
from unhealth\- feeding and drinking. He 



James Henry Salisbury. 



463 



was the pioneer in demonstrating that the 1 
various infectious anil contagious diseases 
were produced b\' specific germs, eacli kind 
always producing its special disease. He 



began these investigations, connected with 
the various germ diseases, in 1849, ''''"' ^^'"^s 
vigorously criticised both in Europe and 
this country, up to 1865, when Professor 
Ernest Hallier, of Jena, Prussia, an able 
cryptogamic botanist, in reading his papers, 
became so interested that he began investi- 
gations in the same field, and in 1868 he 
wrote him with much enthusiasm that he 
had confirmed every investigation that he 
(Salisbury) had made and published, and if 
desired he would come on and join him in 
these interesting labors, he taking charge 
of the botanical and Dr. Salisbury the med- 
ical. Soon after this Pasteur, and then 
Huxlej' and Tyndall, became interested in 
this line of labor, and now no one doubts 
the truth of the so-called " (ierm Theorj- " 
of disease. 

Farther on will be gi\'en a list of the pa- 
pers on the various germ diseases he has 
investigated, with the dates of publication. 
In i860 he began a series of investigations 
to discover if possible 'where blood was 
made, and the office and offices it pla}'ed 
in the organism. Strange as it may appear, 
no one up to this time had explored this 
field with any success. A large share of 
his time for two years was devoted to this 
work, all the microscopic work being con- 
ducted upon living, healthy animals, which 
were placed under the influence of chloro- 
form, and kept there while the necessar\- 
dissections antl niicroscoiiic Lxaminations 
were going on. .\ftcr a long, tedious, per- 
sistent and painstaking labor, during which 
several hundred animals had fallen a sacri- 
fice to the work, the mystery was solved, 
and the great blood gland was found to be 
the splfot, and the smaller ones the mesen- 
teric and l\-mphatic. These investigations 



were embodied in a paper, and published in 
the American Journal of Medical Sciences, 
Philadelphia, for April, 1866. 

rile extended labors of iiiinself and broth- 
er, C. B. Salisbur\-, on the " .Ancient Earth 
and Rock-writing" of this countr\', in con- 
nection with the earth and rock works of 
the ancient mound-builders, ha\e been em- 
bodied in a large quarto volume with thirt)'- 
nine plates, which is in the hands of the 
American Antiquarian Society, and is only 
partially published. 

The great labors of his life, comprising, 
as he claims, .ui explanation of the causes 
and successful treatment of nearly every 
chronic disease that is supposed to be in- 
curable, are )-et unpublished. In January, 
1864, Dr. Salisbury came to Cleveland to 
assist in starting " Charity Hospital Medical 
College." He gave to this institution two 
courses of lectures in 1864-65 and 1865-66 
on ph\siology, histolog)% and the micro- 
scope in disease. From January, 1864, to 
the present time, he has been constantly en- 
gaged in treating chronic diseases — espe- 
cially those which have hitherto been con- 
sidered fatal, and his success in this field is 
widely known. 

The following list of his published and 
unpublished works and papers will ser\c to 
give some idea of the extent and variety of 
his labors : 

I'l'lil.lSIIEn WORKS A.\D PAPERS. 

1. .\nal\sis of l'"ruits, Vegetables and 
(irains. New York State Geological Re- 
ports. 1 847-48-49- 

2. Prize Essay. — Chemical Investiga- 
tions of the Maize Plant in its various stages 
of growth, with the temperature of the soil 

i at various depths, and that of trees in dif- 
j ferent seasons of the >ear. Two hundred 
I and six pages. State Agricultural Reports 
1 of New York and Ohio. 1849. 



464 



History of Cortland County. 



3. Chemical Analysis of Five Varieties 
of the Cabbage. 1850. 

4. Rheum rhaponticum. Chemical ex- 
amination of the \'arious part.s of the plants. 
1850. 

5. Chemical Examination of Rumex 
Crispus. 1855. 

6. Experiments and Observation on the 
Influeirce of Poisons and Medicinal Agents 
upon Plants. 185 i. 

7. Chemical Examination of the Fruit of 
five varieties of Apples. 1850. 

8. Chemical Investigations connected 
with the Tomato, the Fruit of the Egg Plant, 
and Pods of the Okra. 1 85 i . 

9. History, Culture, and Composition of 
Apium Grax'olens and Cichorium intibus. 
1851. 

18. Some Facts and Remarks on the In- 
digestibility of Food. 1852. 

11. Compositions of Grains, Vegetables 
and Fruits. Ohio State Agricultural Re- 
ports. 1 86 1. 

12. Microscopic Researches, resulting in 
the discovery of what appears to be the 
cause of the so-called " blight " in apple, 
pear, and quince trees, and the decay in 
their fruit ; and the discovery of the cause 
of the so-called " Blister and Curl " in the 
leaves of peach trees ; with some observa- 
tions on the development of the peach fun- 
gus. Illustrated with six plates. Ohio 
State Agricultural Reports. 1863. 

13. Chronic Diarrhoea and its Complica- 
tions, or the diseases arising in armies from 
a too exclusive use of amylaceous food, with 
interesting matter relating to the diet and 
treatment of these abnormal conditions, and 
a new armj- ration proposed, with which 
this large class of diseases may be avoided. 
The Ohio Surgeon -General's Report for 
1864. 

14. Something about Cryptogams, Fer- 
mentations and Disease. St. Louis Medical 
Reporter. February, 1869. 



1 5. Probable Source of the Steatorzoon 
folliculorum. St. Louis Medical Reporter. 
January, 1869. 

16. Investigations, Chemical and Micro- 
scopical, resulting in what appears to be 
the discovery of a new function of the spleen 
and mesenteric and lymphatic glands. Do., 
August, 1867. Twent)'-nine pages. 

17. Defective Alimentation a Primary 
Cause of Disease. Do., March and April 
1st and 15th, 1868. Seventy pages and 
two plates of illustrations. 

18. On the cause of Intermittent and 
Remittent Fevers, with investigations which 
tend to prove that these affections are caus- 
ed by certain species of palmellje. Amer- 
ican Journal of Medical Sciences, 1866. 
Also, in Revue Scientifique, November, 

j 1869. 

I 19. Some Experiments on Poisoning 
I with the Vegetable Alkaloids. American 
j Journal of Medical Sciences, October, 1862. 
Twenty-eight pages. 

20. Discovery of Cholesterine and Sero- 
; line as secretions in health of the salivary, 

tear, mammary and sudorific glands ; of the 
j testis and ovary ; of the kidneys in hepatic 
derangements; of mucous membranes when 
congested and inflamed, and the fluids of 
ascites and that of spina bifida. Do., April, 
1863. Two plates. Seventeen pages. 

21. Remarks on Fungi, with an accouut 
of experiments showing the influence of the 
fungi of wheat and rye straw on the human 
system, and some observations which point 
to them as the probable source of camp 
measles, and perhaps of measles generally. 
Do., July. 1862. One plate. Twent\- 

' pages. 

22. Inoculating the Human Sj'stem with 
Straw F^ungi to protect it against the con- 
tagion of measles, with some additional ob- 
servations relating to the influence of fun- 

, gold growths in producing disease, and in 
: the fermentation and putrefaction of or- 



James Henry Salishury. 



465 



ganic bodies. Do., October, 1862. Eiglit 
pages. 

23. Parasitic Forms (Ie\'clopccl in Parent 
Epitlielial Cells of tlie Urinary and Genital 
Organs, and in the Secretions. With 34 
illustrations. Do., April, 1868. 

24. Remarks on the Structure, l'"unctions, 
and Classification of the Parent Gland Cells, 
with microscopic investigations relative to 
the causes of the several varieties of rheu- 
matism, and directions for their treatment. 
One plate of illustrations. Do., October, 
1867. Nineteen pages. 

25. Microscopic Researches relating to 
the Histology and Minute Anatomy of the 
Spleen and Lacteal and Lymphatic Glands, 
showing their ultimate structure and their 
organic elements, of their highly interesting 
and important functions, with some remarks 
on the cause of ropiness of mucus and the 
tendency of all healthy and man\' diseased 
cells to be metamorphosed into filaments. 
One plate. Tliirty-four pages. Do., April, 
1866. 

26. Description of two new Algoid Veg- 
etations, one of which appears to be the 
specific cause of syphilis and the other of 
gonorrhcca. With 16 illustrations. Do., 
1867. Also, Zeitschrift fiir Parasitcnkunde. 

1873- 

27. Geological Report of the MiUcreek 
Canal Coal Field. With i map and 2 plates. 
Published in Cincinnati, 1859. 

28. Anal}-sis, Organic and Inorganic, of 
the Cucumber. Cultivator. 1849. 

29. Experiments on the Capillary At- 
tractions of the Soil, explaining some im- 
portant and interesting principles and phe- 
nomena in agriculture and geology. The 
American Polytechnic Journal. 1853. 

30. A New Carbonic Acid Apparatus. 
Do., 1853. 

31. Analysis of Dead Sea Water. 1854. 

32. Two interesting Parasitic Diseases; 
one we take from sucking kittens, and the 



other from sucking puppies — trichosis fc- 
linus and trichosis caninus. Boston Medical 
and Surgical Journal, June 4, 1868. Six 
illustrations. Also, Zeitschrift fiir Parasit- 
cnkunde, Hallier, Jena, 1875. 

33. Pus and Infection. Boston Journal 
of Chemistry. January, 1878. 

34. Microscopic Examinations of Blood 
and the Vegetations found in Variola, Vac- 
cine, and Typhoid Fever. Sixty-six pages 
and 62 illustrations. Published by Moor- 
head, Bond & Co., New York. 1868. 

35. Vegetations found in the Blood of 
Patients Suffering from Erysipelas. Hal- 
lier's Zeitschrift fiir Parasitcnkunde. 1873. 
Eight illustrations. 

36. Infusorial Catarrh and y\sthma. 
Eighteen illustrations. Do., 1873. 

37. Analysis, Organic and Inorganic, of 
the White Sugar Beet. The Albany Cul- 
tivator. October, 185 i. 

38. Analysis, Organic and Inorganic, of 
the Parsnip. New York State Agricultural 
Report. 185 1. 

39. Ancient Rock and Earth Writing 
and Inscriptions of the Mound Builders, 
with a description of their fortifications, en- 
closures, mounds, and other earth and rock 
works. Thirty-nine plates. In the hands 
of the American Antiquarian Socict)', and 
only partially published in their transac- 
tions and in the Ohio Centennial Report. 
1863. 

40. Influence of the Position of the Body 
upon the Heart's action. American Jour- 
nal of Medical Science. 1865. 

41. Material Application of Chemistry to 
Agriculture. Albany Cultivator. 185 1. 

42. Analysis, Organic and Inorganic, of 
the Several Kinds of Grains and Vegetables. 
The Albany Cultivator. August, 1849. 

43. Drinks, Food, Bathing, Exercise, 
Clothing and Medical Treatment in Con- 
sumption. Virginia Medical Monthly. Sep- 
tember, 1879. 



466 



History of Cortland County. 



44. Drinks, Food, Bathing, Exercise, 
Clothing and Medical Treatment in Bright's 
Disease. Virginia Medical Monthly. No- 
vember, 1880. 

45. Drinks, h'ood, ]5atliing. Exercise, 
Clothing and Medical Treatment in Dia- 
betes Mellitus. Virginia Medical Monthly. 
1880. 

46. Diet Lists in Consumption, Bright's 
Disease, and Diabetes Mellitus. 1881. 

UNPUBLISHED WORKS AND PAPERS. 

1. Diphtheria, its cause and treatment. 
Three plates of illustrations. 1862. 

2. Asthma, the various forms of, ,and 
their causes and treatment. Three plates 
of illustrations. Ready for press in 1866. 

3. Consumption, its cause and treat- 
ment. Four plates. Ready for press in 
1867. 

4. Hog Cholera, its cause and prevention. 
1858. 

5. Ultimate Structure and Functions of 
the Liver. 1865. Three plates. 

6. Ultimate Structure and Functions of 
the Kidneys. 1864. Two plates. 

7. Geological Report of the Coal Fields 
of Virginia and Kentucky. 1857. With 
maps and many illustrations. 

8. Histology of Plants. Prize es.say. 
Sixty-five illustrations. 1848. 

9. Causes and Treatment of Bright's Dis- 
ease. 1865. 

10. Causes and Treatment of Diabetes. 
1864. 

11. Causes and Treatment of Goitre, 
Cretinism, Ovarian Tumors, and other Col- 
loid Diseases. 1863. 

12. Causes and Treatment of Progressive 
Locomotor Ataxy. 1867. 

13. Cause and Treatment of P'atty Dis- 
eases of the Heart, Liver, and Spleen. 
1864. 

14. Cause and Treatment of Paresis. 
1865. 



15. One of the most Common Causes of 
Paralysis, with treatment. 1867. 

16. Microscopic Examinations Connect- 
ed with Spermatozoa and Ova, with con- 
tents of pollen grains and modes of devel- 
opment of zoosporoiil cells. i860. 

17. Cryptogamic Spores in the Tissues 
of the Living Animal. Their development 
in food one source of disease, and a cause 
of fermentation, gangrene, or death and 
decay in organized bodies. Seven plates 
and 102 illustratit)ns. 

18. Microscopic Investigations Connect- 
ed with the Exudation and Expectoration 
of Angina Membranacre and Gangrenosa 
and Scarlatina Anginosa, resulting in the 
discovery of the true source of and the 
pathological progress by which the exuda- 
tions are produced ; and the further dis- 
covery of a peculiar fungus belonging to the 
genus peronospora, developing in the 
sloughs and membranes, the spores of 
which are infectious and produce the dis- 
sease ; also some general conclusions on the 
etiology of fevers, the peculiar functions of 
the epithelial cell envelope, and the pro- 
bable way in which the system receives a 
more or less permanent protective immu- 
nity by one attack of certain contagious 
diseases against a second invasion of the 
same. Three plates. One luuulretl and 
sixty illustrations. 1862. 

19. Description of several new species of 
ascaridse found on and in the human body, 
and a brief account of several new entoz()a. 
Two plates and 30 figures. 1S65. 

20. Investigations Connected with the 
Cause and Treatment of Paral}-sis of the 
Will, Paralysis of the Memory, and Paraly- 
sis of the entire Intellectual and Moral 
I""aculties, causing a peculiar mental state 
and insanity. 

2 1. Uterine I-'ibroids, Ovarain Tumors, 
Cancers, and Fibrous Growths generally. 
Their treatment and cure b}- drinks and diet. 






yfO^-TytylJ QJ'l-^ 



^/^iyyHef, 





James S. Squires. 



467 



He was married on the 26th of June, 
i860, to Clara Brascc, daughter of Hon. 
Jolin T. Brasee, of Lancaster, Ohio. She 
was born April 26th, 1839. They have 
the following children : Minnie B. Salisbury, 
born August 27th, 1866, and Trafford B. 
Salisbury, born January 22d, 1S74. 



TAMES S. SQUIRES, of Cortland, is de- 
I scended from one of thioc brothers who 
emigrated from England in the earlier his- 
tory of our country, and located at Say- 
brook, Connecticut. His graadfather, Sam- 
uel Stent Squires, was born in Saybrook in 
the early part of the eighteenth century and 
participated in the French and Indian War, 
particularly in the conflicts ot Braddock's 
defeat and at Fort Du Ouesne. He received 
his discharge at Perth Amboy, N. J., at the 
close of that war. He also served the full 
period of seven years in the Revolutionary 
War, entering into the spirit of those times 
and fighting as all others did, and sacrific- 
ing as many had to, for our liberty and in- 
dependence. He married Margaret Cook, 
the mother of the father of our subject, John 
S. Squires. The latter was born in New Ha- 
ven, Conn., in 1 77 1, and removed to P'arm- 
ington. Conn., in 1793, when t\vent}'-two 
years old, and there married Huldah Had- 
sell. Her father, James Hadsell, was also 
a Revolutionary soldier, and his wife was a 
teacher who supported her family and seven 
children during those long years of anxiety 
and privation by teaching a common school. 
In 1800 John S. Squires moved to Choco- 
nut, Broome Co., where he remained one 
summer, removing thence to near Mara- 
thon, where he located just below tlic pres- 
ent village. His trip westward from his na- 
tive town was made with an ox team and 
one horse. He crossed the Hudson on the 
ice and made his way to the State turnpike 
leading west at a time when there was no 
other road e.Kcept a line of marked trees. 



He accomplished this trip in about three 
weeks. 

In 1800 there was one saw-mill and one 
grist-mill only in the vicinity where Mr. 
Squires first located in Broome county. 
These were patronized after the Squires 
famil)' removed to Marathon, the settlers 
generally going to and from the mills in frail 
and rudely constructed canoes or "dug- 
outs" up and down the Tioughnioga. There 
was a mill at Cayuga lake, twenty miles dis- 
tant, but this was not so easily readied, the 
journey being overland. 

The first house erected by Mr. Squires in 
Marathon and Virgil had no door save a 
blanket, and the only windows were open- 
ings covered w ith paper. The floor was 
made of planks or " puncheons " split from 
logs. 

In 1807 John S. Squires moved to Vir- 
gil and took up four hundred acres of land, 
where he resided until his death June 24th, 

1835- 

He was a man of splendid physical pro- 
portions, weighing about two hundred and 
fifty pounds, active and energetic, and was 
thus able to accomplish much towards sub- 
duing the wilderness and bringing it under 
cultivation. He was lieutenant of a com- 
pany of aged men which was organized in 
18 1 3 for frontier defense against Canada. 
Simeon West was captain and Wm. Powers 
ensign. Mr. Squires reared a family of 
twelve children, six sons and six daughters. 
The daughters were all married and be- 
came mothers of families, and lived to be 
over sixty years old. The three oldest 
sons all died before they were twenty-one 
years old. John A., his fourth son, was a 
prominent resident of Iowa, where he died 
some years ago. Dann C. Squires, mem- 
ber of assembly in 1864, and again in 1874, 
and who was for thirty years justice of the 
peace and forty-four years district clerk, 
was the next son. He died in the old 



46S 



History of Cortland County. 



homestead in what is now Lapeer, Decem- 
ber 17th, 1874. 

James S. Scitiircs, the subject of this sketch, 
was the youngest member of the family, 
and was born in Virgil, Jan. 31st, 1819. 
His early life was spent on the farm, t<iiling 
early and late, going to school onl)- on such 
days as he could not work out on account 
of inclement weather. His school privi- 
leges were therefore limited to a few days or 
weeks in winter of each year. His zeal for 
learning was great, and notwithstanding the 
difficulties in the wa}', he diligently pursued 
his .studies at home, often stretching him- 
self before the open fire-place in the even- 
ing and poring over his books by the light 
of the fire. When he reached the age of 
si.xteen years his father died, leaving a large 
family of children, and James S. saw before 
him a life in which he must stand or fall by 
his own efforts. Accordingly in the follow- 
ing year he made pre[)arations to start out 
into the world for himself. His mother was 
a devoted Christian woman from her girl- 
hood, and changed her faith from Presby- 
terian to Baptist principles soon after her 
husband's death. She now, as her \'oung- 
est son was about to leave her side, admon- 
ished and counseled him as to his future 
habits. She obtained from him promises that 
he would never use tobacco in anj' form ; 
would abstain from intoxicating drinks; 
would never gamble in any way ; would 
strictly observe the Sabbath day, and would 
in all things be guided by her Christian 
teaching and advice. These promises he has 
always tried faithfully to keep and they 
have, in his estimation, been the foundation 
stones upon which he has built up a suc- 
cessful career as a business man and gained 
the esteem and friendship of all his ac- 
(juaintances. Following naturally upon the 
habits formed from those promises, came 
honesty, uprightness and a conscientious 
regard for the rights of his fellowmen. As 



a merchant he never permitted his clerks to 
misrepresent goods for the purpose of effect- 
ing a sale, and in all things enilca\'ored to 
have them conform to his correct business 
methods ; in short, he followed the only 
course through life upon which can be es- 
tablished a successful and justifiable record. 
When eighteen )'cars old he attended school 
one full term, under the late Nathan Bou- 
ton, in Virgil, and made such rapid ad- 
vancement that his teacher gave him a cer- 
tificate to teach. In this occupation he af- 
terwards learned more than he had been 
able to under his previous limited advan- 
tages. 

But Mr. Squires was a born merchant, 
and this characteristic showed itself when 
he had reached only the age of ten years ; 
he then purchased a quantity of top-onion 
seed of his brother at six cents a quart, 
which he sold among his neighbors during 
evenings at ten cents. In this way he made 
fifty cents, which he invested in a lamb, 
which he let for a term of years to double, 
and from the increase of this investment he 
found himself the possessor at the time of 
his first marriage, when he was twenty-four 
N'ears old, of thirty-two sheep. Of these 
he sold twenty-five for $50, a profit of a 
dollar for each original penny invested. 
The other seven sheep were sold to a tailor 
and served to pay for cutting and making 
his wedding suit, himself furnishing the 
goods. 

In the \-ear 1S43 Mr. Squires began mer- 
cantile business for himself in Virgil; but 
through endorsements for the accommoda- 
tion of others, this venture failed, leaving 
him twent)'-two hundred dollars in debt. 
Contrary to the advice of his friends and 
others he devoted his best energies to the 
payment of his hea\'\' burden, which he ac- 
complished within a few years. The wis- 
dom of this course was shown when the 
people of the town made him postmaster 



James S. Squires. 



469 



soon after the failure, and the next year su- 
perintendent of schools, which office he held 
while he remained in the town. 

He subsequently (1853) removed to 
Cortland village, where he engaged in mer- 
cantile business of a general character and 
succeeded in building up an annual trade 
of about $100,000 a year. His store was 
known as the largest in the county at that 
time and the most successful, employing 
much of the time ten clerks, several of whom 
remained with him fifteen years and are now 
numbered among the foremost business 
men of Cortland and other places. 

In 1869 Mr. Squires became president 
of the Bank of Cortland, which responsible 
position he filled with abilit\- for fifteen 
years until 1SS4, when he resigned to de- 
vote all of his time to his personal business. 
He was prominentU- instrumental in secur- 
ing the location of the State Normal School 
at Cortland, and has also done much to 
encourage the establishment of manufactur- 
ing interests in the place, contributing lib- 
erally of his own means to this purpose. 
He was made treasurer of the Ithaca and 
Cortland railroad and of the Utica, Che- 
nango and Cortland railroad, which offices 
he has held until the present time. lie 
gave liberally, also, to the fund for the 
erection of the Baptist Church in Cortland, 
of which he has for many years been a 
faithful and consistent member. lie was 
elected trustee of the society in 1858 and 
has held the office ever since. He was ap- 
pointed treasurer in i860 and still holds 
that position. He has been one of the pul- 
pit committee since 1861 and was elected 
deacon in 1875, still holding the office. In 
1876 he was elected president of the board 
of trustees and now holds that office. 

Mr. Squires built his handsome residence 
in Cortland on the corner of Tompkins antl 
Prospect streets in 1871. It is one of the 
most attractive private dwellings in the vil- 



lage and has been greatly improved by the 
addition of conservatories, piazzas, etc. In 
1876 he purchased the site of the Old Eagle 
store, built early in the century by General 
Roswell Randall, and erected thereon the 
handsome and valuable Squires building at 
a cost of about $40,000, containing seven 
stores, eight offices and ten flats. 

Mr. Squires has been married three 
times, the first event occurring on Decem- 
ber 24th, 1843, when he was united with 
Miss Lucia Chamberlain, formerly of Otsego 
county. She was born Feb. 5th, 1 821, and 
died March i6th, 1862. She was a de- 
voted and Christian wife and ninther, and 
died strong in her faith in Jesus. The old- 
est child of this union was Lucia Verdine 
Squires, who w\as born Aug. 5th, 1847. 
She was married to Jerome R. Hathway in 
1868, and died May 28th, 1877. The 
second child was Francesca Eudell Squires, 
born Dec. 6th, 1849; she is now the wife 
of Geo. W. Edgcomb, of Cortland. Two 
sons were born of this marriage also; the 
oldest is James Duane Squires, now a mem- 
ber of the law firm of Thornall, Squires & 
Constant, 120 Broadway, New York city. 
He was born in Cortlandville, Feb. 8th, 1855, 
attended school at the Cortlandville Acad- 
emy and later at the Normal School, where 
he graduated at the age of si.xteen. After 
teaching one season he took an extra course 
at the Rochester Collegiate Institute where 
he graduated and took the first prize for 
commencement oration. 

In 1873 he entered the Rochester Uni- 
versit)- where he graduated in 1877. After 
studying law a short time in Cortland he 
went to New York cit\- and entered the 
office of Hon. Everett P. Wheeler as a 
student. He afterwards became a clerk in 
the office of Deane & Chamberlain, one of 
the largest real estate law firms in the city. 
He was admitted to the bar in May, 1881, 
and in May, 1882, was made a junior mem- 



470 



History of Cortland County. 



ber of the firm of Dcanc & Chamberlain. 
This firm dissolved in the early jiart of 
1884, when he became a member of the 
law firm above mentioned. 

The other son is Earl I'rank Squires, 
born in Cortlandville Aug. 2d, 1857. He 



business in Cortland, of which he is now 
the junior member. Me was married to 
Miss Ophelia Evans, daughter of W. R. 
ICvans, of Dallas, Texas, July 30th, 1S79. 

Mr. Squires' second marriage occurred on 
the 8th of Aug. 1865, to Miss Libbie 




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g<r;» 



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! osrT'irK /rr 



THE SQUIRKS BUILDING, CORTLAND, N. V. 



was educated at the Normal School, and 
afterwards engaged as clerk in the mercan- 
tile business and to some extent in farm 
work in his native town. In 1877 he be- 
came a member of the firm of Stoker & 
Co., grocers and provision dealers, which 
was very successful. In 1882 the firm of 
Squires & Co., was organized for the same 



Adclia Purinton, daughter of Dr. Purinton, 
of West Virginia, and granddaughter of 
Elder Purinton, of Tru.xton. She was 
born in Truxton May 13th, 1839, and died 
November 30th, 1S71, and was a lady of 
excellent qualities. Vernon P. Squires, the 
eldest son born of this union, was born 
Nov. 4th, 1866, and is now in the Cortland 



James S. Squires. 



471 



Normal School preparing for college. 
Emma Maud Squires was born May 25th, 
i86g, and is now in the Normal School, 
preparing for Vassar College. Louis Al- 
mon Squires, born Nov. 24tli, 1871, is now 
in the Normal School, pursuing his regular 
course of studies. 

Mr. Squires was again married on the 
14th of May, 1873, to Mary EHzabcth 



man whose tastes lead him to the enjoy- 
ment of home, and hence he has freely be- 
stowed of his wealth to make the surround- 
ings and interior of his dwelling-place as 
attractive as possible, with a conservatory 
and its numerous plants and flowers for 
winter, and his beautiful yard for summer, 
with which he and his family have ever 
taken much pleasure. 




RKSniENCE OF J.\MES S. 

Lester, of Ringhamton, who had been a 
teacher many years and principal of the 
primary department of the Cortland Nor- 
mal School. Their children by this mar- 
riage are Mary Louisa, born July 19th, 
1875, died Aug. 17th, 1876; and Fred 
Dann Lester, born Feb. 2d, 1877, now in 
the Normal School. 

Mr. Squires lives to enjo)- the fruits of 
his well spent life, in a domestic circle which 
is in all respects one to be envied. He is a 



SQUIRES, CUKILAXH, N. V. 

THE SQUIRES BUILDING. 
The accompanying illustration gives a 
good view of the new Squires building, 
erected by James S. Squires in the summer 
of 1883. It occupies the historic corner 
(Tompkins and South Main street). where 
stood what was known as the old Eagle 
store, a portion of which structure is em- 
braced in and built aroimd, so to speak, by 
the new building. The old Eagle store was 
built by Gen. Roswell Randall nearly sev- 



472 



History of Cortland County. 



cnty years ago, and was then one of the 
most pretentious buildings in the State west 
of Albany. There was an arcade or rotunda 
in the center, from which a winding stair- 
case led to each of the three stt)ries. In 
that building Mr. Randall kept a store for 
many years, wliich was well known through- 
out the count)'. The new Squires building 
has seven stores on the ground floor, all of 
which are now occupied. The second story 
is divided into offices anci flats. The ten 
suits of offices are also all occupied. The 
third story is designed for flats, or suits of 
living rooms, for which it is admirably fitted 
and supplied with all modern improve- 
ments. A handsome tower surmounts the 
corner of the building in which is an illu- 
minated clock. As a whole the Squires 
l)uikling, occupying as it does one of the 
most conspicuous and convenient corners 
in the village, is a handsome structure 
and is a credit to the village and an honor 
to its owner. 

RESIDENCK OF J.VME.S S. SQUIRES. 

In the )-ear 1853 Mr. Squires purchased 
of David R. Hubbard the lot numbered 44 
Tompkins street, Cortland village, on which 
he built a frame house tiiat he occupied 
until 1871, and this was the first dwelling 
house on the north side of that street, west 
of the Randall property (with the exception 
of some untenable buildings), and in 1871 
this house was removed and his handsome 
brick residence was erected on the same 
street. The street is now one of the finest 
in Cortland village, with respect to the 
character of its jirivate residences and 
grounds, and is one of the most popular 
and attractive thoroughfares in the place. 
Mr. Squires' residence, as will be seen by 
the engraving herein, is characterized by 
its modest elegance and plain, yet synmiet- 
rical architecture. The grounds arc hand- 
somely laid out and carefully attentled. 



CALEB BARDANO HITCHCOCK, the 
subject of this sketch, is one of the repre- 
sentative business men of Cortland coun- 
ty. His grandfather, Noah Hitchcock, was 
among the pioneer settlers of Homer, N. Y. 
His father, Caleb Hitchcock, moved to Dry- 
den, N. Y., where Caleb B. was born March 
30th, 1839. In 1 841 his father died, leav- 
ing his mother with six children, of whom 
Caleb was the youngest, being only two 
years of age. Mrs. Hitchcock then removed 
to Homer with her j-oung family, and b\' 
her own industry and economy secured to 
her children the advantages of a good edu- 
cation. Wlien thirteen years old, Caleb B. 
went to Venice, Cayuga coimt)-, and worked 
on the farm of Jesse Tillet for two years, 
attending the winter terms of the district 
school. Returning to Homer at the end 
of this time he attended tlie academy four 
terms, which completed his school educa- 
tion. Thus, at the age of seventeen, he 
started out to begin the battle of life and to 
win a [josition among men. Two }-ears 
later found him an emploj-ee in the tluii cel- 
ebrated carriage factory of S. W. Catch', at 
Tully, Onondaga Co., N. Y., where he ob- 
tained a thorough knowledge of all parts of 
carriage work. 

At the end of three years' service he went 
to Cincinnatus and worked in the shop of 
Larabee & Gee, where, a year later, with the 
earnings which his frugality had enabled 
him to save, he purchased an interest in tiie 
business, afterwards becoming the sole pro- 
prietor. 

After a time he disposed of his carriage 
shop and opened a furniture, undertaking 
and livery business, in which he remained 
until about 1877. During this time he oc- 
casionally finished a few cutters and con- 
ceived the idea of the large manufacturing 
interest which now bears his name. 

Recognizing the limit and inconvenience 
placeil upon business in an inland town, and 





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=y-^ 




Caleb Bardano Hitchcock. — Alonzo D. Blodgett. 



473 



observing the growing impulse for exten- 
sive manufactories developing in Cortland, 
he removed there in the spring of 1877, to 
attempt to put into practical execution some 
of the plans he had been maturing to build 
up a large wholesale manufactory for cutters 
and sleighs. To this end he rented the Gee 
property on Port Watson street, and the 
first )-ear, having five employees, made and 
sold one hundred cutters — a business not 
exceeding four thousand dollars. The fol- 
lowing season he purchased what was then 
known as the okl church property on Elm 
street, and each year thereafter more tlian 
doubled the business — buying lot after lot 
and putting up building after building of 
immense proportions, until the business, of 
four thousand dollars in 1877, reached 
nearly half a million in 1S84. 

Mr. Hitchcock is eniphaticall)- a self- 
made man. Being a good judge of human 
nature enabled him to gather about him as 
employees men well fitted to aid him in his 
great enterprises. During his business ca- 
reer he has made no misstep through defect 
of his own judgment. He is an expert buyer, 
and it is this superior qualit}', perhaps, more 
than any other, that has enabled him to keep 
pace and even surpass many older and more 
experienced nianuficturers. 

Believing in the justice and equity of giv- 
ing an interest to those who aided him while 
building up his large business, he organized, 
in March, 1884, as his successor, "The 
Hitchcock Manufacturing Company," with 
a capital of $150,000, and a charter f)r fifty 
years with C. B. Hitchcock as president, H. 
L. Gleason, secretary, and H. C. Henry as 
treasurer. This company, on the first day of 
January, will have built and sold 3,500 wag- 
ons and 10,000 sleighs, shipping in the bus- 
iest times a sleigh every five minutes, and 
are fully sustaining their well earned repu- 
tation of building the largest number of cut- 
ters of any factory in the work!. It is their 



intention next year to build 5,000 wagons 
and 15,000 sleighs, thus pushing the busi- 
ness close to a million dollars. 



ALONZO D. BLODGETT. Following 
is a brief genealogy of the Blodgett 
family, of which the subject of this sketch 
is a member : — 

The Blodgett f»iiil\- came from Lexing- 
ton, Mass. Thomas Blodgett came from 
London in 1635 ; settled at Cambridge. 
Children, Daniel, Samuel, Susan. Samuel 
boin in I'.ngland, 1633 ; died 1687; mar- 
ried Ruth Ingleden, 1655. Children, Ruth, 
Samuel, Susan, Sarah. 

2. Thomas, born 1 660 ; removed to Lex- 
ington 1699; married Rebecca Tidd 1684. 
Children, Thomas, Rebecca, Joseph, Abi- 
gail, Saul. 

3. Joseph, jr., son of Joseph, born 1696; 
married (first wife) Sarah Stone, who was 
born at Lexington 1700; died 1735; sec- 
ond wife, Sarah Ingersoll, 1738; she was 
born at Springfield 1718. Joseph, jr., died 
June loth, 1783. Sarah Ingersoll Blod- 
gett died April 24th, 1774. Children of 
Sarah Stone and Sarah Ingersoll : Joseph, 
April 17th, 1721; Sarah, November 12th, 
1722; Anna, April loth, 1724; Abigail, 
July i8th, 1726; Ruth, March ist, 1728; 
Benjamin, June 9th, 1730 ; Abner, June 
6th, 1732; Thomas, September 26th, 1734. 
Sarah Ingersoll's children, Samuel, May 
17th, 1739; Lydia, February 7lh, 1741 ; 
Jonas, November 12th, 1743; Azubah, 
April 1 2th, 1746; Caleb, November 24th, 
1748; IClijah, October 25th, 1750; Marse- 
na, March 4th, 1754; Nathan, November 
3d, 1756; Admatha, December 15th, 1758. 

Children of Nathan Blodgett (born 1756), 
who married Abigail Bliss, born August 
30th, 1760: Loren, born April 22d, 1782; 
Rachel, born July 4th. 17S5 ; Lot, born 
August 20th, 1787; Lewis, born March 
loth, 1790; Ljilia, born September 27th, 



474 



History of Cortland County. 



1792; Abigail, born June 9th, 1/95; 
Franlvlin, born January 2 1st, 1798; Kliza, 
born Ma)- 51I1, 1 800 ; George A., born 
Jum; 26111, 1804; Dwight F., born March 
31st, 1806. 

I'^ranklin Benjamin married Aclisah 
Ucvvey, born August 8tli, 1798; married 
November 1st, 1821. Children, Orissa 
Blodgett, burn Jiil_\- 24th, 1823; Alonzo 
Dwight, born June 14th, 1825; Lewis (ia}'- 
lord, born Ma\- 14th, 1827; J. Rand<ilph, 
born March 12th, 1829; Jam- Amelia, born 
March 28th, 1831; Mary Louisa, born 
April 15 th, 1833. 

Alonzo D. Blodgett, the well-known 
farmer and stock raiser, is a grandson of 
Nathan Blodgett, an old colonial soldier 
who settled on the present Blodgett home- 
stead in 1805. Nathan Blodgett was born 
near Lexington, Mass., and bound out until 
twenty-one years old, for which service he 
received one hundred dollars. On the loth 
of -September, 1778, he was appointed ser- 
geant in the third company of the first ^'cg- 
imcnt of Worcester, Joseph Putnam, jr., 
captain; and on the 2d of Jul)-, 1792, was 
appointed by John Hancock, then governor 
of the State, as ensign of the same company, 
and on May 15th, 1794, he received an 
honorable discharge ; thereafter he was a 
pensioner until his death. In 1804 he came 
to Whitestown, N. Y., and in 1805 he built 
his log cabin near the site now occupied 
by Alonzo Blodgett's house. During the 
following year he erected his forge and was 
one of the earliest blacksmiths in the town. 
On the homestead stands an elm tree planted 
by him about the time of his settlement, 
which has attained a circumference about 
its base of nearly eleven feet. He was for 
a number of years commissioner of high- 
ways and was one of the first to take active 
steps towards securing a public library for 
the village of Cortland. His son, Franklin 
15. Blodgett, was but seven years old when 



his father came to this place. He was an 
unostentatious man, and sought no official 
honors or public station ; he turned rather 
to those domestic comforts that are found 
ill congenial and religious households of the 
character of his own. He was a carpenter 
and in 18 16 assisted in buiklingthe " 151od- 
gett's Mills " at the hamlet of that name; 
and in 1850 tlie old part of the house now 
occupied b)' y\lonzo D. Blodgett. He be- 
came a member of the Presb)-terian Church 
in Cortland in 1832; was soon after made 
an elder and then a deacon ; these offices 
he held for forty years, until 1 872; he was 
a member of the session thirty-seven years. 
In his death the cinirch lost one of its most 
valuable members and one who had been 
most devoted to the great work of ad\anc- 
ing the cause of religion. He dieil as he 
had lived, strong in the faith. 

Alonzo Dwight Blodgett, the eldest son 
of Franklin Benjamin Blodgett and Achsah 
Dewey, was born in the town of Cortland, 
June 14th, 1825, and now resides on the 
liomestead that has been the patrimon\' of 
the famil)- for eighty years, and which is 
one of the most attractive and valuable 
farms in the county. Mr. Blodgett spent a 
portion of the earlier years of his life at 
school, but being the oldest son, his advan- 
tages in this respect were limited, for his 
services were of too much consequence at 
home. Musical talent is inborn in the 
family, and especially in the subject of this 
sketch ; the study and practice of the divine 
art became a passion with him, and being 
possessed of an excellent voice, he soon took 
the position in the community to which he 
was thereby entitled — a leader in all mu- 
sical matters. As early as 1844, when he 
was but nineteen, he joined the choir of the 
Prcsb)'terian Church in Cortland, and in 
the following year became its leader. This 
position he has held constantly since that 
time — a period of forty years. No higher 




ALONZO D. BLODGETT. 



Alonzo D. Blodgett. — James H. Tkiit. 



475 



testimonial is needed tlian tliis, not only to 
his nuisical ability and devotion, but to his 
faculty for orj^anization, for harnioniziuL; 
the discords that often arise in church sing- 
ing bodies and for promoting the general 
musical interests of the community. About 
the time that he became the choir leader 
he also commenced teaching vocal music 
through this portion of the State, which 
arthious work he followed a large portion of 
fifteen years. 15ut the exposure of attending 
night schools and his practice of fulfilling his 
engagements, regardless of inclement weath- 
er or the state of his health, finall_\- produced 
such ill effects upon his jihysical system that 
he was compelled to abandon traveling al- 
together. For two years he was the ad- 
vance agent of "The Amphions," a popu- 
lar concert company that enjoyed an excel- 
lent reputation wherever they appeared. 

But although Mr. Blodgett gave up 
traveling and teaching, his musical labors 
were not by any means abandoned. In 
the numerous concerts that have been given 
in Cortland, Homer and vicinity, he has 
always been looked to as the first one to 
depend upon for success. Whatever the 
cause that has needed support — temper- 
ance, charit}', schools, churches, or any 
laudable undertaking — Mr. Blodgett has 
been found not only willing to contribute 
his talents and time and almost invariably 
to the success of the c\cnt. In Cortland 
alone he has taken part in thirty-six con- 
certs, twenty-one of which he conducted 
in person, and most of which were for char- 
itable objects. During the late war he was 
generally foremost wherever money and 
troops were to be raised, monuments 
erected, or widows and orphans of soldiers 
to be provided for, the tuneful strains of 
patriotic melodies often serving effectually 
for these purposes where other means failed. 

Before the late war Mr. Blodgett received 
the appointment of adjutant of the Forty- 



second Regiment New York State Militia, 
and afterward was enrolled in the same in 
the National Guard. Me was subsetiuently 
promoted to major and then to the lieuten- 
ant-colonelcy of the .Seventy-sixth Regi- 
ment National Guard.s, which office he 
now holds. 

Mr. Hlodgett has always taken an active 
interest in the County Agricultural Society, 
holding the office of secretary seven years, 
and elected president in 1870 and again in 
iSSi. As a farmer he has kept abreast of 
the limes; was the first president of the 
I'armer's Club, which office he has held con- 
tinuously to the present time, and which 
organization he has done much to support 
and imjjrove. 

Mr. Blodgett was united in marriage to 
Miss Eleanor Dickinson on the 13th of 
June, i860; she is a daughter of Obadiah 
Dickinson and his wife, I'LIeanor, of Onon- 
daga Valley. Her father was a native of 
Hatfield, Mass., and came to this State in 
1844; he tlieil in 1S79. Her mother is 
still living. Mr. and Mrs. Blodgett have 
two children living; Edward D., the elder, 
is in the class of '87 at Amherst College, 
antl I'"rank D. is attending school at home. 
The faniil)- now ha\'e one of the pleasantest 
suburban homes in the town. 



JAMES H. TRIPP, the banker and capi- 
talist of Marathon, N. Y., was born in 
Ancram, Columbia county, N. Y., January 
17th, 1832. His grandfather was Daniel 
Tripp who was born in the town of Paw- 
ling, N. Y., In 1 77 1, where he and his wife, 
Elizabeth Akin, became prominent in the 
sect of "P'ricnds, " of Quaker Hill, Duchess 
county, a religious society which has had 
an existence of over one hundred and fifty 
years. He afterwards removed to Ancram, 
Columbia county, N. Y. In 1838 he re- 
moved to Dr\-den, Tompkins county, N. Y., 
where he died in 1856. 



4/6 



History of Cortland County. 



Daniel A. Tripp, father of James H., was 
born in the town of Ancram, August 31st, 
1804. In 1828 he married L6ritta Havi- 
land, daughter of Benjamin H. Haviland, 
of Athens, Greene county, N. Y. Benjamin 
II. IIa\ilaiul was for a number of years 
captain of a sailing vessel on the Hudson 
river. In 1837 Daniel A. Tripp removed 
to Dryden, Tompkins county, and in the 
following year moved across the town line 
into the town of Harford, where he lived 
until his death, December 5th, 1883. He 
was a man of great industry and strict in- 
tegrit)-. His wife died in 1873 at the age 
of si\t)--se\'en years. She was an estima- 
ble woman, a great reader, aiul possessed 
remarkable powers of memory, even in her 
later da\s. Their children were Mrs. E. 
H. Lampman, of Co.xsackie, Greene county, 
N. Y.; J. II. Tripp, of Marathon; Miss C. 
H. Tripp, of Harford ; Miss V.. C. Tripp, of 
Harford ; Mrs. Louisa Thomas, of Dryden ; 
D. B. Tripp, assistant cashier of the bank of 
Marathon ; Mrs. Mary Wheeler, of Wash- 
ington, D. C. ; E. W. Tripp, of Homer; 
and John C. Tripii, who died in Syracuse 
in 1 88 1. 

James H. Tripp, when five years of age, 
came with his parents to this section of the 
State and received his early education in 
the schools of Harford, with one term in the 
Cortland Academy. When nineteen years 
of age he began teaching, which occupa- 
tion he followed in district schools during 
the winter months of five years. In 1856 
he came to Marathon and engaged as clerk 
for Peck & Atlams, a well known firm of 
general merchants at that time. He re- 
mained with them in this capacity until 
1859, when he was admitted to partnership 
under the firm name of Peck, Adams & 
Tripp, in which relationship he continued 
till the winter of 1862. It was at this 
time that the attention of H. J. Messen- 
ger was attracted toward Mr. Tripp and 



discovering in him superior business ability, 
induced him to take the responsible position 
of cashier in his Marathon bank. Up to 
this time Mr. Tripp was totally ignorant of 
banking business and did not even know 
the methods eniploj-ed to detect counterfeit 
bank bills, although the country was flooded 
with spurious paper. His success, how- 
ever, was so marked that in six months 
time he was promoted to the position of 
cashier in the large bank at Canandaigua, of 
which Mr. Messenger was president. He 
remained in the employ of Mr. Messenger 
for a period of four years, as cashier and 
as superintendent of his general aftairs in 
Marathon, Canandaigua and Geneva. 

In the fill of 1865 he entered into part- 
nership with his old employer, Lj'nian 
Adams, under the firm name of Tripp & 
Adams, bu\-iiig out liie interest of Mr. 
Peck. This business relationship has con- 
tinued to the present time, a period of 
twenty years, eighteen and a half of which 
were devoted to general merchandising and 
private banking. In June, i 884, such had 
been their success as bankers, the)- felt justi- 
fied in the organization of the First Na- 
tional Bank of Marathon, of which Mr. 
Tripp is now president. 

On the fifth of October, 1865, Mr. Tripp 
was married to Sarah Remington, a daugh- 
ter of Chauncey Remington, a druggist of 
Ontario count}-. She died in 1871, and 
and on November i ith, 1873, he married 
Mrs. Louisa Bogardus, daughter of Edward 
Farrington, a native of Duchess county, N. 
Y., who removed to near Cortland \-illage 
while \-oung and at a later date to De Ru)-i 
ter, Madison county, where he still resides; 
he is a prominent farmer at that place. 
Louisa I'arrington was first married to 
Martin 1). rxigardns, one of the leading- 
farmers of the town of Cuyler. He died 
about three years after their marriage. 
Their ilaughter, Anna, who was born in 



James H. Tripp. — James IlAiaroN IIoose. 



477 



1870, has been adopted by Mr. Tripp and 
is a loved and cherished member of his 
family. 

Mr. and Mrs. Tripp are now in the en- 
joyment of a beautiful home and the luxu- 
ries of life to which the}' are entitlctl; and 
as members of the society in which they 
live are tendered the respect and friendship 
of all. 



JAMES HARMON HOOSE was born 
January 24th, 1835, near Warnerville, 
Schoharie county, N. Y., where his [jarents 
then lived. His father, Abram Hoose, was 
born October 6th, 1808, and was of Holland 
ancestry that settled upon lands now in- 
chiiled in Columbia county, N. Y. He was 
a man of much force of character, indus- 
trious, uprii:,dit, and possessed a deep regard 
for that liberty which was established for 
citizens by the American Independence. 
Mrs. Abram Hoose, whose maiden name 
was Rosanna Miller, was born January 
26th, 1809, and belonged to German lineage 
that settled upon land near Florida in 
Montgomer_\- county, N. Y. She was a 
woman of unusual force of character, and 
possessed rare aptitudes and love for literary 
attainments, losing no opportunity to avail 
herself of the limited advantages for mental 
improvement which the countr\- then afford- 
ed. She died June 6th, 1867. 

Mr. Abram Hoose and family moved in 
1836 to the town of Parish, Oswego 
county N. Y., where he purchased wild 
land; he became a very prosperous farmer, 
and was held in high estimation as a public 
spirited citizen; he was alwa\'s the friend 
of the common school. The children in 
the family were James, who was the eldest; 
Jedidiah, five years younger, who is now a 
prominent business man in Mexico, N. Y. ; 
and Janettc who was seven years younger 
than Jedidiah ; she lived on a farm near the 
homestead until her death, which occurred 



Oct. 7th, 1884. The three children were 
brought up to be industrious and persever- 
ing; they were taught obedience and to be 
respectful to others; they were taught good 
habits of temperance; they were sent to the 
district school during their earlier years, 
and to higher schools in sub.sequent years. 

The elder son, the subject of this sketch, 
applied himself diligently and successfully 
to his studies in the district school; he was 
a constant reader, reading through the old 
district-school library and as many other 
books as he could find in the neighborhood. 
He taught his first term of school when he 
was eighteen, in the district where he had 
always attended school; the term was a 
winter school of four months, antl his wages 
were twelve dollars per month and " board 
arountl." In the following spring and fall 
he went to school at Mexico Academy and 
attended also at Mexico his first Teachers' 
Institute. He taught, in New York and in 
Ohio, district schools in winter, in Teachers' 
Institutes in the fall, and classes in the 
academy occasionally, and studied in tlie 
academy a couple of terms each \'ear, assist- 
ing his father upon the farm during vaca- 
tions. He pursued his studies, classical, 
mathematical, and scientific, in this way, at 
Mexico Academy and at Warnerville 
Seminar}-, until he entered Genesee College 
in die fall of 1859. While connected with 
the college he taught sclujol winters, but by 
pursuing his studies as a ]iri\-ate student 
with Dr. John R. French, now Dean of the 
College of Liberal Arts, Syracuse Univer- 
sity, he kept his rank in the college, and 
was graduated from it in June, 1861. 
While in college he took very high rank as 
a student, especially in the higher mathe- 
matics. He held at Pulaski in the sj^ring 
of i860 a select normal school for teachers 
of Oswego county. He afterwards became 
principal of Pulaski Academy for a short 
time. 



478 



History of Cortland County. 



Dr. Hoose was one of the prominent 
movers in organizing the Oswego County 
Teachers' Association, serving for a time as 
its corresponding secretary. He attended 
for tlie first time the New York State 
Teachers' Association at its session held in 
Syracuse, in i860; he has attended nearly 
every session of the association since that 
date; he was its president when tlie session 
was held at Saratoga Springs, in July, 1872. 
He has attended for years the meetings of 
the National Educational Association, be 
ing a life member of it; he was one year 
president of the normal section of that 
association. He is a member of the Na- 
tional Council of Education. He has been 
an alumni trustee of Syracuse University 
ever since its establishment, and was re- 
elected in June, 1884 for a third term of 
six years. 

He was conductor of Institutes from 1866 
until 1869, holding sessions in nearly every 
county of the State, although he was em- 
ployed occasionally from 1857; he con- 
ducted Institutes now and then from 1 869 to 
1877, and has delivered addresses in them 
from time to time ever since. He visited 
Europe in 1877 to investigate educational 
affairs in the old world. His pen has been 
busy as an educational writer. He was 
appointed in 1862 one of the editors of 
The New York Teaeher. He has written 
many articles for publication, and many 
addresses. His books are: Notes on the 
Educational Sj'stem of Great Britain; Hints 
to Americans visiting Europe; Studies in 
Articulation; On the Province of Methods 
of Teaching; The First Year Text-Book in 
Number, based upon the Pestalozzian Sys- 
tem. He was for one year, 1881-82, editor 
of the department of "Notes" in Education. 

Dr. Hoose has held in the State of New 
York the following positions as teacher 
since he was graduated from college: Pro- 
fessor of Mathematics in the Susquehanna 



Seminary, Binghamton; principal of a large 
select school at Sharon Springs; principal 
of Warnerville Seminary, Warner\'ille; 
teacher in charge of the English depart- 
ment in Cortland Academy, Homer; pro- 
fessor of Mathematics in the Genesee Wes- 
leyan Seminary, Lima; principal of Ward 
School No. 4, Oswego, and assistant in 
Science in the Oswego Normal School; 
professor of Theory and Practice and of 
English Language and Literature in the 
State Normal School at Brockport. He 
entered upon his duties as principal of the 
Cortland Normal School in February, 1 869, 
the first term opening March 3d, 1869. 
He was acting principal of the Fredonia 
State Normal School two months in the fall 
of 1878, upon the death of Dr. J. W. 
Armstrong, who had been principal there 
up to that date. He was superintendent 
of public schools of the city of Binghamton 
in 1881—82, during ten months of the 
school-year. 

He was married in 1861 to Miss Le- 
moyne A. Hale, of New Haven, N. Y., who 
died in 1871. He afterwards married Miss 
Helen K. Hubbard, of Norwich, N. Y. 

The following brief history of the impor- 
tant events that transpired in the life of Dr. 
Hoose from 1880 to 1884, is from the pen 
of Prof C. W. Bennett, D. D., of Syracuse 
University. [For many details of the his- 
tory of these years and for an account of 
the continued prosperity of the school, the 
reader is referred to another page of this 
volume which contains the history of the 
Cortland Normal School.] 

Says Dr. Bennett: — 

For years had been felt the need of the 
unification of the educational system of the 
State, and the removal of educational inter- 
ests from the realm of partisan politics. To 
the double headship of this system an un- 
worthy feeling of jealousy and antagonism 
had been clearly attributable. The colleges, 



James Harmon IIoose. 



479 



academies and academic departments in the 
high schools were amenable to the Board 
of Regents of the University, while in other 
respects in the public schools the superin- 
tendent of public instruction had supervis- 
ion and control. Thus a double set of re- 
ports must be prepared, and a wide differ- 
ence of opinion on the part of these two 
growing authorities at times divided the sen- 
timent of teachers even in the same room. 
These interests were also represented by 
two different annual educational gatherings, 
viz., the State Teachers' Association and 
the convocation of the Board of Regents. 
At times there was a manifest tendency to 
indulge in unfavorable criticism, and there 
was sometimes wanting that hearty sympa- 
thy and frank co-operation that were need- 
ful to secure the best results. 

The election of the superintendent of 
public instruction by the joint ballot of the 
two houses of the legislature, made this 
officer the creature of a party ; hence the 
temptation was often strong to use his im- 
mense official influence and patronage for 
partisan purposes. Moreover there was an 
autocratic centralizationof legislative, judi- 
cial and executive power : from his decis- 
ions there was no appeal ; he could undo 
to-day what had been done yesterday ; he 
had absolute power over all schools and 
school officers ; he had control of $3,000,000 
of school funds; he controlled all normal 
schools and school institutes, etc., etc. 

Many of the closest thinkers and most 
earnest educators of all political parties be- 
lieved that the system of educational super- 
intendence in the State of New York was 
most vicious, and they desired its recon- 
struction after the model of tlie .systems 
of Massachusetts, Connecticut, or Pennsyl- 
vania, where a non-partisan board of edu- 
cation appoints its own superintendent or 
secretary, who shall serve at the pleasure of 
the board and be subject to its instruction. 



and amenable to its authority. Thus, it was 
believed, would the educational interests of 
theState be mostwiselyadministered and the 
partisan element be most largely eliminated. 

The mental characteristics and educational 
experience of Ur. Hoose would not permit 
him to be an indifferent spectator of this 
movement. He threw all his energies on 
the side of administrative reconstruction 
and unification. From time to time he was 
appointed by important educational asso- 
ciations to write and speak upon this vital 
question. His utterances were clear and 
unequivocal. He was a stranger to those 
prudential maxims that govern the politi- 
cian. His was the earnestness and indiffer- 
ence to personal consequences that charac- 
terize the true reformer. 

This was the state of public feeling in the 
beginning of 1879. The New York State 
Association of School Commissioners and 
Superintendents, at their meeting in Ithaca 
in February, 1 879, appointed a committee of 
correspondence on the revision and consol- 
idation of the two systems of school super- 
vision and superintendence in the State of 
New York. Of this committee Dr. Hoose 
was made chairman. The report was given 
December 1st, 1879. It was thorough and 
exhaustive. Facts gathered from most ex- 
tended correspondence with school officers 
in many States, from wide examination of 
educational supervision in the various States, 
from the convictions of the best men in New 
York who had recommended the needed 
reform, from the work accom])lished under 
other systems as contrasted with the mea- 
ner results attained under the New York 
system, especially in the great centennial 
exhibition at Philadelphia in 1876, and 
from the partisan action of the then incum- 
bent of the office of superintendent of 
public instruction, were made the basis of a 
most complete, instructive argument result- 
insr in these conclusions : — 



48o 



History of Cortland County. 



1. That the legislature of the State of 
New York shall revise and consolidate all 
school supervision and administration under 
a State Board of Education. 

2. That this board of education shall ap- 
point the State Superintendent of Public 
Instruction, who shall serve at the pleasure 
of the board, and be subject to its direction 
and instruction. 

3. That these changes be introduced in 
the organic laws of the State at the earliest 
date that is practicable. 

To this entire reform the then Superin- 
tendent of Public Instruction, Neil Gilmour, 
was persistentl)- opposed. Both in pri\-ate 
conversation and in public utterances and 
acts, this opposition was manifest. This is 
conspicuous in his remarks before the Na- 
tional Educational Association at its session 
in Washington in Dec, 1877. The Dep- 
uty Superintendent, also the editor of a 
daily journal at Albany, as early as 1874 
fiercely attacked gentlemen of purest char- 
acter and widest educational experience, 
who were laboring to effect wise legislation 
in the interests of reform. His conduct and 
utterances had shown him to be in thorough 
sympathy with the superintendent himself 

It was at this stage of public discussion 
that strong efforts were made to discontinue 
the Normal School system in the State of 
New York. The friends of the system ral- 
lied and succeeded in appointing a commit- 
tee to investigate and report to the legisla- 
ture. Upon this committee was placed 
Hon. John I. Gilbert, of St. Lawrence, who 
was very zealous in defense of the s)-stem, 
and to whom more than to iiny other one 
man is due its defense and salvation from 
the attacks of its adversaries. During the 
legislative session of 1880 Mr. Gilbert was 
a candidate for the office of Superintendent 
of Public Instruction as against Neil Gil- 
mour, the then incumbent, and Dr. Hoose 
advocated the election of Mr. Gilbert. 



On the 28th day of the following June, 
(1880) Mr. Gilmour, the superintendent, 
wrote Dr. Hoose demanding his peremptory 
resignation of the principalship of the Cort- 
land Normal School. The suddenness and 
unexpectedness of this demand was start- 
ling to everybody. It was the more strange 
because no charges had been made, and most 
positive commendations of his management 
had been repeatedh' made. Dr. Hoose 
replied to the superintendent, declining to 
resign, and the local board, after notification 
of this action by Mr. Gilmour, inquired of 
him whether, and what charges had been 
preferred. Thus began the Cortland Nor- 
mal .School controversy, that has become so 
famous and that was watched with deep in- 
terest by the educators of New York. 

On the 1 2th day of July, 1880, Mr. Gil- 
mour wrote to the local board, also to Dr. 
Hoose, purporting to withdraw his approval 
of the further emplo)-ment of Dr. Hoose in 
the Normal School. To this communication 
the lof al board replied by stating their non- 
concurrence with the superintendent in the 
removal of Dr. Hoose, and expressing their 
opinion of the eminent fitness of that gen- 
tleman for his responsible office. The issue 
betw'een the local board and the superin- 
tendent was thus distinctly made : the for- 
mer holding that the joint concurrence of 
the superintendent and the local board was 
necessary to the removal of teachers who 
had already been appointed ; the latter hold- 
ing (and this was the oijinion of the Attor- 
ney General) that in the superintendent re- 
sided the sole power of removal. 

The local board refused to recognize the 
appointment of a successor to Dr. Hoose, 
holding that as no vacancy had occurred, no 
new principal could be appointed. Notice 
was served by the superintendent upon the 
other teachers of the .school, ordering them 
to report to his appointee. Si.x obeyed this 
summons, while si.x continued in the school 



James Harmon Hoose. 



481 



under the direction of tlie local board. The 
six vacancies were supplied, and the year 
opened as usual under the principalship of 
Dr. Hoose. Persistent attempts were made 
by Mr. Gilmour to interfere with the pros- 
perity of the school by withholding the cer- 
tificates of the appointments of students that 
had been made b\- the county authorities, 
by diverting the students to other Normal 
Schools, and by withdrawing his approval of 
the further employment of the six teachers 
who had continued under the local board. 

On the 7th da)- of September, 1880, the 
superintendent peremptorily ordered the 
School to be closed, which order the local 
board declined to obe\', since at that time 
nearly six hundred pupils, many of whom 
were from distant parts of the State were in 
actual attendance, and eminent legal coun- 
sel had expressed the opinion that the su- 
perintendent had no right or authority to 
close said school. At the same time, how- 
ever, a proposition was maile to Mr. Gil- 
mour to submit the questions of difference 
to the Supreme Court and get its early judg- 
ment thereon. This reasonable proposi- 
tion was rejected at first, then accepted 
w'ith threatening conditions, but afterwards 
again rejected b}' the superintendent. 

On the 7th day of February, 1881, the 
superintendent caused to be served upon 
the local board a peremptory writ of man- 
damus issued by the Supreme Court to 
compel said board immediately to terminate 
the employment of Dr. Hoose and recog- 
nize the appointee of the superintendent. 
This mandamus was issued b)' the Court 
solely on the ground that the superintendent 
had withdrawn his approval of said Hoose ; 
the merits of the case were in no sense can- 
vassed. Dr. Hoose immediately retired 
from the principalship under protest, not 
resigning but only waiting the final deci- 
sions of the courts. For some months he was 
engaged as superintendent of the public 



schools at Binghamton, where his efficient 
services were greatly prized. 

On the 18th day of April, 1882, the 
Court of Appeals by decision set aside the 
order of the Supreme Court that had 
granteil the mandamus, and declared Dr. 
Hoose the legal principal of said Normal 
School, which declaration was duly filed 
April 26th, 1882. Immediately after this 
decision had been rendered Dr. Hoose re- 
sumed his duties as principal to the great 
gratification of the educators of the State. 
This decision of the Court of Appeals was 
made the ground of a claim against the 
State for the amount of salaries due Dr. 
Hoose and the teachers w ho had acted with 
him in the interval between their ejection 
Feb. 7th, 1 88 1, and their restoration April 
26th, 1 88 1. On May 3d, 1884, the Board 
of Claims, after careful review of the case, 
awarded the salaries, amounting to $10,- 
217.81, and on the 24th day of May, 1884, 
Gov. Cleveland signed the bill making ap- 
propriation to pay the award of the Board 
of Claims. Thus ended this famous con- 
troversy. 

Amid it all Dr. Hoose maintained a dig- 
nity and quietude truly admirable. The per- 
sistence of the attack upon him (for this was 
the real animus of the entire movement) 
was only equaled by the coolness and earn- 
estness of the defense. At no stage of the 
controversy did he loose courage ; for he 
firmly believed that the law of the Empire 
State had not been so loosely framed as to 
permit the interests of great institutions of 
her own founding to be imperiled by the 
caprice or the animosity of a single officer. 

To him and to the local board do all the 
teachers of the State owe a debt of gratitude. 
The decisions resulting from the contro- 
versy have given greater dignity to the 
teacher's profession, and have done away 
with a craven spirit of fear that must oth- 
erwise have taken possession of all teachers 



482 



History of Cortland County. 



in the public schools. Those decisions have 
also showed that the State will carefully 
guard the reputation and interests of its 
faithful school servants, and will curb the 
hasty action of nervous or jealous officials, 
who would attempt to curb generous and 
manly discussion of public questions. 



THE FREER FAMILY. The imme- 
diate ancestors of this prominent Cort- 
land county family was John A. Freer, who, 
with liis wife, Racliacl De Puy Freer, daugh- 
ter of Joseph and Mary Ue Puy, of Roch- 
ester, Ulster couuty, N. Y., with his family 
of three children, started on the 1st day of 
November, 1802, for Homer (then in On- 
ondaga county), now Cortland county, N. Y. 
The family came by the way of Kingston, 
Catskill, Coxsackie, Albanj', Schenectady. 
Kaghnawaga, Utica, Wampsville, Manlius, 
Pompey Hill (then called Butler Hill). One 
team was driven by the hired man, and the 
other by Joseph De Puy, jr., a brother of 
Mrs. Freer. There were also in this com- 
pany, Maria De Puy, a sister of Mrs. Freer, 
and a hired man named Jacobus Clearwater. 
The night John A. Freer reached Butler 
Hill, he bought a cow for twenty dollars. 
Upon reaching the north part of Homer 
they stayed at the house of Peter Vander- 
lyne; this was on Saturday night, and the 
next day they came to the now village of 
Cortland (then consisting of only one house), 
where they attended meeting under the 
preaching of Rev. Nathan Darrow. In the 
afternoon of the same day they reached 
their destination and located on the south- 
cast corner of lot 74. This land he had 
previously purchased, but to his great dis- 
appointment found no house in which to 
take shelter. This was on the 13th day of 
November. He had been on the road thir- 
teen days. The snow on the morning of their 
arrival was eight inches deep, and with no 
house for the family nor shelter for the 



teams the outlook was indeed cold and 
gloomy. It was the wish of Mrs. Freer, 
that the tents should be taken from the 
wagon and set up by the side of a large 
hollow stump, but it was finally decided 
that they would stop at the house of Na- 
thaniel Knapp, whose family consisted only 
of himself, wife and child ; but the cabin 
was only 18 by 20 feet — certainly not a 
very commodious one — but here they 
found shelter until a log house could be 
built ; this, however, was commenced the 
very next day. But the house was without 
a door, had few boards overhead, no win- 
dows save holes in the sides of the cabin 
covered with blankets, and lacked many 
other conveniences we would now consider 
as indispensable to housekeeping. 

The neighbors at this time were the 
Messrs. Lee, Budd, Chase, Morse, Scott, 
and the two Mr. Knapps. Upon the 
morning after the removal into the new 
quarters, Anthony Freer was standing 
about two rods from the door place, when 
an animal passed by. He ran to tell his 
mother that a large black hog was near the 
house, but the tracks of the animal proved 
it to be a bear, which had passed within 
two rods of the boy. 

John A. Freer and his hired man next 
built a hovel of logs and covered it with 
poles and brush, large enough to shelter the 
teams and the cow. After this the}- con-^ 
structed a fire hearth in the cabin to burn 
wood, and after making some other simple 
provisions for the further comfort of the 
family, Mr. P'reer started out to return to 
his former home to get his sleigh and another 
load of goods. He started on Christmas 
day, 1802, and took his hired man with 
him, intending to be gone but three weeks, 
going by the way of Oxford. When he 
reached Unadilla the snow had melted off 
the ground antl he was forced to»leavc his 
small wood sled and go on horseback. 



The Frei:r F"amily. 



483 



Upon reaching his destination he had to 
wait until tlic last week in February before 
he could start on his return, and reached 
home on the 3d of March following. 
This long absence of the father, without 
word of any kind, naturally caused much 
uneasiness on the part of the wife, and 
was to her a trying time, with no earthly 
protector save a faithful dog and the kind 
assistance of the neighbors, and from the 
Lee family especiall3^ She spent these 
three months almost in solitude, save the 
howling of wolves at night and the storm 
and wind by day, around the newly con- 
structed log house ; yet her faith and cour- 
age was equal to the emergency. All kinds 
of conjectures had been indulged in as to 
what had become of the father. With no 
mails, and no post-office nearer tlian Onon- 
daga, it seemed an impossibility for her to 
obtain news ^\■ithout going in search of it her- 
self with three small children, the oldest but 
seven j'cars of age. She began to make 
preparations to return in quest of her hus- 
band. Difficulties, however, (and the main 
one was in selling her cow — the difference 
of two dollars in the price decided her to 
stay), prevented the consummation of her 
plans, and before the day of her departure 
was at hand she was joyfully surprised by 
the return of her husband. 

The family of John A. Freer and wife 
consisted often children, two of whom died 
in infancy. The remaining eight were 
named as follows, Maria, Anthony, Jane 
Low, Joseph De Puy, Catherine R., John 
James, Sarah R. and Stephen Decatur. 
Maria, the eldest, was married to Lj'man 
Mailer)- in 1817, and removed to Seneca 
county, where she died in 1845, leaving two 
children; the youngest, Elias De Puy Mal- 
lery, now lives in Cortland village. An- 
thony, a sketch of whose life is given herein. 
Jane Low died in 1883. Joseph De Puy, 
who was atlmitted to practice at law in 



1834, as attorney and solicitor in Chancery 
and as counselor in the Supreme Court in 
1838, died in 1850. Catherine R., who still 
owns property and resides there. John 
James, the fifth son, spent his life in Cort- 
land county as a farmer. He was a man 
of strong constitution, excellent habits and 
successfully accomplished whatever he un- 
dertook. He was twice married, his first 
wife being Alice Whitney, who died leav- 
ing a family of five boys; four now are liv- 
ing. He afterward married a Mrs. Tarble, 
of Freetown, by whom he had four chil- 
dren, three of whom survive him. He died 
in October, 1 884. Sarah R. , widow of James 
W. Sturtevant, whose biography appears 
in this work, still resides in Cortland. 

John A. F"reer and wife were both active 
members of the Presbyterian Church, and 
were among the original members on form- 
ing the first Presbyterian Church and So- 
ciety, which consisted of only seven mem- 
bers on its organization. 

John A. Freer died in 1826, and Rachel 
Freer died in 1852. 

Anthoxv Freer was the second child 
of John A. P^rccr and Rachael De Puy 
Freer and was born August 21st, 1797. 
His parentage on both sides can be traced 
back to the Huguenots, who came to this 
country about the year 16S0, on account of 
religious persecutions. 

Anthony Freer spent his early life on his 
father's farm on lot 74, about one mile 
south of the village of Cortland. He was 
the oldest of the family of boys, and re- 
ceived his education from the limited schools 
then afforded in a newly settled country. 
While a young man and years before his 
father's death (which occurred in 1826) he 
was noted as a man of strong mind, and of 
positive character, and possessed of a re- 
markably retentive memory. He was fre- 
quently employed by drovers of hogs, cat- 
tle and horses, and made a number of trips 



484 



History of Cortland County. 



to New York, Hartford, Connecticut and 
other routes cast, and it has been said he 
could remember every mile board on the old 
Newburg and Catskill turnpikes after one of 
his trips. His career as a farmer was con- 
tinued ver)' successful!}- until 1837, at which 
time he engaged in the fountlry business in 
Cortland village. 

He was active and energetic in the va- 
rious callings of life. He was a strong sup- 
porter of common schools and of the various 
interests connected with the growth of the 
village. He was also active in politics and 
a warm supporter of the Democratic party. 
In 1828 he was one of the first in securing 
a division of the town of Homer, going to 
Albany as a lobby member for this purpose. 
He held the offices of county treasurer and 
superintendent of the poor at various times 
and was surrogate of the county from 1836 
to 1840, and from 1844 to 1847, when the 
new constitution went into effect requiring 
the office of surrogate and county judge to 
be consolidated and to be held by a prac- 
ticing lawyer. He was an active member 
of the county agricultural society from its 
organization and in 1852 was elected its 
president. His associates in the political 
field were such men as Wm. Mallery, John 
Gillctt, General Hathaway, Oliver King- 
man, William Bartlett, and men of that 
stamp, all of whom were always present at 
the preliminary meetings and wise in their 
counsels. 

His motto and principle was always to do 
right, and never would consent to yield his 
principles of right and justice for expedi- 
ency or policy under any circumstances 
whatever. 

Mr. Freer was also an active member 
of the Presbyterian church of Cortland vil- 
lage, and served efficiently as trustee of this 
society for many years. He died September 
1 2th, 1 87 1. He was a bachelor and spent 
sixty-nine years of his earthi}' pilgrimage 



in this place. As stated by the Rev. Mr. 
Howe in his funeral discourse: "He has 
been in our midst watching as he was able to 
do the growth and development of the place 
through all the successive stages of its pro- 
gress to the attainment of its present pros- 
perity and beauty ; with whose history he 
has been identified and to whose prosperity 
we may well believe he has in no small de- 
gree contributed." 

He also bears testimony to his honesty and 
integrity in the following words: "After- 
wards he was with his brother (Stephen D. 
Freer), for a term of years, engaged largely 
and prosperously in business, building up 
and carrying forward one of the most im- 
portant manufacturing enterprises of the 
place, in the conduct of which, and in all 
his business transactions, he bears an un- 
blemished reputation for incorruptible in- 
tegrity and honesty. That he was a truly 
honest man is the verdict of all, from which 
perhaps no dissent was ever uttered." 

Joseph De Puy Freer. — At the open- 
ing of the Cortland County Circuit, June 
13th, 1850, Horatio Ballard, in a few ap- 
propriate remarks, announced the death of 
Joseph De Puy Freer, — formerly, and till 
his death, a member of the bar of the 
county, and recommended a meeting of the 
lawyers at the court-house that day for the 
purpose of paying a proper respect to the 
memory of the deceased. In pursuance of 
this recommendation, a meeting was held 
at the appointed time when it was 

Resolved, That we have received with deep 
regret information of the death of Joseph De 
Puy Freer, Esq., for several years a member of 
the bar of Cortland county. 

Resolved, That the amiable deportment, 
known firmness of character, unblemished integ- 
rity, and the legal attainments of the deceased, 
had jusdy acquired for him the regard and re- 
spect of the community and more especially of 
the profession who was most intimately associa- 
ted with him, and insures that his name and 
character will long be remembered and respected. 



The Freer Family. 



485 



Resolved, That as a mark of respect for the 
memory of the deceased, wc will wear the usual 
badge of mourning for thirty days. 

Resolved, That wc sympathize with the rela- 
tives of the deceased in the loss which they have 
sustained, and that a copy of these resolutions 
be communicated to them." 

These resolutions were also published in 
the newspapers and the members of the bar 
also attended the funeral in a body. Henry 
Stephens was chairman of the meeting and 
Lewis Kingsley- was secretary. 

This expression of his professional asso- 
ciates is, perhaps, the most deserved and 
just tribute that we can here pay to the 
memory of Joseph De Puy Freer. His loss 
to the village was looked upon by the com- 
munity as one that could scarcely be re- 
paired. Had he lived he would, without a 
doubt, have attained an eminent position 
before the public and won a still larger cir- 
cle of friends. 

Stephen Decatur Freer, the young- 
est of the ten children, was born in 181 5, 
and has passed his already long life in Cort- 
land. His younger days were spent on his 
father's farm. When fourteen years of age he 
began attendance at the village school, and 
attended for one year the high school kept 
there by Orlin Oatnam, on the plan of the 
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, of Troy. 
As an indication of his proficiency in study, 
it is related that he was called on while a boy 
in school at fourteen, by Samuel Hotchkiss, 
then county clerk, to make a map of the 
then town of Homer, locating in full the lot 
boundaries, roads, streams, business points, 
etc. This map was made and was used in 
procuring the subsequent di\isi(in of the 
town. 

At the age of seventeen Mr. l'"rccr en- 
tered the postoffice, then kept by Canfield 
Marsh, as a clerk and apprentice at the hat 
finishing trade. He did not remain there 
long, however, and in 1834 entered Gene- 
ral Randall's store on the southwest corner 



of Main and Tompkins streets, as a clerk. 
In 1837 he went into the employ of his 
brother, Anthony, in the foundry business, 
and in 1838 the firm of A. & S. D. Freer 
was formed. They conducted tiie foundry 
and a large hardware store until 1861, when 
they sold their goods to Chamberlain & 
Benton. In the mean time he had engaged 
in the coal trade, upon the opening of 
the S., B. & N. Y. railroad, in 1854, and 
also conducted that business until 1865. 
He was a member of the firm of Sears, 
Freer & Cottrell, organized in 1864, who 
manufactured flax-seed oil in the old paper- 
mill for a few years ; and entered the coal 
business again, after the failure of this in- 
dustry to prove a success, in 1873. His 
last venture proved a decided success, and 
in 1874 he purchased the large frame build- 
ing on the corner of Railroad street and the 
S. B. & N. Y. railroad, where he success- 
fully continued in this business until Au- 
gust, 1883, when he removed to the new 
coal buildings and offices just completed, 
opposite the Cortland Wagon Company's 
works. The buildings arc the finest in this 
section, the coal pocket structure being one 
hundred and eighty-eight feet in length and 
forty-eight feet in height, with a capacity 
for dumping fifteen cars at one time. It 
is supplied with all the improvements in 
screens, sie\es, etc., for preparing the coal 
without labor while loading on wagons, and 
is a model of its kind. 

Mr. Freer was married in 1841 to Miss 
Sarah M. De Puy, of Ulster county, N. Y. 
She was a daughter of Joseph De Puy, jr. 
They have four children. 

Mr. Freer has been a resident of Cort- 
land for three-score and ten years and 
has been a member of the Presbyterian 
Church for a long period. I Ic was the chief 
officer of the County Agricultural Society, 
and it was mainl)- through his influence 
that the fair grounds were purchased and 



486 



History of Cortland County. 



the temporary buildings erected in 1858. 
In 1S62 he was again elected chief officer, 
when he successfully planned and carried 
into effect the erection of the buildings now 
on the ground, and was re-elected in 1863. 
I !c has always been noted for his energy and 
activity "in all things that have demanded 
his attention. It has been aptly said that 
with him, " The best is never too good." 
This may account, in a measure, for the rep- 
utation he has always had, of keeping the 
best of goods in his store, while his charac- 
ter for integrity secured a rapid extension 
of business. When he left the foundry and 
hardware business in i86i,»he had 2,200 
names on his books, and unsettled accounts 
of about $1 1,000. Of this amount he has 
collected but about $l,000. 



AZOR LEROY COLE is a grandson of 
General Azor Cole, a Revolutionary 
soldier and pioneer settler of South Cortland. 
He came from Albany to Cortland on horse- 
back in (|uest of what was to be his future 
home. This journey was made at a time 
when there were but three houses in the vil- 
lage ; the old pioneer's last da\-'s ritle was 
fifty miles, and upon reaching the place he 
made the statement that he was seventy- 
five years old and could "throw any man 
in the county, square hold." 

1 lis wife had died before he started for his 
new home. She had experienced the hor- 
rors of Indian warfare during the Revolu- 
tionary struggle ; at one time she was driven 
from her home by the savages and slept dur- 
ing the severe blast of a wintry night with 
her two sons in a hole she had dug under 
the side of a great log in the forest. These 
two sons were John, the father of the sub- 
ject of this sketch, and Azor, both of whom 
came with their father to this place and set- 
tled on the farm now owned in part by R. 
B. Smith. 

General Azor Cole was a remarkabl)' well 



preserved man, straight as a reed, and lived 
to be ninety- nine years and nine months 
old. He was the first man, in this section 
at least, to discover the process of making 
quicklime. The opportunity was afforded 
him by an accident. They had fallen some 
heavy timber into a small pond and upon its 
being "snaked" out to be burned, drew 
forth upon it some of the marl which had 
been deposited at the bott(.)m of the pond. 
When the timber was burned it was noticed 
by him that the marl was changed to quick- 
lime, and thereafter a kiln was built and the 
business followed some time by Mr. Cole 
and his sons. 

John Cole, son of Azor, married for his 
first wife Joanna Edgecomb, and for his 
second wife Betsy McNish. The)' reared a 
large family of children, si.x of whom are 
still living, two only — Harrison De Loss 
and A. Leroy — residing in the count)-. 

John Cole was in the War of 18 12, him- 
self and his horses having been impressed 
into the service for the transportation of 
army supplies. He was a mason by trade 
and li\'ed in South Cortland until he went 
to Penns)'lvania, where he died in 1850 at 
the age of eighty-eight years. 

Azor Leroy Cole was born in South Cort- 
land Aug. 13th, 1828. Here he spent his 
early life, with limited school advantages, 
and working most of the time for Swain & 
Crandall, in the manufacture of lime. In 
1855 he worked one year at Pokeville for 
Palmer & Gleason in a door and sash fac- 
tory. He then came to Cortland village and 
for three years was baggageman at the Syra- 
cuse & Binghamton railroad station. During 
the following year he was clerk for Stephen 
D. Freer in his hardware stoor, at the close 
of which term his partnership was formed 
with G. N. Copeland and James A. Scher- 
merhorn under the firm name of Copeland 
& Co. ; this firm carried on the grocery 
trade successfully for si.x years. ^Ir. Cole 



AzoR Leroy Cole. — Dr. Caleb Green. 



487 



then removed to his present residence 
(1866) and has since that time managed the 
large real estate interests of William R. 
Randall. 

Mr. Cole was elected trustee of the village 
in 1 86 1, which office he has held three 
terms. He is a trustee of the Savings 
Bank, Cortland, and is also one of the 
trustees of the Cortland Rural Cemetery ; 
he is president of the Cortland County Bi- 
ble Society. He became a member of the M. 
E. Church in 1854 and has been a trustee 
and class-leader ever since. He has also 
filled the position of usher for twenty-eight 
years and has been superintendent of the 
Sabbath-school for many years. His work 
in the church has been of a positive and im- 
portant character, especially in relation to 
the Sabbath-schools; and his labors have also 
been effective in building up country Sabbath 
schools and in reclaiming the misguided and 
ill-spent time of young men. His wife is 
also an earnest Christian worker and a wo- 
man of most estimable qualities, whose ac- 
quaintanceship and esteem are highly prized 
by all who know her. Her name was Pa- 
melia C. Richardson, daughter of James 
Richardson, who came from Broome county 
and entered the employ of Mr. Randall, 
under whose tuition Mrs. Cole was reared. 
Mr. and Mrs. Cole were married March 8th, 
1854, and have had two children — George 
L., deceased, and William Randall Cole, a 
promising lad of fifteen years. 



DR. CALEB GREEN was born in La 
Fayette, Onondaga county, N. Y., No- 
vember 14th, 1 8 19. On the paternal side he 
was of English extraction ; on the maternal, 
Scotch. He is of patriotic blood, his grand- 
fathers having both fought in the War of the 
Revolution, — one of them beginning with 
the battle of Bunker Hill and the siege of 
Boston, was in the battles of Bennington, 
Saratoga, White Plains, and other engage- 



ments of that historic struggle. His father 
was a soldier of the war of 1812. 

From a volume published in Philadelphia 
in 1877, entitled The Physicians and Sicr- 
gcons of the United States, w-e gather some 
of the following facts in Dr. Green's his- 
tory : Being the son of a farmer, he had the 
usual experiences of a farmer's boy — hard 
work and a plenty of it, and a training in 
the habits of frugality and rigid economy. 

His early education was obtained in the 
" freeman's college " — the common school. 
He also attended the La Fayette High 
School, and afterwards the old Cortland 
Academy in its palmy days, under the man- 
agement of that prince of educators, the 
late Dr. Samuel B. Woolworth. 

In the winter of 1840-41, while teaching 
a select school in his native village, he com- 
menced the study of medicine, which he 
afterwards pursued in the office and under 
the instruction of Dr. Frank H. Hamilton, 
at that time Professor of Surgery in Geneva 
Medical College. He attended three courses 
of lectures in that college, acting, a portion 
of the time, as prosector to the professor of 
surgery. He graduated, receiving his de- 
gree of Doctor of Medicine, January 23d, 

1844. 

In March, 1844, he entered on the prac- 
tice of his profession in Homer, where he 
has since remained. 

He took an active part in the organiza- 
tion of the Medical Association of Southern 
Central New York in 1847, and issued the 
circular as chairman of the committee ap- 
pointed by the County Medical Society to 
call a convention for the purpose of such 
organization. From 1849 to 1855 he was its 
Recording Secretary, and edited its Trans- 
actions. In 1S48, at the request of the 
president of the association, ho read a report 
on Vital Statistics, with special reference to 
the climatic and hygienic conditions of tlie 
valley of the Tioughnioga. In 1849, as 



488 



HisTORV OF Cortland County. 



chairman of the committee appointed to re- 
port on "The (juaHfications requisite for 
commencing the study of medicine," he 
presented one of the earliest essays pub- 
h'shed in this coimtry on a subject which 
was then beginning to interest and stimu- 
late the medical profession. This paper 
was published in the Transactions and re- 
viewed, with cnmnicndations, in some of the 
journals. 

As an undergraduate, in 1843, he had 
publisheil in tlie Boston Medical and Sur- 
gical Journal an essay on " Epidemic In- 
fluenzas, with special reference to the Epi- 
demic of 1843," which he had clinically 
studied. 

In the same journal, in 1845, he pub- 
lished his thesis "On the Functions of the 
Oblique Muscles of the Eye," based on orig- 
inal investigations. 

He became a member of the Cortland 
County Medical Society in 1845, and was 
elected its president in 1852. The subject 
of his annual address in 1853 was "The 
Physician a NaturaHst," and by vote of 
the society a copy of the address was com- 
municated to the State Medical Society, and 
by it published in its Transactions for 1853. 
In 1S54 he was elected delegate to the 
State Medical Society for four years, and in 
1858 was elected a permanent member of 
that society. In 1862 he was again elected 
president of the Count}- Medical Society. 
He became a member of the American 
Medical Association in 1853. In i860, 
1870 and 1880 he w\as a delegate from the 
New York State Medical Society to the 
National Convention for Re\ ising the United 
States I'harmacopa-ia — acon\'ention which 
meets dccenniall}- in Washington, D. C^ 
In 1881-82 he was president of the Central 
New York Medical Association. At the 
organization of the New York State Med- 
icah Association, in February, 1884, he was 
elected its Recording Secretary. In 1870, 



on the retirement of the late venerable Dr. 
George VV. Bradford as Secretary of the 
County Medical Society, an ofifice in which 
he had most efficiently served the society for 
forty- five years consecutively, Dr. Green 
was chosen as his successor, a position 
which he has held for the last fourteen 
years. 

In 1855 he was appointed to the profes- 
sorship of Materia Medica and General 
Pathology in Geneva Medical College. In 
1858 there was a re-classification of the de- 
partments in the college, and he was ap- 
pointed to the chair of Physiology and Pa- 
thology. In March, 1862, he resigned this 
professorship, but was afterward offered the 
chair of Obstetrics, but declined. In 1872, 
on the organization of the medical depart- 
ment of Syracuse University, he was elected 
to the chair of Obstetrics and Diseases of 
Women and Children, but did not accept it, 
as he preferred to devote himself entirely to 
the practice of his profession. 

Some years ago Madison University con- 
ferred on him the honorary degree of Mas- 
ter of Arts. 

Dr. Green has devoted some attention to 
various departments of natural science, as 
leisure has permitted, never allowing the 
fascinations of their pursuit to encroach on 
his strictl}- professional duties. In this mat- 
ter he has alwaj's sacrificed his tastes and 
inclinations to the obligations of his calling, 
which have daily pressed upon him. Hence 
he has never taken time for original investi- 
gations. He has, however, kept his eyes 
attentively open to the book of nature, 
wherever its pages ha\e [Presented them- 
selves, and whatever accumulations, either 
in the literature or the field work of natural 
history, have been acquired, are the result 
of patient industry during the few leisure 
moments which have occasionally come to 
him. 

Many years ago he was elected an hon- 



Dr. Caleb Green. — Samuel G. Hatiiewav. 



489 



orary member of the Buffalo Natural His- 
tory Society. Ill 1879 he became a mem- 
ber of the American Association for the 
Advancement of Science, and in 1882 he 
was elected a member of the American So- 
ciety of Microscopists. He is also a mem- 
ber of the Central New York Microscopical 
Club. 

For about twenty years he has been much 
of the time connected with the school 
boards, — first as a trustee of Cortland 
Academy, and for the last few years as a 
member of the board of education of the 
Homer Academy and Union School. 

In addition to an ample library, riv.h not 
only in the old medical classics, for which 
he has a penchant, but also in the latest 
modern treatises, with transactions of med- 
ical societies, and other serials, he provides 
his office with several of the leading med- 
ical and scientific journals, thus keeping 
himself posted in whatever is new of prac- 
tical interest in his profession as well as in 
general science. 

On the 8th of September, 1845, Dr. Green 
was married to Miss Roxanna R. Parsons, 
of Northampton, Mass., for several years a 
teacher under Mary Lyon in Mt. Holyoke 
Female Seminary. They have had three 
children. The first dying in infincy, the 
youngest, Frederick Hyde Green, dying at 
the age of five years and six months. The 
second son, Dr. Frank Hamilton Green, 
graduated at the College of Medicine of 
Syracuse University in June, 1882. 

Dr. Green, after forty years of accumu- 
lated experience and hard work, is still, day 
and night, pursuing the active duties of his 
profession. 



MAJ.-GEN. SAMUEL G. HATHE- 
WAY.i The death of one of the found- 
ers of our county, who, for more than half 

1 From the Memorial, ]iubli.she(l by the late Hon. 
Henry S. Raiulall, in 1867. 



a century, took a leading part in its affairs 
— of a man whose life was a career of vicis- 
situde, action and success — calls for some- 
thing more than the usual brief obituary. 
It is due to the deceased, and furnishes a 
useful lesson to the living. 

Samuel Gilbert Hatheway, was born in 
Freetown, Bristol Co., Massachusetts, in 
1780. His paternal ancestors emigrated 
from Devonsliire, I-^ngland. Their descend- 
ants were active, and frequently successful 
business men, occupying prominent places 
in the comnumit)'. His father and grand- 
father were substantial farmers. His grand- 
mother, in the paternal line, was a descend- 
ant of Sir Humphrey (iilbert, the distin- 
guished maritime explorer, and of William 
Bradford, second governor of Plymoutii 
Colony. His mother was descended from 
the same families, and she counted among 
her ancestors John Aldcn, of Plymouth, 
who went a wooing for Miles Standish so 
successful!} for himself} 

The father of Samuel Gilbert Hatheway 
died near the time of his birth, leaving him 
to the care of his paternal grandfather. 1 1 is 
grandmother and mother taught him in his 
infancy, and at four years old he could read 
the Bible. Both of these relatives were 
superior women. The dignity, benevolence 
and force of character possessed by his 
grandmother, are yet remembered in neigh- 
borhood tradition ; and were constantly re- 
verted to by him to the end of his life. 

iNathanid Gilbert, a descemlanl of Sir Humphrey, 
married Welthca, a grantUlaiitjlUer of Governor Hrail- 
ford. Their daughter Wellhea, or Wealthy I'.ilberl, 
married l-:benezer Hatheway, and these were the grand- 
liarents of Samuel tlilbert Hatheway. Ezra Chase, a de- 
scendant of John Aldcn, married Jerusha Gilbert and 
their daughter married Shadrach Hatheway. These 
were the i)arenls of Samuel Gilbert Hatheway. He wa.s 
a second son. His only brother was educated under the 
care of the Rev. Mr. Andrews, and was a fine scholar. 
Just as he reached manhood, he was lost at sea in the 
vessel which heeomnianded. His only sister, .Mice, mar- 
ried Walter Ucan, a farmer of \Vinds<ir. She died early, 
leaving several children. 



490 



History of Cortland County. 



When old enough the boy was sent to 
scliool. He was an eager and ambitious 
scholar and was oftenest of any at the head 
of his class. He was a great favorite with 
his uncles, one of them often predicting, in 
a phrase of that day, that " he would cut a 
wide breadth in the world." These were 
happy days, but a sad change was approach- 
ing. The uncle, Samuel Gilbert, who had 
charged himself with the future care of the 
young orphan, died. The Gilberts had been 
mostly loyalists when the American Colo- 
nies shook off their allegiance to the Crown ; 
their estates had been confiscated ; and they 
had retired to New Brunswick, where they 
received a grant of land from the British 
government. His uncles, on the father's 
side, were in a situation where they might 
have extended a helping hand to him, but 
according to the ideas of those stern Puri- 
tan times, they felt that it was every one's 
duty to earn his own bread by the sweat of 
his brow. At nine years old he left his 
grandfather's house and became entirely 
dependent upon his own exertions. 

Of the period between this and his ma- 
jority, we have few facts to record. He 
lived with various persons, toiling hard, go- 
ing to school winters, studying, and devour- 
ing every book he could borrow, by the 
light of kitchen fires, when the day's work 
was over. His character was too robust to 
sink under the change which had taken 
place in his circumstances and prospects ; 
he uttered no complaints and resolutely 
performed his duties — but he deeply felt the 
loneliness of his situation, and was wholly 
unreconciled to his narrow and hopeless 
mode of life. As he approached manhood 
he tried different ways of bettering his con- 
dition, and finally, influenced by the exam- 
ple of an older brother, who had speedily 
risen to the command of a vessel, went to 
sea. But a single voyage to the West Indies 
disgusted him with his sea-faring life. 



Having now by careful saving laid up a 
small store of money, he resolved to join 
the tide of emigration which was then pour- 
ing from New England into the western 
wilderness. Standing on the hill that looks 
down on the village of Assonet, in his na- 
tive town, he said, " I shall probably never 
see this place again ; the wide world is be- 
fore me and I will be a man in it." He 
then walked to Windsor, took leave of his 
mother and sister, purchased him a stout 
roadster, and set out. 

Toil had knit and privation had hardened 
his sinewy frame until it was almost insen- 
sible to fatigue, hunger and exposure. His 
morals were pure, his will firm, his self re- 
liance great, and the key note of his life 
had been sounded on the hill of Assonet. 
Thus he entered upon manhood. 

It was in 1 803 that he turned his horse's 
head westward, and after some days' riding 
through the forests of Central New York, 
he reached Chenango count)', where he set- 
tled. Two years after he removed to Cin- 
cinnatus, in Onondaga county. In 1808 
Cortland county was organized and em- 
braced that town. He first purchased three 
hundred acres of land, thus incurring what 
was then regarded as a great load of debt. 
There was a small new clearing on the place 
and a log house. Otherwise he was in the 
midst of the primeval forest — his nearest 
neighbor being some miles distant. As 
soon as he could get together a stock of 
provisions, he sent for his mother and two 
orphan nieces — daughters of his only sister 
— and they lived with him until the nieces 
married, and the mother died. She sur- 
vived until 1826. 

His early experiences in the wiklerness 
were those of all our pioneers. It recjuired 
a sharp struggle to obtain their plain food 
and raiment. The commonest comforts of 
life were scanty, and lu.xuries undreampt of 
But he was now eating the blessed bread of 



Samuel G. Hatheway. 



491 



independence and hope, and he toiled on 
stoutly and cheerfully, felling the forest and 
enlarging his cultivated fields. Every set- 
tler was compelled to place his domestic 
animals in high pens at night, to protect 
them from the wolves. The Indians were 
sometimes dangerous. Every man slept with 
the gun and axe within the reach of his 
hand. He never knew what it was to fear. 
On one occasion an accident had exposed 
his cattle to the wolves. Aroused at mid- 
night by the near yells of a large pack, he 
looked out and saw what had occurred. 
The wolves were just seizing his stock. 
Bidding two hired men wlio were sleeping 
in the house to follow, he threw himself 
among them armed only with a club. The 
men dared not leave the house. He, there- 
fore, fought on alone, holding the wild 
beasts at bay until his animals were secured. 

It was his custom to labor throughout 
the entire day, and then if he had business 
with others to transact, to transact it at 
night. He thus often walked miles ^bare- 
foot to save his shoes — through the forest, 
dimly lit by the moon, wolves and panthers 
uttering their cries around him. His in- 
dustr\- and frugality were equaled by his 
judgment in the farming and other business 
of border life, and thus his plans prospered 
and his property accumulated. 

In 1808 he married Miss Sally Emerson, 
of Solon, a woman well fitted by her energy 
and providence to advance the interests of 
such a husband — but beautiful, kindly, 
and possessing a charity to this day warmly 
remembered by her old townsmen. The 
wife of a well known gentleman who was 
present at her funeral says : "All the peo- 
ple of the surrounding countr\- were as- 
sembled. The funeral services were long 
delayed. The multitude talked of nothing 
else but the deceased. The women gath- 
ered together in groups. Many of them 
had experienced the sharp privations of 



pioneer life. Each had a deed of mercy to 
herself or to some of her household to pro- 
claim. Who, they asked each other, will 
now take care of the poor and the sick ? 
They would then gaze at the corpse and 
break out into lamentations." She died in 
1832. 

He received the commission of Justice of 
the Peace, from the Council of Appoint- 
ment, in 1 8 10, and continued to hold the 
office by appointment or election for no less 
than forty-eight consecutive years, and un- 
til he declined to hold it an)' longer. The 
explanation of so unusual a fact may be 
found in the declaration made to us by a 
gentleman who was long first judge of this 
county, and who, in early life, often con- 
ducted suits before him, then a political op- 
ponent. He affirms that he was as inde- 
pendent and impartial a magistrate, and de- 
cidedly the ablest orte in this capacity, he 
ever knew ; that he at once saw through the 
facts and law of the case, and that no ability 
or ingenuity on the part of lawyers could in 
the least degree mislead or swerve him. 
And our informant adds, that he never in a 
single instance heard his fairness called in 
question. There was no other town office, 
to which a justice of the peace was eligible, 
which he did not repeated!)- hold, and in all 
he gave like satisfaction. 

He represented Cortland county in the 
legislature in 1814 and 1818. In the last 
named year he procured a division of the 
town of Cincinnatus, and the part of it in 
which he resided fell witiiin the limits of 
Freetown — named after his native town. 
He removed to Solon in 1 8 19 where he con- 
tinued for the remainder of his life. He was 
elected to the State Senate in 1822, to Con- 
gress in 1832, and was chosen a Presiden- 
tial Elector in 1852. 

In 1848 he married Miss Catharine Sax- 
ton, of Groton, New York, and this excel- 
lent and accomplished lady still survives. 



492 



History of Cortland County. 



He was fond of military affairs, and rose 
through the various grades of office until 
he was coniinissioncd a Major-General in 
1823. In this cajiacity he possessed largely 
the confidence of the different State exec- 
utives, and was often employed by them in 
making those reorganizations and other 
arrangements which became necessary to 
carry out the various military laws enacted 
during his long term of command. 

15ut it was in politics that he most de- 
lighted. He studied the principles of our 
government and the history of parties from 
his childhood. His family were Federalists, 
but before he became a voter his views 
became fi.xed on the other side. He prided 
himself on casting his first vote for Jeffer- 
son. He put on his armor in that terrible 
war of passion, unequaled in intensity and 
bitterness in our countr\-, and he never 
took it off 

He possessed the personal traits of lead- 
ership. He was as firm as the li\'ing rock, 
and possessed a tough, active persistency of 
purpose which never slumbered and never 
rested. Years might roll away — defeats 
might come — but not even the sharp edge 
of the resolve was blunted, or the tireless 
.pursuit for a moment slackened. Few 
could match him in soliil argument — we 
never saw him excelled in the rough and 
tumble encounter with opponents on elec- 
tion day. His facts, his logic, and his wit 
were equall)' rc'ad}'. The latter was some- 
times rough enough, but it was always 
scorching. He often turned the flank of a 
prosy debater by a suilden sarcasm, which 
stung like a barbed arrow, while the sur- 
rounding crowd laughed down his discom- 
fited adversary. 

The years were but one long election 
campaign to him. If victorious he imme- 
diately commenced organizing to retain 
victor)-. If beaten, the same hour saw him 
up again, covering the retreat, rallj-ing the 



broken squadrons, and preparing by every- 
thing which judgment could devise or 
ingenuity compass to win victory the ne.xt 
time. 1 lis townsmen were devoted to him, 
and how often their compact phalan.x 
changed the fortunes of the day I Our 
older citizens well remember the common 
saying on an election evening, w hen reports 
came in from one town after another of 
Anti-Democratic victories: " Wait till you 
hear from Solon !" About midnight would 
be heard the tramp of horses — the cry, 
" Solon is coming," the proclamation of its 
vote in the deep bass notes of " the general " 
— and the thundering shouts of the Demo- 
crats over a victory " snatched from the 
fire." 

Gen, Hathewaj- had higher traits of lead- 
ership. I ie was an acute judge of men, and 
towartls those against whom his prejudices 
were not excited, a sure one. He was too 
much disposed, like all men of the same class 
of character, to tmderrale opponents and 
especially so if their talents were mi.xed with 
certain classes of foibles, such, for example, 
as assumption in the young, vanity in the old, 
pompousness or foppery in any one. These 
were gall and wormwood to tastes based on 
the old Puritan models of manners, and ob- 
scured fi'om his ken the better qualities 
which sometimes lay below\ But among 
friends he accurately estimated every one's 
cajxicities and qualities, and knew just when 
antl how f u' he could be trusted. This was 
well known to Democratic executives and 
the great party leaders. He almost con- 
trolled the early executive appointments in 
his district, and was rarely voted down in 
the County, Senatorial and Congressional 
Conventions which he so constantly at- 
tended. Man_\- prominent men owed their 
start in political life to him. Judge Nelson, 
of the United States Supreme Court, who 
commenceil his career as a law\'er in this 
count\', told a member of the Onondasja bar 



Samuel G. Hatheway. 



493 



that " whatever he liad gained, he owed the 
fouiuling of his fortunes to General Hathe- 
way." Others but a Httle less prominent 
could have trutlifully said the same. 

But it \\as in the great councils of his 
]iart\- that he most markedly exhibited the 
vigor of his mind and cliaracter. His creed 
was the creed of Jefferson and the early 
Democratic fathers, pure and simple. No 
man had weighed every word, every letter, 
the whole spirit and intent of it, or imder- 
stood every iota of it, better than he : and 
it sufficed him. He lo\-ed no new planks 
in the platform — no hewing over or refitting 
of old ones. When the times brought up 
new questions and the necessity of new 
party issues, few were so capable as he -to 
decide what course best conformed to old 
principles and established precedents ; and 
to do this as strictly as possible was the 
only political expediency he knew. He had 
not a particle of the trimmer or time server 
in his composition. No temporary popu- 
larities or unpopularities daunted, or even 
influenced him. The rage of popular ex- 
citement fell on him like spray on the rock. 
If adverse, it only strung to greater tension 
his nerves of steel. In this regard, he was 
one of those who, in bloody epochs, would 
have been a hero or a martyr. 

He loved the stern joy of victory — he 
loved personal success — but he would have 
marched to the scaffold or stake, rather 
than buy preferment by abandoning his 
cause or his friends. His contempt for 
temporary popular impulses sprung from 
no contempt for the people. He was a 
Democrat in the essence as well as the name. 
It is rather because he deeply trusted the 
people and felt unshaken faith that when 
they were wrong, the " sober second 
thought " would bring them right. 

It was this high adherence to principle, 
this sharp discrimination in respect both to 
principles and the appropriate leaders and 



subordinate agents to carry them out — 
this sure judgment in planning — this nerve 
and persistency in executing — which gave 
him so much weight in those high secret 
councils of party to which but the few are 
admitted. He possessed the entire confi- 
dence of the patriotic Daniel D. Tompkins, 
and of every succeeding executive of the 
strict party faith. We speak from our own 
personal knowledge when we say that such 
statesmen as Van Buren, Wright, Marcy, 
Nelson, Dix, Flagg and others of like calibre, 
considered him one of the soundest and 
safest of party advisers. He was one of 
the marked favorites of President Jackson, 
when in Congress. 

And it was the same qualities which gave 
him a full share of influence in the deliber- 
ative bodies, legislative and political, of 
which he was a member. He possessed no 
forensic powers. Keen, ready and pungent 
as he was in private discourse, his voice was 
rarely heard in legislative bodies, never in 
a set speech. He had not been trained to 
it, and he was both too modest and too 
proud to undertake to do what he could 
not do well. He possessed no ingratiating 
arts in such places. His deportment was 
grave and formal, and to a stranger cold, if 
not stern. Ilis face bore the same expres- 
sion. He did not thaw readily into genial- 
ity. He gave his confiiience slowly, and 
until he gave it, was reserved in his bearing 
and reticent in the expression of his opin- 
ions. He possessed no pliancy of mind or 
manners. He inherited all over the stiff, 
sturdy, unchanging, uncourtierlike features 
of the stock from which he sprung. 

He was fair and bold in his politics. He 
never shrunk from the issue, and the whole 
issue. He fearlessly avowed and defended 
every plank in the adopted platform, 
whether it suited or did not suit his hearer. 
His convictions were strong and his preju- 
dices were equally strong. He was a 



494 



History of Cortland County. 



thorough friend and an uncompromising 
opponent. He struck slashing blows and 
always waged the war to the end ; but he 
always struck face to face, and never did in 
the dark what he was unwilling to avow in 
the broad light of day. He was upright 
and unvcnal. Who, in the wildest rage of 
parties, ever uttered the suspicion that he 
was guilty of that political and official cor- 
ruption, which now flows putrid, like a 
river of death, through our land? Our old 
party giants fought with gloves off. They 
exhibited little delicacy or magnanimity 
towards opponents. They often mixed 
personal with political animosities; but they 
did not play the hypocrite and lie to each 
other. They did not steal, even from the 
public. They did not sell their votes or 
official influence for bribes, after the mode 
of these milder and more cultivated daj's. 

We are sure we speak from no partial 
stand point when we pronounce General 
Hatheway a man of marked and powerful 
abilities. It was not always our fortune to 
agree with him. We have felt the biting 
edge of his hostile blade. But we have 
ever believed that this county or region 
never produced or nurtured a man his 
superior in mental capacity, scarcely an 
equal in natural parts. We believe that, 
with professional education, he could have 
reached high distinction in any intellectual 
calling. We believe that weaker men have 
been nursed by training, by circumstance^ 
and by opportunity into renowned lawyers, 
eminent statesmen, and great men in other 
pursuits. 

But it would be conveying an entirely 
erroneous impression to speak of him as an 
uneducated man in the true sense of the 
word. His school attainments were com- 
paratively nothing, and he never reached 
anything like the full and rounded literary 
culture which he prized in others and was 
so anxious to bestow on his children. 15ut 



he was a self-educator from his boyhood to 
the last hour of his life. He not only read 
but devoured all useful books. He care- 
fully mastered every idea and every detail 

— appropriated everything valuable — and 
then laid it away for future use in a mem- 
ory of almost marvelous retentiveness. 
Nor was it rendered practically useless by 
being piled away in confusion or discon- 
nected scraps, after the fashon of those who 
read without system and merely from curi- 
osity. He digested and classified all he 
read by careful reflection ; and everything 
bearing on the same point was placed in 
the same pigeon hole of memory so that 
it could be rendered instantly available. 
Thus he studied the Bible, in which he was 
so familiar that not a word of it could be 
misquoted or transposed without his instant 
detection. Thus he studied the rich pages 
of Grecian, Roman, English and American 
history. Thus he studied a great variety 
of publications on numerous and especially 
on utilitarian subjects. He had no taste 
for light reading. It was like offering child's 
posset and confectionery to a hungry giant. 

He was better educated still. What is 
education but, as the word implies, a draw- 
ing forth — a development? His powers 
were all drawn forth, all exercised and ma- 
tured in the school of action and events. 
His whole life was action, struggle, contest 

— in scenes which train every thew and 
sinew of the understanding and judgment. 
Of the two, such an education is vastly 
more thorough and effective than a mere 
scholastic one. The former always strength- 
ens, the latter sometimes emasculates. How 
few of our sturdy, unlettered pioneers who 
were men of large natural capacity, have 
left sons who, though carefully educated in 
schools, entirely fill their fathers' places ! 

General Hatheway, as we have already 
said, well knew his powers. He possessed 
perfect self-reliance in all matters on which 



Samuel G. Hatheway. 



495 



he possessed sufficient knowledge to feel 
competent to decide and act. Hence he 
adhered to his views with tenacity. The 
celebrated Joshua A. Spencer was employed 
in an important law suit for him. They 
differed as to the theory on which it should 
be conducted by the former. Neither could 
convince the other. Mr. Spencer was dis- 
charged and the event justified his client's 
sagacity. Such anecdotes might be multi- 
plied. 

As a business man he was eminently 
successful and accumulated a large property. 
This was accomplished by large and judi- 
cious forecast, by making investments with 
a correct estimate of the present and future 
value and availability of property, rather 
than by extra painstaking, or bj' commer- 
cial exactitude. He was not a speculator, 
but like all men of English blood, loved to 
accumulate land, which rose greatly in value 
on his hands. At the time of his death his 
estate consisted of several thousand acres. 

He was an extremely lenient creditor, 
never sueing, or taking any advantage of a 
failure to meet engagements with him, pro- 
vided no evasion or dishonesty was at- 
tempted. A legal gentleman of this county 
recently remarked to us that he foreclosed 
fewer mortgages than any man he ever 
knew who held so many. He was a kind 
neighbor, an indulgent landlord and a peace 
making magistrate. He terminated num- 
berless law suits brought before him by his 
townsmen, by pointing out to them the 
proper terms of an amicable settlement. 
But strictly honest himself he required 
honesty in others. Those who attempted 
to defraud him received no indulgence. 
And those who committed what he re- 
garded as an aggression of any kind on him, 
opened a score which was never closed 
until the reparation was extorted or the 
penalty inflicted. 

W'e have painted, so far, a character 



which all must respect, but which few, per- 
haps, would love. But he was loved — 
intensely loved by his family and connec- 
tions. Few men had more warm personal 
friends, and these embraced many of the 
first men among his contemporaries in our 
county. Judges Nelson, Dayton, Woods, 
Gray and others of like mark, were not 
onl}- attached to him while their interests 
were common and when he could so pow- 
erfully serve them, but we are not obliged 
to speak from hearsaj-, when we aver that 
they carried that attachment to other scenes 
of action and retained it to the end of life. 
So it was among many of our old leading 
citizens, who ha\-e died in this count}', or 
who still remain among us. 

In truth, there was an inner portion of 
his character which we have scarcely 
touched upon. His early struggle with 
disappointment and want chilled his exte- 
rior and perhaps circumscribed the range 
of his personal sympathies. But the pent 
up fire only burned the more intensely 
within its narrower limits. Such friends as 
we have named, if threatened with danger 
in some unexpected turn of the election 
campaign, had only to call on him for suc- 
cor. It mattered not whether the messen- 
ger came at midnight, or in tempest ; the 
chief was at once in the saddle, his pennon 
displayed, and he and his retainers spurring 
to the rescue. Neither friends nor foes 
will forget the tremendous vigor of his 
onslaught on such occasions. And he stood 
by his friends as staunchly in private trans- 
actions as in public life. 

His domestic affections glowed like molt- 
en lava. Who that witnessed them has for- 
gotten the scenes of voiceless, tearless, ter- 
rific agon}', impressed for years in awful 
characters on his face, when the partner of 
his youth, and when his sons, the gifted 
Samuel, John, the favorite of the army, 
George, the gentle and well beloved, and 



496 



History of Cortand County. 



his daughter, the brilliant and accomplished 
Mrs. Hoyd, preceded him to the tomb. 
Never was there a kinder husband or more 
loving and indulgent parent. And how 
tenderly he gathered under his protecting 
wing his grandchildren, and other relatives. 
He seemed to seek compensation for the 
deprivations of his own youth in leaving 
nothing lacking to make that of his de- 
scendants happy. Every avenue to educa- 
tion and enjoyment was opened to them. 
He gratified all their wants. He conversed 
and associated with them as equals, and 
joined in their amusements. He was ever 
ready to mount his horse and accompany 
the young ladies on a ride. He kept them 
amused and delighted by his wit and by his 
quaint raillery. Oftentimes he would, with 
serious face, affect to ridicule their fashion- 
able apparel, their taste for gathering flow- 
ers, their going to look at some favorite 
scenery, or the like, — but they could detect 
the repressed smile which showed that he 
was only teasing them, and they well knew 
who so carefully provided the apparel, who 
called their attention to the flower when 
they overlooked it, and who, if they thought 
of turning back, always proposed to ride a 
mile further to get the best view. 

There was indeed an aesthetic corner in 
his practical and utilitarian mind. He loved 
good equipage — he loved pleasant and 
tasty surroundings — he loved trees and 
flowers, and the song of birds — he loved 
striking scenery. He was not a careful 
farmer, but he dearly loved the fields. He 
often spent hours riding over them with his 
wife or family, with no other object but the 
.satisfaction of seeing them and enjoying the 
sunlight and air. These tastes increased 
strongly in his later )-ears, for he then had 
time for them and companions who, without 
the neglect of duty, could participate in his 
enjoyments. 

The domestic features of the portrait 



would be incomplete if we omitted to speak 
of his hospitalit}'. This was unbounded. 
He delighted to be surrounded by company 
of all ages and se.\es. He was markedly 
attentive to his guests. His table was lib- 
eral and elegant. Unless well acquainted, 
his manners were at first formal ; but he 
soon relaxed, and his quaintly told anec- 
dotes and keen repartees " set the table on 
a roar." The guests were importuned to 
remain. Carriages and saddle horses were 
ready for each. Their stay was made a 
scene of festivity and amusement. We well 
remember how Nelson and the other friends 
we have mentioned loved to gather round 
his table of an afternoon and evening, and 
then gallop home in the "small hours." 

The general had one propensity in his 
younger days which caused many a hearty 
laugh in this county. As we have said, he 
was full of humor. He loved teasing and 
joking, and could not sometimes resist the 
temptation of playing a practical joke. 
These were never very serious in their con- 
sequences, but were wonderfully mirth pro- 
voking to all but the subjects of them. We 
never heard of his thus victimizing any one 
without provocation ; but when the provo- 
cation was offered, and there was no other 
appropriate way to pay the score, woe to 
the opener of the account ! If we had space 
and skill in recounting such matters, we 
should like to place some of these amusing 
incidents on record ; but we have neither. 

Age mellowed the good fruit. Old feuds 
were gradually forgotten — old prejudices 
softened. The circle of his sympathies ex- 
panded. He continued to the last to read and 
to transact his accustomed business. He 
grappled with all the new questions of the 
day with keen interest. We saw him at 
eighty years old in a county convention, 
leading his side with all his old vigor. He 
was warmly urged the same year, by lead- 
ing friends of one of the presidential candi- 



Samuel G. Hatiieway. 



497 



dates, to attend the National Democratic 
Convention at Charleston. 

His faculties, and his force and individu- 
ality of character, remained unimpaired until 
death. He continued to ride daily in the 
saddle until the snow storms of last winter. 
He then took a cold and suffered somewhat 
from indisposition — the first illness of his 
life — but his constitution, naturally power 
ful and unimpaired by excesses of any kind, 
rallied and he felt himself nearly well. He 
resumed his reading and his rides. When 
the weather permitted, he busied himself 
superintending the arrangements of his 
garden. A week before his death he drove 
a number of miles with his wife, and spoke 
with great pleasure of preparations he had 
made for their thus traveling together the 
coming summer. Two days afterwards he 
rode with her to McGrawville, and on his 
return took his favorite route through his 
meadows. The day before his death he 
was well as usual, and very cheerful except 
when he called the attention of his family 
to the fact that it was the anniversary of 
the day on which his wife was to have been 
buried. (His own death marked the anni- 
versary of her burial). He looked out often 
during the day on the cold storm of rain 
and snow then falling, pitying the newborn 
lambs, and speaking of the backwardness 
of the season. In the evening he took his 
tea as usual, and talked over business mat- 
ters with his accustomed interest, with his 
son. He seemed in an uncommon flow of 
spirits, spoke much of his old New England 
home, and tokl many pleasant anecdotes of 
his grandmother Hatheway, and of others 
he had known in his youth, thus prolonging 
his ordinary hour of retiring. He awoke 
the next niDrning in the same cheerful 
mood, listening for awhile, as was his wont, 
to the matin songs of the birds, inter- 
changed many cheerful remarks with his 
wife, and left the room with a pleasantry on 



his lips. He met in the dining-room a 
bright, sensible girl of thirteen, who belonged 
to the family. He stepped to the window 
and exclaimed : "What a pleasant morning 
— I am so glad the storm is over." He 
then, as he often loved to do, commenced 
jesting and laugiiing with the little girl. 
She observed that he was paler than usual ; 
left the room a moment, and on her return 
found him sitting by the stove, his head 
slightly leaning on one side, and gazing, 
she thought, into the fire. But there was 
something strange in his look, and she 
immediately gave the alarm. His wife was 
at his side in an instant, and his family and 
a physician (Dr. Meacham), sleeping in the 
house, a moment after. The latter saw at 
a glance that a great change had taken 
place — that the soul had departed to God 
who gave it. An expression of perfect 
placidity rested on the face of the corpse. 
Death had come and left no trace of pain. 
One of his family physicians. Dr. Hyde, 
informs us that he died without any disease 
— that the physical machine stopped because 
it was worn out. This seems to us the 
most natural and happiest form of death. 
The event took place at 6 o'clock A. M., on 
the 2d of May, 1867, in the eighty-seventh 
year of his age. 

On the 7th, in the presence of a number 
of old friends, the fathers of the county, of 
various distinguished gentlemen from 
abroad, who attended in despite of the bad- 
ness of the weather, and of crowds of his sor- 
rowing townsmen, the solemn burial service 
of the Episcopal church was read by the 
Rev. Mr. Meacham, and followed by some 
impressive remarks by the same gentleman. 
The remains were then borne from the home 
he had so loved, to the beautiful fimiily 
burial place, "The Cedars," and placed as 
he had requested, "between the wife of 
his youth and his first born son." 

He left a son. Colonel Calvin L. Hathe- 



498 



History of Cortland County. 



way, and three dautjhters, Sarah, the wife 
of Dr. Whitney, of iUiffalo; Livinia and 
I^Hzabcth; also, tiiree jjranddaugliters, 
Juha, Helen and Caroline Boyd, daughters 
of Gen. Boyd, of Wisconsin. 

Ilie effect of Gen. Hatheway's death 
throughout the country was striking. His 
positive and unyielding character, his par- 
tisan blows, and his great success had of 
course engendered enmities. These were 
dying away, but some of the old scars still 
smarted. When the stately old oak sud- 
denly fell, the natural sense of justice in 
every man's heart vindicated itself Every 
old prejudice was burled in his grave. 
Every one admitted the uprightness and 
massiveness of his cliaracter. Every one 
felt that one of the strongest, bravest and 
truest of the old fashioned stock of men 
had passed away. 



DR. FREDERICK HYDE. The an- 
cestors of F"rederick Hyde were 
among the first settlers of Norwich, Conn, 
(in 1660), Elizabeth Hyde being the first 
white child born there. His grandfather, 
Gen. Caleb Hyde, settled in Lenox, Mass. ; 
here, in 1774, his name appears, with that 
of his brother Moses, appended to a petition 
from that town against British aggression. 
An important part was borne by several of 
the family in. the Revolutionary War, Major 
Elijah Hyde being a cavalry officer and a 
confidential friend of Gov. Trumbull; also 
Capt. Eliphalet Hyde saw service. Ebcn- 
ezer died on board the Jersey prison ship. 
Gen. Hyde was sheriff for some time of Berk- 
shire county, Mass. About 1790 he remov- 
ed to Lisle, Broome count}-, N. Y. He was 
major-general of the State militia, elected 
a Senator from the western district of New 
York in 1803 and in 1804 was chosen by 
the Assembly as one of the council of ap- 
pointment. His wife was Elizabeth Sacket, 
daughter of Captain Sacket, a physician of 



Oblong, N. Y. — a woman of rare excel- 
lence, man)- traditions existing of her ability 
to meet the emergencies of the times ; to 
train a large family ; to convey by her tact 
news of the enemy's plans to our army; to 
help liL-r husband exercise a graceful and 
generous hospitality. Once several officers 
of distinction called to paj' their respects to 
the general when he was absent. She 
killed and dressed the porker in the pen 
and when he returned he found his guests 
merry over a bounteous table, charmed 
with their hostess, whose fluent conversa- 
tion enlivened a feast fit to set before a king. 
If this woman had any faults time has ob- 
literated them from the record. 

Dr. Hyde's father, Ebby, was the thir- 
teenth child and lived at W'hitney's Point, 
where he married Elizabeth Osborn, daugh- 
ter of Deacon Osborn, and kept a country 
store. The pioneers usually sent their chil- 
dren back to Lenox Academy for their in- 
struction and these, in turn, taught the 
growing children at home. Some progress 
must have been made in education, for 
Frederick, just previous to his fifteenth 
birthday, started one cold winter's day on 
foot thirteen miles to Freetown, Cortland 
count}-, to teach a district school, and the 
chilling remembrances of those months 
were enough to last a lifetime. After this 
the rule seemed to be, teach winters, attend 
school summers, until teaching took all the 
time; but then he usually had some enter- 
prise of study on hand, till we find him in 
the family of Dr. Hiram Moe, of Lansing, 
where he began the reading of medicine, 
afterward pursued under Dr. Horace Bron- 
son, of Virgil, in 1833. Previous to this his 
father had removed to this town. While a 
student, having attended one course of lect- 
ures at Fairfied.N.Y., he joined the Cortland 
County Medical Society, though he did not 
take his degree of M. D. until 1836. Soon 
after this he came to Cortland, N. Y., to 



Frederick Myde. 



499 



live, becoming a partner of Dr. Miles Good- 
year, whose daughter, Elvira, he married 
January 24th, 1838. 

He has two children living in Cortland, 
Augusta Hyde, and Miles G. Hyde, who 
graduated in 1865 at Yale College, and in 
1868 at Geneva Medical College, and has 
since practiced his profession here, at 
one time taking part in the teaching at 
the Syracuse Medical College, and often pre- 
senting papers of interest to the County 
Medical Society. 

The details of a busy life, spent wholly 
for half a century in his profession, though 
full of startling events to himself and per- 
sons concerned, could have little general 
interest to the community. In 1S41 he 
first attended the New York State Medical 
Society and read a paper on fever. A cir- 
cular issued in 1853 shows that at that time 
he had a private anatomical school at Cort- 
land. This lasted three or four years. 
Some of the sessions were held in the upper 
story of the old Eagle store. 

In 1854 Dr. Hyde was appointed pro- 
fessor of obstetrics and diseases of women 
in Geneva Medical College. In 1855 he 
was transferred to the chair of surgery in 
the same institution, and occupied that 
position until the closing of the college, and 
the organization of the medical department 
of Syracuse University in 1872, when he 
became a professor of surgery in the faculty 
of that school. He is a member of the 
Southern Central Medical Association of 
New York, and has been its president. He 
is a permanent member of the New York 
State Society and in 1865 was president of 
that body In 1868 he was a delegate 
from this society to the State Medical So- 
ciety of New Jersey. He was one of the 
original members of the American Medical 
Association, and is a permanent member of 
that organization. In 1884 he was one of 



the founders of the New York Medical 
Association, a voluntary association which 
promises well for the future of the profes- 
sion. In 1876 he was a delegate to the 
International Medical Congress held at 
Philadelphia in connection with the centen- 
nial exhibition, and was a delegate to the 
British Medical Association held at Belfast, 
to which place he was elected in May, 1 884, 
from the American Medical Association. 

In Dr. Hyde's long and successful pro- 
fessional career, extending now over a period 
of more than forty-eight years, he has con- 
tributed many and valuable articles to med- 
ical literature, and has treated a large num- 
ber of remarkable cases in general practice, 
and has likewise performed many of its 
most difficult operations in surgery. 

In 1883 Dr. Hyde was appointed by 
Governor Cleveland, to be a trustee of the 
Asylum for Idiots at Syracuse, which office 
he holds at the present time. He was 
elected and has served as president of the 
Cortland Savings Bank since 1876. Dr. 
Hyde has been very active in promoting the 
welfare of public education. He was presi- 
dent of the board of trustees of Cortlandville 
Academy for eighteen of the twenty- five 
years of its existence, and has been a mem- 
ber of the local board of the Cortland Nor- 
mal School since it was organized in 1869, 
and president of that body since the death 
of Hon. Henry S. Randall in 1876; audit 
was during his administration that the 
State superintendent was foiled in his at- 
tempt to wrest the Normal School from the 
concurrent authority of the board, although 
the superintendent carried the controversy 
into the Supreme Court. While the first 
two decisions were against the board, the 
Court of Appeals sustained it and the 
controversy secured enlarged liberty to 
teachers and added to the dignity of the 
teacher's profession. 



500 



History of Cortand County. 



DEACON MANLY HOBART.i— The 
town of Hiinifield, Mass., contributed 
not a few of the early settlers of the town 
of Homer. Among them were Samuel and 
Dorothy Hoar or Hobart, the grandparents 
of the subject of this sketch. The}- were of 
the same famil}' whence descended the dis- 
tinguished Senator Hoar, of Massachusetts, 
and other influential men in that Common- 
wealth. 

In the summer of 1798 Mr. Samuel Ho- 
bart had visited Homer, located his farm 
upon the place now owned by Mr. John 
Scott and put up a log cabin for the accom- 
modation of his large family. The ensuing 
winter they moved with an ox team from 
Massachusetts to what came to be known 
for many years as " the Hobart farm." Ar- 
riving in Homer they found that the heavy 
snows had broken in the roof of their cabin 
and accepted gratefully the hospitality of 
Deacon Peter Hitchcock, whose log-house 
was the only one then standing between their 
farm and the site of Homer village. Re- 
pairing speedily their humble cabin, they 
began their residence there and interested 
themselves at once in all that pertained to 
the welfare of the infant settlement. 

It was Mrs. Dorothy Hobart to whom 
especially is traced the inception of the 
action which brought about the formation 
of the Congregational Church in this town. 
Of the children of these godly parents, Gid- 
eon, the father of Manly, was nineteen years 
of age when they came to Homer. In 1806 
he married Electa Wadsvvorth, of the well 
known Wadsworth family, in whose veins 
coursed the blood of a heroic ancestr\' and 
among whose kin have been numbered some 
of America's distinguished patriots. Their 
children were Amos, Sophronia, Manl)' 
(born May 7, 18 10), Horace, Orrin, Eurctta, 
Celinda, Mary M. and Clark E. 

Of the childhood and youth of Manly 

1 By Rev. Wm. A. Robinson. 



little need be said. His opportunities of 
education, limited though they were, were 
diligently improved and he early developed 
those qualities of decision and energy which 
contributed so greatly to his success in life. 
Inheriting the blessings that came from a 
godly ancestry, receiving the instructions 
and counsels of pious parents and trained in 
the e.xercise of those traits of character 
which are of highest value, he came up to 
manhood peculiarly fitted for its duties, and 
prepared to fill the prominent place he held 
in the esteem and trust of his fellow men. 

June 22d, 1842, he was married to Miss 
Caroline A. Boies, daughter of Captain Ru- 
fus Boies, an influential citizen of Homer, 
who held many positions of responsibility 
and trust in church and academy and town 
affairs. To them were born four daughters, 
Ellen F., Clara A., Alice B. and Mary S. 
All of these daughters are married and, with 
the exception of the youngest, who resides 
in Syracuse, have their homes in Homer. 
The oldest daughter is the wife of Mr. Geo. 
D. Daniels, of the firm of Kingsbury & 
Daniels, merchants. Her children are Alice 
C, Anna B. and Manly Hobart Daniels. The 
second daughter is the wife of Mr. Lyman 
H. Heberd, who now resides upon the Ho- 
bart homestead. Her children are Marian A. , 
Caroline S., Grace E. (deceased), Cora E. 
and Jessie A. Heberd. The third daughter 
is the wife of Mr. Charles A. Skinner, until 
recently a member of the same mercantile 
firm with Mr. Daniels. Her onl}' child was 
baptized Clark Hobart Skinner by the dying 
bed of his grandfather Hobart. The young- 
est daughter is the wife of Mr. J. M. Knapp, 
of Syracuse. Her onl)- child is Martin Ho- 
bart Knapp. 

In the relations of the home Deacon Ho- 
bart was a true son, caring tenderly for the 
comfort of his parents till their death — a 
kind and loving husband, a wise and tender 
father and a judicious and helpful brother 



Manly Hobart. 



501 



and friend. He showed the quahty of his 
nature in his pecuHar interest in children 
and youth, and in the way in which even 
the youngest of his grandchildren loved and 
trusted him. To his employees and de- 
pendents he was uniformly just and forbear- 
ing, and among the most sincere mourners 
at his funeral were some who had known 
him intimately in such relations for years. 

Deacon Hobart was in his early years con- 
secrated to God b)- his pious parents, and in 
1841 made public profession of his faith in 
Christ and united with the Congregational 
Church in this village. As a Christian he 
was positive, humble and faithful. He took 
such strong hold by faith of God and his 
promises, that he knew much of the joy and 
inspiration of conscious fellowship with the 
Lord. He was always decided in his con- 
victions and lo\-al to them, and ready for 
every good word and work. In 1856 he 
was elected a deacon of the church, a posi- 
tion which he held by repeated elections till 
his death, and which he so filled that he 
"purchased to himself a good degree and 
great boldness in the faith.". 

Endowed with a large measure of good 
common sense, he turned it to sanctified 
use in official counsels, and as an adviser 
and helper in every good and benevolent 
enterprise. 

His sagacity and soundness of judgment 
made him constantly sought by those who 
needed a wise and true counselor, and no 
small part of his sacrifice of himself for 
others' welfare was manifest in his cheerful 
and careful attention to demands of this 
nature. In the use of the large property, 
which by diligence and business sagacity he 
had accumulated, he sought to promote the 
great ends to which his life was consecrated. 

To-day missionaries on American and^ 
foreign soil are preaching the gospel who 
were largely helped in their preparation for 
their work b)- his munificence. 



He was practically and generously inter- 
ested in several great benevolent societies. 
For a number of years he was president of 
our County Bible Society, and foremost in 
the support of its interests. But while he 
took an intelligent and liberal interest in 
these broad ministries of good, he did not 
lose sight of important institutions at home 
nor prove wanting here in an enlightened 
and generous public spirit. 

For church and academy, for business 
enterprises and public improvements he was 
ready to plan and labor and give. 

Besides the important offices in the church 
and in other religious and educational or- 
ganizations which Deacon Hobart so well 
filled, he was repeatedly elected to places 
of trust in business institutions and in the 
administration of town and countj^ affairs. 
At the time of his death he had been for 
sev^eral terms a director of the First National 
Bank of Homer. At difterent times he had 
served as a supervisor, and in other similar 
positions held by him had proved alike his 
capability and faithfulness. 

Deacon Hobart's last sickness was short. 
He was at the preparatory lecture of his 
church on Saturday afternoon, September 
1st, and though quite unwell, also went to 
church the following day, saying that it 
might be his last communion service on 
earth. His disease, pneumonia, was com- 
plicated with other ailments, and he sank 
rapidly under its power till he gently 
breathed his last, I'riday evening, Septem- 
ber 7th, 1883. But, though the body yielded 
to the fell power of disease, the soul was 
victor in the strife. In the face of suffer- 
ings inten.se and at times agonizing, he bore 
clear and triumphant testimony to the worth 
and sufficiency of Christian faith and the 
Christian's Master, to sustain and bless even 
to the end. 

His dying counsels to children and grand- 
children, to pastor, physician and other 



S02 



History of Cortland County. 



friends will not soon be forgotten, while the 
promises of God and the words of prayer 
were often upon his lips. The last words 
that could be understood from him were, 
"The Lord is my strength." 

It is eminently fitting that in a history of 
Cortland county the name and memorial of 
this good man should have permanent place. 
The engraving which pictures his face may 
give to those who never knew him some 
idea of the bright, positive, energetic char- 
acter that had stamped its evidence in the 
lineaments of his countenance, but to the 



many who knew and loved and honored 
him it may serve to recall the features of 
one whose true vigor of mind and worth 
of character make the brief words of this 
biography seem poor and tame, and whose 
manifold services in helping forward the 
interests of his generation, and of the in- 
stitutions he loved, form in truth his noblest 
memorial, and highest encomium, next to 
the word that as we believe welcomed him 
above : — 

"Well done, good and faithful servant, 
enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." 



BRIEF PERSONALS. 



CINCINNATUS. 

Bennett, AltVeil L., p. o. Cincinnatiis, farmer, 
born in Hector, Tompkins county (now Schuy- 
ler), in 1834, settled in county in 1836; wife, 
Sarah Halbert, daughter of Seth and Sophia 
Halbert, born in Taylor in 1835; married in 
1864, and died in 1875. Parents, Philip S. and 
Lousia Ann (Smith) Bennett, natives of Duchess 
county; the former died in 1881, and the latter 
in 1868. 

Carruth, William S., p. o. Cincinnatus, dental 
surgeon, born in Jefferson county, N. Y., March 
23(1, 1823, settled in Cincinnatus in 1858; has 
been town clerk four years and was elected again 
in 1884; first wife, Catharine E. Huntington, mar- 
ried in Norwich, N. Y., Nov. 7th, 1844, and 
died in 1868; second wife, Amelia A. Brooks, 
daughter of Luther Brooks, married in Norwich 
N. Y., Feb. 6th, 1869. Parents, William and 
Eleanor (Patterson) Carruth; the former died 
in 1849, the latter March 19th, 1859. Dr. 
Carruth began the practice of dentistry in 
Owego, N. Y., in 1857, and in 1858 came to 
Cincinnatus and has given it his attention up to 
the present time. 

Crittenden, Amos G., p. o. Cincinnatus, far- 
mer, stock dealer and dairy produce, works 450 
acres, born in Cincinnatus in 1862 ; wife, Addie 
M. Smith, born in 1862, married in 18S:. Pa- 
rents, Porter and Triphena (Delano) Crittenden, 
married in 1839, children three: Hattie, born in 
1842, Adelbert J., born in 1847, and Amos G., 
born in 1862. Grandfather, Ebcnezer Critten- 
den, settled in Cincinnatus in 1794. 

Crittenden, Burt B., j). o. Cincinnatu.s, farmer 
and dairy produce, born in Cincinnatus in 1848; 
wife, Louisa ("onrad, born in Marathon; married 



in 1880, children two: Julius E., and Porter R. 
Parents, Julius and Altany (Courtney) Critten- 
den, the former born in Cincinnatus in 1806. 

Fish, Reuben, p. o. Cincinnatus, farmer, bom 
in Freetown in 1839; was assessor from 1881 to 
'84; wife, Hattie R. Harrington, daughter of 
Porter and Adaline M. (Hoadley) Harrington, 
born in 1848; married in 1872, one child. Pa- 
rents, E. Dewel and Phoebe (Orcutt) Fish ; 
grandparents, Reuben and Betsey (Cleveland) 
Fish, the former born in 1780, married in 1799, 
and died in 1855; the latter born in 1781, and 
died in 1870; children twelve. 

Harrington, Porter C.,p. o. Cincinnatus, farmer, 
stock and dairy dealer, born in Cincinnatus in 
1822; has been assessor three years; wife, Ada- 
line M. Hoadley, born in Solon in 1822; married 
in 1844, children five: Depea, Dr. A., Harriett M., 
who married Reuben Fish, .Addie, and Cora, who 
married Randolph Grant. Parents, Dr. and Sally 
(Crittenden) Harrington; the former came from 
Mass. to Cortland county where he died in 1867. 
He served in the war of 181 2; second wife, 
Dolly (Moore) Harrington, now draws a pension. 

Jones, Benjamin, p. o. Cincinnatus, retired 
farmer, owns 180 acres, born on present farm 
February 4th, 1820; wife, Hannah C. Tilling- 
hast, born in Rhode Island September 3d, 1S30; 
married in 1849, children five: Henry T., El- 
mer E., Carrie M., Alice .-\., and Myrta. Hen- 
ry T. married Ada F. Tillinghast in 1880; chil- 
dren two : Nena May and Clarence Ray; Elmer 
married Mary Cain; one child, Leon J.; Carrie 
married Byron N. Johnson ; one child, Glen H. 
Parents, Henry T. and Prudence (Vaughn) 
Jones, natives of Rhode Island, who settled in 
Cincinnatus in 1816; children three: Julia, Han- 
I nah and Benjamin. 

503 



504 



History of Cortland County. 



Nichols, Charles, p. o. Cincinnatus, born in 
Otsego county, in 1820, settled in county in 
1822; has been assessor two terms, justice of the 
peace six years, and held other offices; wife, 
Rhoda C, daughter of John and Polly (Moore) 
Jones, born in Cincinnatus in 1828; married in 
1848, one son, Fred L., born in 1857. Pa- 
rents, Abijah and Anna (Hoit) Nichols, the for- 
mer of Bennington Vt., died in 1857, aged sixty- 
seven ; the latter of Pennsylvania, died in 1880, 
aged ninety years. Grandparents, Samuel and 
Esther Nichols, who came to county in 1812, 
and died in county. 

Place, William R., p. o. Cincinnatus, farmer, 
born in Rhode Island in 181 2, settled in county 
in 1818; was assessor nine years, and held 
other offices; wife, Julia Johns, born in R. I. 
in i8i6; married in 1837, and died in 1878, 
leaving five children : Frank, Marilla, Susan, El- 
bert, and Edwin. Parents, Thomas and Anna T. 
(Cole) Place, of R. I., who came to county in 
1818; the former died in 1875, aged eighty- 
eight, the latter in 1875; children six, two sous 
and four daughters. 

Silvernail, James H., p. o. Cincinnatus, car- 
penter and builder, born in German, N Y., in 
1834; wife, Mrs. Amanda (Williams) Silvernail, 
widow of Robert Silvernail, born in 1842, mar- 
ried second husband, James H., in 1878; chil- 
dren four: Claud, Ida May, Carl M., and Mary 
R. Parents, Benjamin and .Adaline (Sitts) Silver- 
nail, natives of Montgomery county, who came to 
Cortland county in 1850. 

Smith, Marcellus R., p. o. Cincinnatus, ijhysi- 
cianand surgeon, born in Solon (now Taylor) June 
29th, 1816; commenced teaching common school 
at 17, at 21 entered Pitcher Academy under Prof 
R. K. Bourne, where he studied algebra, geome- 
try and surveying ; from tliere he entered Cort- 
land .'\cademy at Homer under Prof. Samuel B. 
Woolworth, where he remained some two years, 
studying Latin, Greek, mathematics and the 
natural sciences; he continued teaching until 
he entered the law office of Drs. Branch & 
Powers, at Moravia, N. Y., and pursued the 
study of medicine until he graduated at Geneva 
Medical College during the term of 1847 and 
1848, and commenced jjractice at Union Valley. 
He was married to Deriah Lord, June 8th, 1854. 



She was born June 2d, 1832. They have had 
three children, the oldest, Sumner M., died in his 
seventeenth year ; the second. Dr. Samuel L., 
is now practicing medicine at Smithville Flats, 
N. Y., and the third, Frankie, married Milan D. 
Tallett and now lives in the city of Minneapolis, 
Kansas. Dr. M. R. Smith moved to Cincinna- 
tus in 1858, where he now practices medicine. 
He has for the last two years been president of 
the County Medical Society, and is now a mem- 
ber of the New York State Medical Association. 

White, jr., David, p. o. Cincinnatus, farmer, 
dairy and stock dealer, born in Cincinnatus in 
18 1 6. Parents, David and Tamor (Waters) 
Wiiite, natives of Westchester county. His 
wife, Sarah (Briggs) White, daughter of John 
and Margaret (Jones) Briggs, was born in 
WiUet in 1820, married in 1842. One son, 
James White, born in 1851, married Julia C. 
Tracy in 1876; one child, Willie J. White, born 
in 1879. 

White, Stephen, p. o. Cincinnatus, saw-mill, 
■ and dealer in lumber, born in Chenango county 
in 1831, settled in county in 1848; wife, F.liza 
M. HiUard, born in 1837; married in 1854, chil- 
dren ten. Parents, Jacob and Martha (Mack) 
White. Stephen White began the lumber busi- 
ness in 1866, purchased his present site and 
erected his mill, 72 by 18, and now has an ex- 
tended custom business. 



CUYLER. 

."Vllen, Harvey B., p. o. Cuyler, farmer, owns 
157 acres, born in Petersburgh, N. Y., in 1836, 
settled in Cuyler in i860. Was assessor, and 
held the office of postmaster at South Cuyler ; 
wife, Mary J. Philliiis, daughter of Rodney and 
Phoebe (Monroe) Phillips; married in 1856, 
children three: Ella M., Eva S., and Wells H. 
Parents, James and Susannah (Phillips) .■\llen, 
of New Albany, Pa. 

.\ndrews, LLarlan P., p. o. Cuyler, farmer, 
owns 250 acres, born in Fabius in 1837, settled in 
county in i860 ; was assessor two terms, is pres- 
ent supervisor ; wife, Phcebe P. Brown, daugh- 
ter of Bcnj;nnin and Sarah (Bogardus) Brown, of 
Cuyler; married in 1S60, children three: Burnett 



Brief Personals. 



SOS 



B., Myrta I. and Lina P.; second wife, Marion Bo- 
gardus, daughter of Israel R. and Irene (Brown) 
Bogardus, of 111.; married in 1870, children 
three : Howard I., Mildred E., and Irene. 

Babcock, Isaac C, p. o. Cuyler, farmer, owns 
58 acres, born in Fabius in 1824 ; wife, Mary A. 
Fairbanks, daughter of Arad Fairbanks, of Cuy- 
ler; married in 1849, children four, one living: 
John W. Parents, Benjamin T., and Polly 
(Cale) Babcock, pioneers of Fabius. 

Baldwin, William, p. o. Cuyler, farmer and 
lumber dealer, born in Lincklaen, Chenango 
county, in 1843, settled here in 1873, was super- 
visor of Cuyler in 1883; wife, Emma C. Ran- 
dall, daughter of Zebulon C. and Polly (Cong- 
den) Rand.all, of Chenango county ; married in 
1868, children three: Vinnie R., U'illiam N., 
and Julia. Parents, Joseph and Mary (Newell) 
Baldwin, natives of Yorkshire, England, who 
came here in 182^. 

Brown, Benjamin, p. o. Cuyler, farmer, 300 
acres, born in Truxton in 1814, and died in 
June, 1878; wife, Sarah, born in Tru.xton in 1S18, 
daughter of Stephen and Sarah (Tripi)) Bogar- 
dus; the former w-as born in Duchess county, 
the latter in Columbia county ; married in 1836, 
children eleven. Parents, Seabury and Polly 
(Fox) Brown, natives of Connecticut. 

Brown, John W., p. o. Cuyler, farmer, owns 
125 acres, born in Cuyler in 1817; wife, Polly 
Whitmarsh, daughter of Silas and Charlotte 
(Vincent) Whitmarsh ; children five : Wesley, a 
resident of Cuyler, married Alice Gates, of 
Pompey, in 1849, ^""'^ '^- carried Volney Vin- 
cent in 1863, Sarah R. married Hiram Gibbs 
in 1868, Stephen, a resident of Cuyler, married 
Mary C. Tucker in 1875, John A., a resident of 
Pompey, married Nora V. Stillman, of Cuyler, 
in 1878. Parents, John and Jamima (Hollen- 
beck) Brown; both were born in 1771. 

Brown, Seabury F., p. o. Cuyler, of the firm 
of Brown Brothers, proprietors of steam grist- 
mill, born in Cuyler in 1854; wife, Ida M. 
Morse, daughter of Addison and Maria (Hamil- 
ton) Morse, who were among the early settlers 
of the town: married in 1878, one child, Sarah 
W. Parents, Benjamin and Sar.ah (Bogardus) 
Brown, early settlers of Cuyler. 

Colgrove, Eli J., p. o. Cuyler, manufacturer 



of lumber and farmer, born in Cuyler in 1842; 
wife, Anna J. Kenyon, daughter of Joseph L. 
and Sally M. (Chase) Kenyon, of Pitcher, Che- 
nango county, married in 1878. Parents, Eli 
S. and Sally B. (Wilcox) Colgrove. 

Dunce, Alexander, p. o. Cuyler, farmer, born 
in Schenectady in 1809, settled in county in 1839, 
was constable and collector, town sui)erintend- 
ent of schools, justice of the peace, supervisor 
nine terms, chairman of the board one year, and 
notary public since 1869; wife, Nancy M. 
Turner, of Madison county; married in 1840 and 
died in 1875 ; second wife, Mrs. Pierce, daugh- 
ter of Joseph and Huldah Allen, of Cuyler; mar- 
ried in 1877. 

Farrington, Edward, p. o. De Ruyter, farmer, 
owns 130 acres, born in Flushing, L. I., in 1821, 
setded in Cuyler in 1850; wife, Mary Hill, 
daughter of Daniel and Ruth Hill, who died in 
1864; one child, Maria L., now Mrs. James 
Tripp, of Marathon ; second wife, Emelina 
Clark, daughter of Josephus Clark, of Fabius, 
Onondaga county. 

Fuller, Adelbert, p. o. Cuyler, postmaster and 
general merchant, born in Taylor in 1837, was 
justice of peace; wife, Sarah Porter, daughter 
of Daniel and Aseneth Porter, of Taylor; married 
in 1864, children three: Allie, Fred A., and 
May. Parents, Sullivan and Polly (Cole) Ful- 
ler, of Taylor. 

Irish, Elias B., p. o. De Ruyter, farmer, owns 
215 acres, was assessor several terms; wife, Al- 
mira Muncy, daughter of James and Esther 
(Clark) Muncy, early settlers of this town ; mar- 
ried in 1845, children two: Elsie C, now Mrs. 
Charles J. York, of Cuyler, and Oscar J., of 
Iowa. Parents, Elias and Catherine (Coon) 
Irish, natives of Rhode Island, who settled here 
in 1814. 

Keeler, Nelson, p. o. Cuyler, farmer, owns 
430 acres, was assessor, and is present justice of 
peace ; wife, Sarah R. Harris, daughter of Evan 
and Sally (Bragg) Harris; married in 1849, chil- 
dren living five : M. J., Anna J., now Mrs. John 
Davis, of Truxton, Ada, Frank N., and Alta. 
Parents, Martin and .-\nna (Woodruflf) Keeler, 
who came from Massachusetts in 1795. 

Knapp, Clarence N., p. o. Cuyler, dealer in ag- 
ricultural implements, stoves and house furnish- 



5o6 



History of Cortland County. 



ing goods, born in Spafford, Onondaga county, 
in 1836, was town clerk of Cuyler for nine years ; 
wife, Olivia I,. Barber, daughter of Silas M. and 
Phtebe (Burdick) Barber, of Scott, married in 
1858. Parents, Peter and Saberah (Babcock) 
Knapp, of Spafford. 

Morse, William A., j). o. Cuyler, farmer, owns 
443 acres, born in Cuyler in 1827, was assessor; 
wife, Maria Hamilton, of New Berlin; married 
in 1850, children three: Orlando E., Elba A., 
now Mrs. John McCallister, of Cuyler, Ida, 
now Mrs. S. E. Brown, of Cuyler. Parents, Wil- 
liam and Betsey (Hills) Morse, natives of Cuyler. 
Grandfather, David Morse, came from New Jer- 
sey to Cuyler in 1793. 

Patrick, John W., son of Hon. Stephen and 
Angelina Patrick, was born in town of Tru.xton, 
in 1841, enlisted on the 26th day of April, 1861, 
being the first enlistment in the town, was in the 
first company raised in the county during the 
Rebellion, was discharged as sergeant at Elmira, 
May 26th, 1863, on account of expiration of 
term of service, came to Cuyler in 1864, owns 
the Patrick homestead consisting of 431 acres, 
which was deeded by the State to Penelope Pat- 
rick for services rendered by her father; was 
married in 1866 to Agnes, daughter of John and 
Anna Robbins, of Truxton ; has three children 
living: Stella A., Wesley B., and William K. ; has 
held the offices of a.ssessor and supervisor of the 
town. 

Pease, Elijah, p. o. Cuyler, farmer, owns 102 
acres, born in Eaton in 1821, setded in county 
in 1856; wife, Lucy Ann Hamilton, daughter 
of Alexander and Lydia (Button) Hamilton, of 
Georgetown ; married in 1849, children two : D. 
Edgar, of Cuyler, and George E. Parents, Wil- 
liam and Ruth (Vinton) Pease, of Eaton, N. Y. 

Petrie, Adam, p. o. Cuyler, farmer, owns 200 
acres, settled in county in 1825, has been as- 
sessor ; wife, Lucinda Kinney, daughter of Thos. 
and Elmira (Brown) Kinney; married in 1847, 
one child. Belle, now Mrs. Eugene Curtis, of 
Cortland. Parents, Abraham and Nancy (Har- 
ter) Petrie. 

Potter, Oliver C, p. o. South Cuyler, farmer, 
owns 170 acres, born in Richfield, Otsego 
county, N. Y., in 1817, came to county in 1822 ; 
wife, Amelia U. Hyer, daughter of Chas. and 



Betsey (Cleveland) Hyer, of Guilford, N. Y.; 
married in 1858, one child, Helen L., now Mrs. 
Edward H. Knajjp, of Onondaga county. Pa- 
rents, Charles and Perlina (Carver) Potter, na- 
tives of R. I. 

Risley, Wait, p. o. Cuyler, born in Cuyler, Janu- 
ary nth, 1820; farmer, owns 390 acres; wife 
Eunice J. Vincent, daughter of Cornelius and 
Harriet (Smith) Vincent; married in 1865, chil- 
dren two : Lena B., and Grant W. Parents, 
Waite and Polly Risley, natives of Connecticut. 

Smith, David C, p. o. Kenney, farmer, owns 
268 acres, born in Lincklaen, Chenango county, 
in 1842, settled in Cortland county in 1869, is 
present assessor; wife, Emeline Jones, daughter 
of William and Mary Jones, of Truxton ; married 
in 1869, children four: Nellie, Fannie, Hattie, 
and Richard. Parents, William and Lovina 
(Congdon) Smith, of Lincklaen. 

Steel, George G., p. o. Cuyler, farmer, owns 
300 acres, born in Herkimer county in 181 2, 
came to county in 1842, and died in 1880; wife, 
Mary Ann Putman, of Danube, N. Y. ; married 
in 1834, children ten, nine living: Cornelius, 
John, Elias, Elizabeth, now Mrs. Cyrus Smith, 
of Truxton, George W., Almonzo, Mary, now 
Mrs. Theodore De Barr, of Truxton, Maria, now 
Mrs. Vincent Heath, of Cuyler. 

Whitmarsh, Hon. Hiram, p. o. Cuyler, farmer, 
owns 280 acres, born in Cuyler in 1830, was as- 
sessor and supervisor in the year 1867, and 
member of assembly in the year i86g; wife, 
Zelia D. Brown, daughter of Seabury and Polly 
(Fox) Brown, of Cuyler; married in 1854, chil- 
dren four: Carrie, Jesse B., Fred C.,and Paul L. 
Parents, Job and Arvilla (Wheat) Whitmarsh, 
who were among the first settlers of Cujler. 



FREETOWN. 

Borthwick, Marcus, p. o. Freetown Corners, 
farmer, born in Middleburg, Schoharie county, 
Dec. ist, 1830, was supervisor in 1844, and town 
auditor several years; wife, Charlotte Carter, 
daughter of Eleazer and Sarah (Curtis) Carter, 
born in Onondaga county in 1833; married in 1867, 
one daughter. Parents, .Andrew and Sally Bush- 
nell Borthwick, natives of Schoharie county, who 
settled in Freetown in 1832 ; children nine. 



Brief Personals. 



507 



Brainard, Alanson, p. o. Freetown Corners, 
farmer and retired dairyman, born in Herkimer 
county in 1820, settled in county in 1867 ; wife, 
Maria A. Legg, born in Massachusetts in 1824; 
married in 1844; children seven : Josephine M., 
George W., Henry H., Joshua B., David L., Ar- 
thur E., and Charles J. ; George W. died in 1873, 
Henry H. enlisted in the iS6th Regiment 
N. Y. v., in 1864, and David L., joined the 
Greeley expedition in exploring the Arctic re- 
gions ; he reached Lat. 3.24, N. Long. 40.46, 
VV., the most northern point reached by any ex- 
plorer ; he was rescued with the remainder of the 
Greeley survivors June 2 2d, 1884. Parents of Alan- 
son Brainard were: Joshua and Freelove (Ellis) 
Brainard, natives of Connecticut, who setded in 
Herkimer county in 1800 where they died. 

Eaton, Calvin, p. o. Freetown Corners, farmer 
and dairyman, owns 230 acres, born in Ashford, 
Windham Co., Conn., in 1808, settled in county 
in 1847, was commissioner four years, and asses- 
sor six years ; wife, Caroline H. Campbell, born 
in Willett in 1827 ; married in 1849, children 
four: Florilla D., born in 1850, Estella, born in 
1856, Frank, bom in 1861, Fred, bom in 1866. 
Parents, James and Fannie (Rickards) Eaton, 
natives of Connecticut, who came to New York 
in 1815; the former died in Otsego county, the 
latter in Freetown. 

Edwards, Joseph D., ]). o. Texas Valley, 
farmer, born in Freetown in 1850; wife, Louisa 
Maynard, daughter of Madison B. and Maria 
Maynard, born in Virgil in 1854 ; married in 
1874, children two: Wellington F. and Wesley 
J. Parents, Stephen and Sally (Bowdish) Ed- 
wards, the former born in Cincinnatus in 1821, 
died in 1883, the latter born in Newstead in 
1819. 

Grant, Philander D., p. o. East Freetown, P. 
M. and retired contractor-builder, born in Free- 
town in 1832, has been postmaster eighteen 
years, constable seven years, and held other dis- 
trict offices ; wife, Joanna Hickey, born in Ho- 
boken in 1832; married January 2d, 185 1, chil- 
dren two: Ellen F.,born October 8th, 1851, and 
Emmet C, born September i ith, 1856. Parents, 
Miner and Ziba Underwood, the former born in 
1806, the latter in 1808 ; married in 1828, chil- 
dren nine. 



Harvey, Thomas, p. o. Freetown, famier and 
stock dealer, carpenter and builder, born in 
England in 1824, settled in county in 1832; 
wife, Mrs. Sarah (Cameron) Livingston, born in 
Freetown in 1837; married in 1875, one child, 
Eugene L. Parents, William and Sarah (Stark- 
ey) Harvey, natives of England, came to Free- 
town with six children in 1832, the former died 
in 1862, aged seventy-two years, the latter died 
in 1852. 

Madison, Eri, p. o. Texas Valley, farmer, born 
in Blenheim, Schoharie county, in 1821, edu- 
cated at a common school, taught school from 
1842 till 1848 in the winter; married Harriet 
Carter, daughter of Ezra and Dimmis Carter, 
February, 1848; was elected justice of peace 
in 1834, and in 1856 was elected supervisor and 
re-elected in 1857, since which time he has held 
various town offices. Parents, David and Re- 
becca (Hull) ^Lldison, the former born in Rens- 
selaer county in 1788 and died in 1866; the 
latter died "in i88i, aged eighty-five; her father 
was Ebenezer Hull, came from Connecticut. 
Grandfather David Madison, sr., was born in 
Delaware county, and his parents were among 
the first settlers in the town of Middletown. 

Martin, Aldin, p. o. East Freetown, farmer 
and dairyman, born in Freetown in 1853; wife, 
Amy E. Hammond, daughter of John and 
Evaline Hammond, born in 1856; married in 
1880, one child, Carrie E. Parents, Simmons 
and Lucy (Wildman) Martin, the former born in 
Conn, in 1807, came to county in 1813, the 
latter born in 1817, children six. 

Metzgar James, p. o. Freetown Corners, far- 
mer and dairyman, born in Northampton county, 
Pa., in 1818, settled in county in 1839; wife, 
Clarissa M. Wildman, daughter of Marcus and 
Sibyl (Rogers) Wildman; married in 1842, chil- 
dren four: Lucetta M., Tryphena A., Almeron H. 
and Ina E. Parents, Jonas and Mary (Merwin) 
Metzgar, natives of Northampton county, Penn. 

Seeber, James H., p. o. Freetown, farmer and 
stock dealer, born in Freetown in 1833, was su- 
pervisor two terms, assessor six years, and held 
other offices ; wife, Martha Smith, daughter of 
Giles M., born in Marathon in 1833 ; married in 
1857, died in 1870, leaving two children: Clay- 
ton W., and Arthur A. ; second wife, Mrs. Jane 



5o8 



History of Cortland County. 



Smith, daughter of Daniel and Emeline Wight- 
man married in 1870, one child, Martha E. 
Parents, James and Eliza Ste[)hens, the former 
born in Schoharie county, the latter in Oneida 
county; children six. Grandparents, Sophrenus 
and Elizabeth Seeber, natives of Schoharie 
county, came to Freetown in 1820, and settled 
on James H.'s present farm of 300 acres; chil- 
dren six. 

Slocum, Ransom, p. o. Freetown Corners, 
farmer and dairy, born in Oneida county in 
1825, settled in county in 1853, was assessor 
three years, and held other district offices ; wife, 
Celestia M. Ho])kins, born in Oneida county in 
1828; married in 1854, children five : Frank R., 
Emily C, Charles H., Nelson H., and Edgar 
J. Frank R., married Susan Dietrich. Parents, 
Henry and Sally (Bull) Slocum ; the former was 
born in Vermont, and is still living, the latter was 
born in Oneida county, and died in 1876; chil- 
dren eight, six living. 

Smith, Chauncey, p. o. Freetown Corners, 
farmer and dairyman, born in Freetown in 1837, 
was supervisor three years; wife, Mary Parker, 
born in Vermont, married in 1863, and died in 
1873, leaving two children : Lettie and Lucinda ; 
second wife, I^lla Lampher, born in 1856; chil- 
dred four : Mary, Dudley C, Walter and Clark. 
Parents, Dudley and Nancy M. (Carpenter) Smith, 
the former born in Norway, Herkimer county, 
N. v., came to Freetown in 1837, died in 1873, 
aged 68 years; the latter died in 1879, aged 68 
years ; children seven. 

Tanner, George J., p. o. Freetown Corners, 
farmer and inventor and patentee of the milk 
tester, owns 170 acres, born in Trenton in 1836, 
settled in county in 1840, was assessor four 
years; wife, Dimmes Carter, daughter of Au- 
gustine and Olive (Richardson) Carter, born in 
1845 ; married in 1863, children eight. Parents 
L.D. and Mary (Holliday) Tanner, the former of 
Herkimer county, settled in Freetown in 1840, 
and was a Methodist Episcopal clergyman for 
many years. 

Tarbell, William N., p. o. East Freetown, 
farmer, born in Freetown in 1857, is justice of 
peace; wife, Genevieve Hill, born in Will county, 
Illinois, in 1857 ; married Sept. igtli, 1877, 
one son, Leon J., born March 24th, 1879. Pa- 



rents, Lorenzo and Julia (Cameron) Tarbell, the 
former born in Groton in 181 9, was justice of 
peace twelve years, the latter born in 1821, mar- 
ried in 1840 and died in 1877 ; children six. 
Grandfather, Daniel Tarbell, settled in Free- 
town in 1835. 

Underwood, Alanson, p. o. East Freetown, 
retired farmer, owns 400 acres, born in Edmon- 
son, N. Y., in 1806, settled in county in 1813; 
wife, Laura Staftbrd, born in Otsego county in 
1807; married in 1829, children eleven, seven 
now living : Joseph, Alanson jr., and Susan 
(twins), Lyman, Lewis, Levina and Laura. Pa- 
rents, Vander and Jerusha (Wood) Underwood, 
the former born in Woodstock, Conn., in 1781, 
and died in A])ril, 1862, the latter born in Mans- 
field, Vt., in 1781, married Nov. 17th, 1803, and 
died in 1847 ; children seventeen. 

Underwood, Vander, jr., p. o. McGrawvilie, 
farmer and stock grower, born in Freetown in 
1821, is a large land owner in Mississippi; wife, 
Julia A. Grant, daughter of Russell and Betsey 
(Loveless) Grant, born in Freetown in 1825; 
married in 1846, children six, three now living: 
Electa, Betsey and Louisa. Parents, Vander and 
Jerusha (Wood) Underwood. 

Watrous, Benjamin B., p. o. FreetowMi Cor- 
ners, retired farmer, born in Washington county 
in 1803, settled in county in 181 1, held many 
district offices and was a deacon in the Baptist 
Church for many years ; wife, Elizabetli Lam- 
pher, born in Munson, Mass., in 1803; married 
in 1824, children twelve, six now living : Laura 
Jane, born in 1826, Emerette in 1832, Benjamin 
F. in 1840, Jerusha in 1842, Austin A. in 1846, 
Edgar A. in 1848. Parents, Austin and Sally 
(Backus) Watrous, natives of Connecticut, the 
former born in 1778, and died in 1864, the latter 
born in 1781, and died in 1844. 

Watrous, Leonard J., p. o. Freetown Corners, 
farmer, born in Freetown in 1834 ; wife, Ema- 
line Slocum, daughter of Henry and Sally (Bull) 
Slocum, born in Oneida county in 1832; mar- 
ried in 1864, children two: Roscoe, horn .4ug. 
2Sth, 1870, and died in 1879, and Addie Luella. 
Parents, Joseph and Lydia (Leach) Watrous, the 
former born in Washington county in 1801, set- 
tled in Freetown in i8io with his parents; chil- 
dren seven. 



Brief Personals. 



509 



Wildman, Joseph, p. o. East Freetown, born 
in Freetown in 1S09, ami died March 9th, 1878; 
wife, Mrs. Ann Eva Van Slyke, daughter of 
Jolin and Lydia (Marenus) Van Slyke, born in 
Otsego county in 1821; married in 1838, chil- 
dren five: Rollin, born in 1839, Josephine A., 
born in 1841, Mahalah, born in 1843, Marcus 
N. in 1844, and King L. in 1847, ^^'^o married 
Margaret Metzgar in 1873; children four. Pa- 
rents, Joseph and Mindwell Wildman. Grand- 
father Wildman was one of the first settlers in 
the old town of Cincinnatus. 

Woods, Elisha, jr., p. o. Freetown Corners, 
retired boot and shoe manufacturer, born in 
Bainbridge, N. Y., in 1804, settled in county in 
1 8 13. was deputy sheriff, collector four years, 
constable ten years, and held other offices ; wife, 
Sally Montgomery, daughter of James and Bar- 
bara (Moon) Montgomery, of Rhode Island, 
born in 1802; married in 1824, children seven, 
five now living: Silvester, Lydia, Sherman, Eliza, 
and E. B. Parents, Elisha and Hannah (Spen- 
cer) Woods, natives of Vermont, settled in 
Chenango county in 1789, children six. Elisha 
was a Revolutionary soldier and one of General 
Washington's body guards. He died in 1842. 



HARFORD. 

Bradley, Horace W., p. o. Harford, steam 
lumber, planing, lath, flour, feed, and shingle 
mill, owns 400 acres, born in New Haven, Conn., 
in 1844, setded in county in 1853; wife, Eliza, 
beth M. Sutton, born in England in 1849, came 
to America with parents in 1852, who located in 
Chautauqua county, N. Y. ; married in 1868, 
children four. Parents, Woodward and E. (Hem- 
mingway) Bradley, the former born in Conn, in 
1806, died in 1852, the latter was a daughter of 
Col. Jacob and Eunice Hemmingway, early 
setders of county. H. W. Bradley enlisted in Co. 
E, 157th N. Y. Vols, in 1862, was wounded at 
the battle of Gettysburg, served to close of war 
and was discharged, after which he spent some 
years in the Penn. oil regions, then relumed to 
Harford and purchased his mill and has since 
done a very extensive business. 

Brown, Homer J., p. o. Harford, farmer and 



dealer in farm implements, born in Harford in 
1840, has been town clerk: wife, Georgia Dick- 
enson, born in 1839; married in 1867, died in 
1874, leaving two children: J. Grove and Grace 
D ; second w'ife, Eva D. Lathrop, married in 
1876. Parents, Dexter and Betsey (H olden) 
Brown, the former born in 1815, the latter in 
1813 ; married in 1838, children two. Grand- 
parents, Josiah and Sophia (Graves) Brown. 

Brown, Norton L., p. o. Harford, fanner, bom 
in Harford in 1820 ; wife, Judith Edminister 
daughter of Henry and Mary (Barnes) Edminis- 
ter, born in Harford in 1824; married in 1842, 
children four: De Ette L., Abbie R., Dexter D., 
and Charles J. (deceased). Parents, Morris and 
Matilda (Holden) Brown, the former born in 
Chenango county in 1799 and died March 23d, 
1883, the latter born in Maine in 1799, married 
in 1819, children three. Grandparents, Josiah 
and Sophia (Graves) Brown, natives of Mass., 
who settled in county in 18 14. 

Burlingame, Charles C, p. o. Harford Mills, 
farmer, born in Windham county. Conn., in 
1838, setded in county in 1853, has been justice 
of the peace, and held other minor offices ; wife, 
Mary C. Griswold, daughter of Rev. William and 
Lovina (Kilner) Griswold, born in Tioga county, 
in 1842; married in 1861, children two: Hattie 
L., and Nettie J. Parents, Peter and Harriet 
(Dean) Burlingame, the former was a minister 
and settled in Harford in 1853, wife died in 
1853; second wife, Nancy Brown, of Homer, 
married in 1855, children two. Charles C. Bur- 
lingame enlisted in Co. E, 157th Reg., under Col. 
P. P. Brown, in August, 1SC2, served three years, 
was promoted to lieutenant and afterward to 
captain. 

Bushnell, H. T., j). o. Harford, dealer in dry 
goods, groceries, hardware, clothing, boots and 
shoes and all farm implements, born in Ohio in 
1843, was supervisor in 1884, and had previously 
held the offices of town clerk, notary public and 
constable; wife, Jennie H. HoUett, born in 1839; 
married in 1868, one child, Charles Laverne. 
Parents, Lewis and Elizabeth (Treat) Buslinell, 
of Ohio. H. T. Bushnell began the mercantile 
business in Harford in 1872- and in 1S80 be- 
came a partner with Samuel N. Holden ; the 
business is now conducted under the name of 
Holden & Bushnell. 



5IO 



History of Cortland County. 



Clinton, Austin W., p. o. Harford Mills, dealer 
in knnl)cr, horn in Newark Valley, in 1850; 
settled in county in 1875, has heen supervisor; 
wile, Alice Davis, of Scranton, married in 1875. 
Parents, R. W. and Anna (Knapp) Clinton; 
Children three: A. W., Arthur, who married Ad- 
die Roys, and Ella who married Morris Ehvell. 
R. W. Clinton's Sons began the lumber trade in 
Harford in 1872, a fire destroyed their mill in 
1880, a new one was erected, the main building 
of which is 80x32, two stories high, the other 
50x26, two stories high, run by steam which also 
heats their dwelling houses, as well as their store 
and office, the sawdust is used for fuel. They 
run six circular saws, a planing and lath mill, and 
own 500 acres of timber and farming land. 
They have a very extensive trade in the eastern 
markets and N. J., where they make a specialty 
of furnishing lumber for building and govern- 
ment purposes. Austin W. was a graduate of 
Cornell University in 1872, was .professor of 
natural science in Kingston, Penn., traveled in 
Europe, visiting nine different countries, returned 
and settled at his present business in 1875. The 
brothers are now building a mill at Pike Mills, 
Pa., with a capacity of one hundred thousand 
feet per day. 

Corbin, Joseph, p. o. Harford, farmer, born in 
Connecticut, October 22d, 1799, settled in county 
in 1858, on a farm of 70 acres, and died May 
22d, 1883; wife, Ellen Loomis, born in Smith- 
ville, N. Y., Feb. 15th, 1803 ; married Sept. 6th, 
1820, died Aug. 27th, 1876, leaving four chil- 
dren : Betsey, born in 1824, John in 1826, Mary 

A. in 1827, and Lois A. in 1833; John enlisted 
in t^he 157th regiment in 1862, and served to 
close of war; married Elizabeth A. Ford, chil- 
dren two ; Betsey married Andrew Smith and re- 
sides in Taylor, Cortland county ; children six. 

Culver, George VV., p. o. Harford, farmer, 
born in Truxton in 1825; wife, Mary M. Lason, 
born in 1824; married in 1850, children four: 
Viola, John, Lizzie and Willie. Parents, Simon 

B. and Betsey (Vincent) Culver, the former 
born in New jersey in 1798, the latter born in 
Herkimer county in 1804; married in 1821, chil- 
dren six. Grandparents, George and Jemina 
(Morse) Culver, natives of New Jersey, settled in 
Truxton in 1802, purchased 100 acres of land at 
$3.44 per acre. 



Edmonds, Jonathan C, p. o. Harford, grocer 
and general market for flour, seeds and all staple 
articles; born in Saratoga county in 1842, was 
town clerk three years, assessor one term, com- 
missioner three terms, deputy sheriff one year and 
constable for several years; wife, Emma Holden, 
daughter of Benjamin and Maria (Lathrop) Hol- 
den, born in 1844; married in 1862, one child, 
Nellie. Parents, Frances and Eliza (Burge) Ed- 
monds, who settled in Harford in 1854. J. C. 
Edmonds began the grocery business in 1879, 
and he still continues to deal in all leading 
goods. 

Hemenvvay, Morris B., p. o. Harford, farmer, 
born in Harford in 1834; wife, Bethesda B. 
Rood, daughter of Josiah \V. and Bethesda (Bliss) 
Rood, born in Otsego county in 1837 ; married 
in 1866, one child, Carrie A. Parents, Lyman 
and Rachael (Holden) Hemenvvay, the former 
born in 1804, settled in county in 1821, married 
in 1827 and died in 187 1, children six; the lat- 
ter still resides on the farm they first purchased 
with her son Morris. 

Holden, Luther, p. o. Harford, farmer and 
dealer in blooded stock, born in Harford in 
1849; wife, Sarah Hartson, daughter of Samuel 
and Evaline (Winters) Hartson, born in Penn- 
sylvania in 1848 ; married in 1870, children two : 
Berdette, born Jan. 13th, 1872, and Ada, born 
Oct. 27th, 1878, and died Sept. 30th, 1884. 
Parents, Benjamin and Maria (Lathrop) Holden ; 
the former died in January, 1875, the latter in 
1878; children two: Emma born in 1844, and 
Luther born in 1849. 

Holden, Samuel N., p. o. Harford, dealer in 
general merchandise and all kinds of farm im- 
plements, born in county in 1844; wife, Lillian 
Wattles, daughter of Glover P. Wattles, born in 
1854; married in 1872, one child, Jennie, who 
died in Sept., 1875, aged T4 months, and an 
adopted daughter, Agnes Louise. Parents, 
Walter and Relief (Tanner) Holden ; the former 
born in Maine in 1803, and died in 1880, the 
latter born in 1S06, and died in 1851, leaving 
ten children, three now living. Grandparents, 
Benjamin and Emma (Farwell) Holden, the 
former of Maine and the latter of Boston, setded 
in Harford in 18 13; children twelve. 

Holdridge, Enoch J., p. o. Harford, farmer 



Brief Personals. 



5n 



and carpenter, born in Madison .county in 1827, 
settled in county in 1830, was assessor twelve 
years and elected justice in i88i ; wife, Clarissa 
Teri)ening, daughter of Noah and Polly Terpen- 
ing, born in Virgil in 1825; married Nov. 10th, 
1850, children two: Medora, born in 1856, and 
A. Eugene, born in 1864; Medora married Sher- 
man Grennell in 1877. Parents, Daniel and 
Anna (Chaffee) Holdridge, the former died Oct. 
3d, 1882, and the latter died in 1846, leaving 
nine children, six now hving. 

Johnson, Philo A., p. o. Harford, born in Vir- 
gil in 1818; wife, Ruth Lincoln, bom in 1819; 
married Oct. 6th, 1842, died March 4th, 1862, 
leaving eight children ; second wife, Caroline 
Seymour, born in 1824, married in 1863. Pa- 
rents, Eli and Lucretia (Smith) Johnson ; the 
former born in Otsego county in 1792 and died 
in 1875, the latter in 1794 and died in 1S75; 
married in 1813, children nine, four now living: 
Ezra I., Horace B., Philo A., and Marrilla. 

Knapp, John H., M. D., p. o. Harford, phy- 
sician and surgeon, born in Fairfield in 1819, was 
member of assembly in 1854-55, supervisor 
three terms, and held other town offices for many 
years ; wife, Sarah Wattles, of Broome county, 
born June 5th, 1826; married Dec. 24th, 1844, 
children four, all died in infancy. Parents, Am- 
me P. and Polly (Hull) Knapp, natives of Con- 
necticut, who settled in Chenango county in 
1822. The former died in 1872, aged 84, wife 
still living, aged 88 years. Dr. J. H. Knapp read 
medicine in Sherburne, and attended lectures at 
Albany Medical College; commenced practice 
at Marathon in 1843, and in 1845 went to Etna, 
Tompkins county, and in 1849 returned to Cort- 
land and settled in Harford, where he now re- 
sides, having a large practice. 

McPherson, John, p. o. Harford, farmer, born 
in Orange county in 1837, settled in county in 
1878, has been assessor and excise commissioner; 
wife, Isabetta Shaw, born in Wyoming county, 
Pennsylvania, in 1843; married in 1861, chil- 
dren seven : George B., Frank E., Elizabeth M., 
Sarah G., Ada B., Robert O. and Edward T. 
Parents, Robert and Mary E. (Coleman) Mc- 
.Pherson, born in Orange county, the former in 
1812, and the latter in 1818, married in 1835; 
children two : John and Emma, the latter born in 
1842, married Theron G. Wilcox in 1864. 



Purvis, Robert, p. o. Harford, farmer, sheep 
and stock dealer; born in Otsego county in 
1825, settled in county in 1830, was supervisor, 
school superintendent and held many town offi- 
ces; wife, Jennie M. Bouton, daughter of Na- 
thaniel, jr., and Julia E. (Southworth) Bou- 
ton, born in Marathon in 1842, married in 1881. 
Parents, Andrew and Nancy (Hale) Purvis; the 
former born in Scotland, came to America in 
1809, the latter born in Rhode Island, married 
in i8i2, moved to Otsego county in 1822, set- 
tled in Harford in 1830; children seven, two 
now living. 

Rood, Josiah W., p. o. Harford, farmer, born 
in Schoharie county, Feb. 19th, 1806, .settled in 
county in 1840, was supervisor, assessor and held 
other offices, and died in 1880; wife, Bethesda 
Bliss, married March 28th, 1830, and died Feb. 
7th, 1837, leaving three children: Alonzo W., 
born in 1833, Amanda M., born in 1835, Be- 
thesda B., born in 1837 ; second wife, Lucy Mc- 
Farland, born in 1813; married May 30th, 1838, 
children three: Lorin W., born in 1839, Lucy A., 
born in 1844, and Mary E. Rood, born Jan. 20th, 
1850. Parents, Ezra and Parthena Rood, of 
Massachusetts ; the former died in Otsego county 
and the latter in Homer. 

Rood, Lorin W., p. o. Harford, farmer, stock 
dealer and dairy produce, owns 350 acres; 
born in Plainfield, April 4th, 1839, settled in 
county in 1840; wife, Abbie Decker, born in 
1841; married in 1S62, children three: Hattie, 
born Dec. 14th, 1863, Minnie and Myrtie (twins), 
born June 12th, 1872. Parents, Josiah W. Rood 
and Lucy (McFarland) Rood, who settled in 
Harford in 1838. 

Strong, Erastus S., p. o. Harford, farmer and 
retired teacher, holds a state certificate since 
June 23d, 1856, over signature of V. M. Rice. 
Born in Cato in 1821, settled in county in 1846, 
was assessor twelve years, justice of peace six- 
teen years, teacher eleven years ; wife, Elizabeth 
L. Tryon, born in Cayuga county in 1821 ; mar- 
ried in 1845, children five, four now living : Sa- 
rah C, who married Reuben Shepard, Horatio 
W., who married Adel|)ha Frank, and Francis 
E., who married Mary Shevaleer, and .Vsa H., 
now living at home. Parents, Erastus and Cath- 
arine (Kelly) Strong ; the former born in Galway 



512 



History of Cortland County. 



in 1795, and died in 1822, the latter born in 1798 
and died in 1834. 

'lyler, A. W., p. o. Harford, farmer, born in 
Virgil in 1838, was assessor and town clerk two 
terms each ; wife, Mary E. Branch, daughter of 
Enoch and Matilda (Mynard) Branch, born in 
1845; married in 1868, children three: Martha 
A., John ]>. and J. Hart Tyler. Parents, Jere- 
miah and Mahalah (Burlingame) Tyler; the 
former born in 1807, setded in Virgil in 18 10, 
the latter born in 18 12. 

Wavle, James H., p. o. Harford, farmer and 
stock dealer, born in Freetown in 1826; wife, 
Emeline Coleman, bom in Orange county in 
1822; married in 1849, died Ajjril 24th, 1872, 
leaving six children; second wife, Emma Valen- 
tine, born in Marathon, married in 1880. Pa- 
rents, Andrew and Eva (Smith) Wavle, the former 
born in Schoharie county, settled in Cortland 
county in 1818, and died in 1840, the latter died 
in 1879, leaving four children. 

Weiler, George Frederick, p. o. Harford, 
farmer, born in Baden, Germany, Oct. 20th, 
1833, setded in county in 1854, has held several 
district offices, and has been steward of the M. 
E. Church twenty years ; wife, Harriet L. Reed, 
daughter of Asa D. and Marina (Curtis) Reed, 
born August 15th, 1829 ; married Jan. 22d, i860, 
children two : Florence R., born Feb. 19th, 1862, 
and C. Franklin, born Aug. loth, 1872. Parents, 
Jacob and Rosenna (Carterer) Weiler, of Baden, 
Germany. Frederick was penniless when he 
landed in New York, but dirough his own exer- 
tions and prudence has accumulated a large 
I)roperty and is now the possessor of several 
hundred acres of land, and has the confidence 
of the community where he resides, and has paid 
liberally for benevolent purposes. 

Wilcox, Theron G., p. o. Harford, stock dealer 
and dairy, owns 140 acres, bom in Smithville in 
1842; setded in county in 1868, was iiighway 
commissioner one terni and held other district 
offices; wife, Emma McPherson, daughter of 
Robert and Mary McPherson, born in 1842; 
married in 1864, children two: Eddie and 
John. Parents, Simon G. and Hannah (Loomis) 
Wilcox; the former of Oxford, died in 1883, 
aged 72, the latter died in 1867, leaving eight 
children. 



HOMER. 

Alibott, Alfred, p. o. Homer, owns 70 acres, 
dealer in live stock, born in Homer in 1818; 
wife, EstlierH. Bowen; married in 1841, children 
four: Irving, Cornelia (now Mrs. Henry Keel- 
ing), of Homer, Oresta (Mrs. Elias Frisbie), of 
Scott, Frank H., Lillie (now Mrs. Wesley 
Holmes), of Earlville. 

Alvord, Henry S., p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
120 acres, born in Homer in 1826; wife, Mary C. 
Smith, of Fabius ; married in 1852, children two: 
Lucy M., and Hattie E. 

Alvord, Lucius, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
300 acres, born in Homer in 1832; wife, Sylvina 
Brown, daughter of Moses and Sarah (Matteson) 
Brown; married in 1856, children four: Mrs. 
Eugene Eaton, of Cayuga county, Llyn, Millie 
M., and Benette B. Grandfather Ebenezer 
Alvord was born in Farmington, Conn., in 1767, 
and came to Homer in 1794. 

Atkinson, Geo., p. o. East River, farmer, owns 
213 acres, born in England in 1814, settled in 
county in i860; wife, Isabella King, of Martin- 
dale, England; married in i860, children seven: 
Maria A. (Mrs. John Onsby), of Tully, Jennie, 
Geo. K., Isabella A., James, WOliam and Mary 
E. 

Babcock, Oscar A., p. o. Homer, grocer, born 
in De Ruyter in June, 1838, settled in county in 
1849, was second sergeant in Co. H, iS7th N. Y. 
S. v., enlisted in Aug., 1862, discharged at close 
of war ; wife, Laurette L. Maltby; married June 
5th, 1866, children three: Lydia L., born in 
1867, Maud E., and Mabel J. (twins), in 187 1. 

Bates, Alexander, p. o. Homer, carriage and 
sleigh manufacturer, born in Washington county 
in 1 814, setded in county in 181 7, was drum- 
major in 157th N. Y. S. v.; wife, Lavina Yale, a 
descendant of the Yale who founded Yale college; 
married in 1834, children eight: George W., 
William H. (deceased), Lury M., William E., 
(Prof, of music in Columbus, Ind.), Helen L., 
J. Franklin, of Iowa, Newton A., John E., and 
Charles H. 

Barker, Albert, p o. Homer, farmer, owns 106 
acres, born in Washington county, January 8th, 
1800, removed to Oneida county when five 
years old, settled on the same farm where he 
now resides in 1837, married to Sophronia East- 



Brief Personals. 



S13 



man in Paris, Oneida county, June 2otli, 1822, 
who died in March, 1884. There were six chil- 
dren, four of which are still living: Mercy, the 
eldest, married H. G. Short, now living in Tioga 
county, Pa.; Luther E., now living on the old 
homestead; Carrie A. died in 1864; Jennie E.> 
wife of M. N. Allen, Titusville Pa., died in Sept. 
1884; Martha L., wife of William Crandall, of 
Minnesota; and Albert C, of Minnesota. 

Beach, William B., p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
226 acres, born in Homer in 1827 ; wife, Mary 
E. Hammon; married in 1854, children three : 
Jenny E., Ida M., and Clarissa O. Father 
Nathaniel Beach was born in 1790, came to 
county in 1820, and died Oct. 4th, 1873. 

Bell, Robert, p. o. Homer, born in England, 
came to Homer in 1858, and died in 1883 ; wife, 
Jannett Harkness, of Dunfrieshire, Scotland ; 
married Nov. 17th, 1865, children three: John 
H., Jennie H., and Fannie E. 

Blashfield, H. W., p. o. Homer, manufacturer 
of lumber and cider, owns 95 acres, born in Ho- 
mer in 1830, was supervisor one term, justice of 
peace twenty-five years ; wife, Lura M. Bates, 
born in Leno.x ; married in 1854, children two : 
Nellie L., and Frank E. Father William PSlash- 
field came to Homer in 1802, from Brimfield, 
Mass., and died in 1864. 

Brockway, Henry S., p. o. Homer, Supt. 
Brockway Wagon and Sleigh Manufiicturing Co., 
born in Groton, Nov. 19th, 1839, settled in 
county in 1S42 ; wife, Francis L. Hoyt ; married 
in 1867, one child, Harry L. 

Brockway, W. N., p. o. Homer, manufacturer 
of wagons and sleighs, born in Cortland in 
1829, was trustee of the village of Homer; wife, 
P'.dith Hine, of Preble, N. Y.; married in i860, 
children four, living: Florence I., Geo. A., Josie 
A., and Fannie M. 

Burnham, Marvin, p. o. P'ast Homer, honey 
producer, born in Homer in 181 1 ; wife, Caroline 
C. Webster, of Truxton ; married in 1836, chil- 
dren three: U. A., who was first lieutenant in 
Co. D, 76th N. Y. S. v., E. A., in Co. A, 76th 
N. Y. S. v., and Josephene A. (now Mrs. Ben- 
jamin Bennett), of Syracuse. 

Burnham, Shepard C, p. o. East Homer, 
owns 133 acres, farmer, born in Homer in 1850; 
wife, Anna J. Griffeth, born in 1855, daughter 



of Abram B. and Jane E. (.\lexander) Griflfeth, 
of Homer; married in 1874, children three: 
Edna S., born in 1876, Jennie, born in 1881, and 
Albert G., born in 1884. Parents, William H., 
of Homer, and Harriet M. (Crane) Burnham, of 
Marathon. 

Butler, Ralph, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 122 
acres, born in Cayuga county in 1848; wife, 
Addie Mott, of Cayuga county; married in 1871, 
children four: Elmer A., who died Feb. 17th, 
1875, P'ddie G., who died in 1877, Bertha L., 
and Leve J. Ralph Butler is living on the old 
homestead owned by his father, Edmond C, who 
was an immigrant from Connecticut, and first set- 
tled in Cayuga county in 1838, came to county 
in 1848. He died in 1865; wife died in 1877. 

B)Tam, Samuel M., p. o. Cortland, grist and 
saw-mill, born in Virgil, in 1837, was supervisor 
of Virgil ; wife, Laura Scott, born in Conland ; 
married in 1868, children three: Nellie S., Willie 
S., and Charles J. Parents, Josiah and Rhoda 
Byram, who came from Broome county to Vir- 
gil in 1828. 

Carl, Harry, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 117 
acres, born in Homer in 1816; wife, Lucy Dun- 
bar, of Solon; married in 1852, died in April 
1S83; children three: Porter E., Letlie E., and 
Adelbert D. 

Carl, Jacob, p. o. Cortland, farmer, owns 100 
acres, born in Locke, Cayuga county, in 1807, 
settled in county in 1836 ; wife, Eliza Lascels, of 
Haverstraw; married in 1836, children two: 
Elijah E., and Sarah E. (now Mrs. Willington 
Wood), of Homer. Parents, Henry L ami NLiry 
Carl, came to county in 18 10. 

Carver, David W., p. o. Little York, larmer, 
owns 1 13 acres, born in Spafford, Sept. 4th, 1839, 
settled in county in 1865; wife, Harriet F. 
Wright, of Preble; married in 1864, children 
four: Helen M., Herman W., Fred. U. and 
Hattie. Mr. Carver was the first farmer to raise 
cabbage for shipping purposes. 

Carpenter, C. De Witt, p. o. Homer, farmer^ 
owns 165 acres, born in 1832 ; wife, .Adeline Ball, 
of Onondaga county; married in 1855, children 
three: Cora A., Vaeilette A., and Helen A. 
Asaph H. Carpenter came on the ])resent farm 
in 1799. F. B., the artist brother of C. D., was 
born in 1830, and is at present in New York. 



514 



History of Cortland County. 



Coats, John M., p. o. Homer, notary public, 
conveyancer and surveyor, born in Truxton in 
1820, was town clerk of Truxton seven years 
and at present corporation clerk of Homer; wife, 
Almira A. McKnight ; married in 1847, children 
three: Edward M. (now a merchant in Spring- 
field, Mass.), Damon N., a merchant in New 
York city, Mary E., at present teacher in a Nor- 
mal school in Hampton, Va. 

Chittenden, Giles, p. o. Homer, retired, born in 
New Milford, Conn., in 1800, settled in county 
in 1824, was supervisor several terms and justice 
of peace twelve years ; first wife, Samantha Mc- 
Whorter, born in Cincinnatus and died in 1838, 
leaving one child ; second wife, Mary Ann Mc- 
Whorter, died June 21st, 1846, leaving one child • 
third wife, Mrs. Olivia Munson, born in Jefterson 
county in 18 10, married 1848. 

Clark, Simeon N., p. o. Homer, manufacturer 
of tubs, etc., born in Otisco in 1844, settled in 
Homer, Cortland county, in 1873: wife, Emma 
E. Howard, born in England, married in 1879. 

Coon, Hammill T. (deceased), was born in Ot- 
sego county, N. Y., and died in 1862 ; wife, Ro- 
sanna Decker; married in 1852, and settled in 
Homer same year; children six: John C, Ham- 
mill T., of Cortland, William A. and Charles V., 
who are teachers in Homer Academy, Irvin H. 
and Nina M. 

Cummings, Daniel M., p. o. Litde York, 
farmer, owns 106 acres, born in Preble in 1838; 
wife, Climena Pratt; married in 1 861, children 
two : Mary Louise and Orrin Pratt. 

Fisher, Willet, p. o. Homer, manufacturer of 
patent platform spring wagons, born in Dryden, 
Tompkins county, in 1841, setded in county in 
1859; wife, Caroline S. Pierce; married in i860, 
children two now living : Eugene and Charles. 

Foster, John, p. o. Little York, farmer, owns 
200 acres, born in England in 1822, settled in 
county in i860; wife, Jane Miller, of l^igland; 
married Dec. 3d, 1851 ; children ten, seven now 
living. 

Gage, .\. S., ]). o. Homer, manufocturer of 
cutters, born in Greene, Chenango county, Jan. 
5th, 1855, settled in county in 1855; ^^■''^, 
Delia C. Watrous, born in Virgil; married Jan. 
nth, 1877, one child, Carl W. Gage, born Aug. 
2d, 1878. 



Gage, C. W., p. o. Homer, cutter manufactu- 
rer, born in Knox, Albany county, in 1833, set- 
tled in county in 1855, was trustee of village; 
wife, Abigail Pearsall ; married in 1856, children 
four : A. S. Gage, Belle, Carrie and Frankie D. 

Gallu]), Francis A., p. o. Homer, farmer, 80 
acres, born in Connecticut in 1840, settled in 
county in 1857 ; wife, Mary J. Phillips, born in 
1838; married in 1 861, children four, three liv- 
ing: Frank L., Oren P. and Nattalee E. 

Gates, Joel L, p. o. Litde York, former, owns 
123 acres, born in Vermont in [816, settled in 
county in 181 7; wife, Hannah C. Weeks; mar- 
ried May 28th, 1844, and died in 1845, leaving 
one child, Gertie (now Mrs. Charles Taylor of 
Truxton) ; second wife, Maria Severance, of 
Truxton; married in 1847, children four: John 
S., Jerome D., Clara E. and Albert R. 

Gay, Alvin, p. o. Little York, proprietor of 
Hotel York, born in Preble in 1853; wife, Al- 
meda Ackels, born in Preble; married in 1872, 
one child, Edith M. 

Gilkerson, William, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
58 acres, born in Cortland in 1844; wife, Sarah 
C. Coon, born in Fabius, Onondaga county; 
married in 1871, children three: George S., 
Mary H. and William R. 

Goodelle, C. B., p. o. Homer, farmer, 117 
acres, born in Massachusetts in 1812, settled in 
county in 1816; first wife, Uretta N. Hobart; 
married in 1840, died in 1843 ; one child, Uretta 
H., born in 1843, died in 1856; second wife, 
Mary Lake; married in 1845, one child, Charles 
L., born in 1850; married Charlotte P. Beebe in 
1873, one child, born in 1874, died in 1876. 

Haight, Watts, p. o. East Homer, farmer and 
manufacturer of lumber, owns 94 acres, born in 
Homer in 1834; wife, Laura L. Lamb, of Vine- 
land, N. J. ; married in 1882, one child, J. Clyde. 
Parents, Jabez and Emily (Preston) Haight; the 
former of Westchester county, N. Y., and the 
latter of Connecticut. 

Hammon, Chas., p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
69 acres, born in 1845 ; wife, Rebecca M. New- 
man, of Little Falls; married in 1868, children 
three : Herbert A., born in 1870, Chas. W., born 
in May, 1872, and Howard R., born Feb. i8th, 
1876. 

Hammond, William, p. o. Homer, farmer. 



Brief Personals. 



S'S 



owns loo acres, born in Goshen in 1827, settled in 
county in 1830; wife, Nancy K. Williams, born 
in Homer; married in 1849 and died Sept. 24th, 
1884; children five: Helen L., born July ist, 
185 1, Phoebe E., born in 1854, Fred A., born in 
1858, Mary E., born in 1866, and Susie E., born 
in 1869. 

Hough, Ezra, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 90 
acres, born in Homer, Feb. 9th, 1851; wife, 
Martha E. Knapp, of Scriba, Oswego Co., N. 
Y. ; married Feb. i8th, 1879, one child, (Jeorge 
Walter. 

Heberd, Lyman H., p. o. Homer, farmer, 
owns 375 acres, born in Homer in 1837; wife, 
Clara A. Hobart ; married in 1864, children four : 
Marion A., Caroline L., Cora E. and Jessie A. 

Henry, John B., p. o. East Homer, farmer, 
owns 90 acres, born in East Homer in 1840; 
wife, Elizabeth Miller, born in East Homer ; 
married in 1868, children two: Frank M. and 
Edwin J. Parents, Abram and Polly Henry ; 
the former died in 1872, aged 59 years. 

Henry, Nathan J., p. o. Homer, carpenter and 
builder, born in Homer in 1836 ; wife, Ann Eliza 
Tompkins, of Cayuga county; married in 1862, 
children four: Geo. L., Frank G., Ead T. and 
Mabel G. 

Heydon, John S., p. o. Homer, mason, born 
in Salina, Onondaga county, settled in county in 
1867 ; wife, Martha A. Burnet, of Cayuya county ; 
married in 1854, one child, William Carlton. 

Hibbard, Randolph, p. o. Homer, farmer and 
carriage manufacturer, owns 80 acres, born in 
East Homer in i860 ; wife, Mattie A. Ballard, of 
Dryden; married in 1882. Parents, M. M. and 
Ada Hibbard. 

Hitchcock, Edward, [i. o. Homer, Presbyte- 
rian clergyman, owns 220 acres, born in Homer 
in 1833; wife, Josaphene CottcU Fithian, born in 
New Jersey ; married in 1882. 

Hoag, Zelora, p. o. Homer, carpenter and 
builder, born in Cassville, Oneida county ; set- 
ded in county in 1838 ; wife, Amelia Jagger, of 
Preble; married in 1862. 

Hull, Geo. N., p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 74 
acres, born in Homer in 1819 ; wife, Elvena Wil- 
liams ; married in 1844, children seven : Frank 
W., Nancy E., Edward Z., Fannie A. (now Mrs. 
Albert Sessions), Henry H., Porter M. and Lou- 
isa A. 



Hutchens, Orrin B., p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
23 acres, born in Spafford, Onondaga county, in 
1827, settled in county in 1874, was constable 
in Spafford seventeen years ; wife, Mary Mc- 
Daniels, of Spafford ; married in 1854. 

Johnson, George, p. o. Homer, fanner, owns 
195 acres, born in Little Horton, Cumberland 
county, England, in 1828; came to county in 
1838. Parents, Thomas and Jane (Miller) John- 
son, natives of England ; the former died in 

1857- 

Jones, Newell, p. o. Homer, postmaster, born 
in Dover, Vt., in i8i8, setded in Homer, Cort- 
land county, in 1828, held the office of post- 
master since April ist, 1876; wife, Polly Harvey, 
of Chenango county ; married in 1844, one child, 
who died Dec. 28th, 1870. 

Jones, Walter, p. o. Homer, farmer, ow-ns 240 
acres, born in Hillsdale, N.Y., setded in county in 
1833, was justice in Preble three years; wife, 
Martha J. Welch, born in Homer; married in 
1850, one child, A. Kate. 

Joslyn, Orrin N., p. o. Homer, owns 118 acres, 
born in Homer in 1842; wife, Theadosia M. 
Johnson, of East Homer; married in 1865, one 
child, Etta E. Parents, Daniel and Maria (Udey) 
Joslyn ; the former was a native of Windham 
county and settled here at an early date. 

Kenfield, John, p. o. McGrawville, farmer, 
owns 140 acres, born in 1837 ; wife, Jane Shearer, 
daughter of John and Sally (Northrup) Shearer; 
married in i860, children three: Jennie C. (now 
Mrs. Fred McElheny), of McGrawville, George 
D., of Homer, and Adin J., who is at home. 
Parents, Elijah L. and Susan (Ogden) Kenfield; 
the former was born in Hebron, Washington 
Co., N. Y., and came here with his ])arents in 
181 1, and died in 1880. 

Kennedy, Thomas H. About three miles dis- 
tant from the village of Homer the pleasure- 
seekers, en route for Glen Haven, pass a dwell- 
ing situated in a glen-like formation of upland, 
away from but overiooking the thoroughfare. 
In former years this was the chosen home of 
Thomas H. Kennedy. He was born in the [par- 
ish of Morton, Dumfries, Scotland, on the loth 
of Feb., 1758, and died at his residence in Ho- 
mer, Cordand Co., N. Y., on the i8th day of 
April, 1849, at the age of upwards of ninety-one 



5i6 



History of Cortand County. 



years. His life was an eventful one. With a 
mind accomplished by education, extensive read- 
ing and acute observation in his early years, 
traits of character began to shine out which 
made him interesting in every social circle, and 
which glowed with serene beaut)' in his declining 
years. He was a frequent traveler over Great 
Britain and the continent, and was an eye-wit- 
ness of many stirring scenes in the French Rev- 
olution, preceding the empire of the first Naiio- 
leon. He married his wife (Margaret Carmi- 
chael) in Ayershire, where Burns resided. To 
him Burns confided his early attachments, im- 
mortalized in the two exquisite and pathetic effu- 
sions entitled " Highland Mary " and to " Mary 
in Heaven." He carried letters to her from 
Burns. Ayershire and Dumfries joined, and for 
years he was often with Burns. Drove the team 
while Burns held the plow — knew the persons 
from whom many of his poetic characters were 
drawn, especially Tarn O'Shanter — was familiar 
with the scenes of the poems, and heard Burns 
recite many of them before publication. He used 
to relate an incident whicli occurred in Novem- 
ber, 1785 (while he was the teamster and Burns 
the |)lowman), of turning up the nest of a mouse 
with the ])low, and under the inspiration of the 
hour, and while in the field, Burns wrote the 
beautiful poem, "To the Mouse." In 1792, at 
the age of thirty-four, he emigrated to New York 
and first engaged in mercantile business in Pearl 
street, then in Greenwich street, corner of Duane. 
He soon became deeply attached to our free in- 
stitutions. He had lived in New York a year 
before the second inauguration of Washington. 
In after years he became a great admirer of De 
Witt Clinton, and was quite conversant with po- 
litical affairs. In May, 1824, he came to Cort- 
land to look after his landed property in this 
county. He was then the owner of one-third of 
lot No. 80, in Solon (now Taylor), and one-third 
of lot No. 3 in Homer. He had then reached 
the age of sixty-six and resolved to select a spot 
for a permanent home in which to finish his pil- 
grimage. His lands were valuable. With true 
Scottish taste the site selected for his dwelling is 
an upland dell, now with a lovely landscape in 
the foreground and hills in the distance. He 
was a Scotch Presbyterian. His wife died in 
.\pril, 1856, aged 86. Two daughters married 



and lived in New York, — one only is living. 
Two sons, Thomas and Robert, are upon the old 
farm. The former was born in 1802, married 
Sally Price in 1828, six children were born to 
them, four now living: Thomas H., John H., 
Rhoda A. (now Mrs. Walter Stoker, of Scott), 
and Margaret M. 

Klock, Stephen, p. o East Homer, farmer, 
owns 86 acres, born in St. Johnsville in 1827, 
settled in county in 1847, ''■'''s i)een justice of 
peace since 1869; wife, Maranda Hibbard, born 
in 1830; married in 1856, children two: George 

A. and Edgar R. 

Kneeland A. J., p. o. Homer, lawyer, born in 
Marcellus, Onondaga county, in 1821, settled in 
county in 187 1, was supervisor, justice of peace 
and member of assembly ; wife, Esther Griswold, 
born in Truxton ; married in 1852. 

Keeling, Henry D., p. o. Homer, fiirmer, owns 
86 acres, born in Homer in 1841 ; wife, Cornelian 
L. Abbott, of Homer; married in 1865, children 
three, now living : Fred D., Grace L. and Ber- 
tha. Mr. Keeling was in Co. E, 185th Regi- 
ment N. Y. S. V. 

Kingsbury, A. D., p. o. Cortland, farmer, owns 
154 acres, born in Homer in 1834, was assessor 
three terms; wife, Emily Hawks; married in 
1859, one child: Charles D., born in Michigan 
in 1872. 

Knight, Philander, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
197 acres, born in Scott in 1823, was justice of 
peace; wife, E. Louisa Burdick; married in 1845, 
one child living, Arthur L. Eldest child, Jose- 
phene Louisa, died when three years old. Father 
Joab Knight came to county in 1814 and died 
in 1881. Philander Knight was one of those 
uncompromising abolitionists who voted for 
James G. Birney for president in 1844, and con- 
tinued the warfare against slavery till it was dead 
and buried beyond the hope of resurrection. He 
is now battling as ardently for the prohibition of 
the liquor traffic ; for the home against the sa- 
loon, as he ever did against African slavery, and 
expects to continue the fight till the home is tri- 
umphant and the saloon is forever banished from 
his native land. 

Lord, George W., p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
96 acres, born in Homer in 1839; w-ife, Sereph 

B. Flint, born in Butler; married in 1865, chil- 



Brief Personals. 



S>7 



drgn six, three living: George E., Mary E. and 
Lulu N. Father Eli Lord came from Connecticut 
in 1820; George W. resides on the same farm 
purchased at that time. 

Markham, Hiram, p. o. Little York, owns 88 
acres, retired, born in Madison county in 1796, 
settled in county in 1853 ; wife, Jane Porter, born 
in Fabius ; married in 1861. Mr. Markham was 
always an advocate of prohibition and anti- 
slavery and both liimself and wife are members 
of Syracuse Plymouth Churcii. 

Metzger, Jacob, p. o. Homer, restaurant, and 
billiard parlor, and manager Keator Opera 
House, born in Germany in 1849, settled in Ho- 
mer in 1864; wife, Helen L. Beaman, born in 
Massachusetts; married in 1868, children three, 
one living, Lena F. 

Miles, Joseph, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 59 
acres, born in Homer in 1831, was constable; 
wife, Margaret Peters, of Cayuga county; mar- 
ried in i860, children two : Eugene and Herman 
J. Father Philo came from Connecticut to 
county in 1817. 

Miller, George P., p. o. East Homer, steam 
Saw-mill and farmer, owns 77 acres, born in Ho- 
mer in 1842, was in Co. D, iS7th N. Y. Vols., 
enlisted in 1862, was transferred from Co. D, 
157th N. Y. Vols., to the 55th Co., 2d Bat. V. 
R. C, G. O. No. 365, dated Washington, D. 
C, November 13th, 1863, and discharged in 
1865; wife, Lucinda ^L Baker; married in 1865, 
children five: William F., Carrie P., Lillie M., 
George B., and John B. 

Miller, John H., p. o. Homer, born in TruMon 
in 1S44, farmer, owns 212 acres; wife, Ann E. 
Bell, of Truxton, daughter of James and Mary 
(Graham) Bell, natives of England, who settled 
in Tru.\ton in 1852; married in 1872, children, 
two : Jennie E. and Jessie B. Parents, Isaac 
and Elizabeth (Harrison) Miller, natives of Eng- 
land, who came here in 1842. 

Moore, William, p. o. Cortland, farmer, born 
in England in 1832, settled in county in 1S64; 
first wife, Sarah Stephenson; married in i860, 
children six: Mary Ann, Sarali J., John S., Thos. 
H., Joseph B. and Libbie G. ; seconti wife, Lo- 
rinda Gross, born in McGrawville, married in 
1876. 

Moore, William H., p. o. East River, super- 



intendent and general manager of East River 
Milling Company, born in 1824, settled in county 
in 1851, was justice of peace in the town of Vir- 
gil in 1856, and is present jiostmaster; wife, Fi- 
delia McVean ; married in 1853, children two: 
William A. and John C. 

Mynard, James E., p. o. I-'.ast Homer, farmer, 
owns 162 acres, born in Virgil in 1830; wife, Ja- 
nette Bennett, of Truxton ; married in 1854, chil- 
dren, five: Delia O. (now Mrs. Stephen Briggs), 
Libbie J. (now Mrs. Frank Hinman), Pearl, Mar- 
tin and Kittie. 

Newton, C. O., p. o. Homer, wholesale dealer 
in hay and grain, owns 30 acres, born in Hamp- 
den county, Mass., in 1826, settle<l in Cortland 
county in 1852; wife, Elizabeth S. Newton, of 
Homer, daughter of Lemuel D. Newton, who 
settled here in 1S16; married in 1852, one child, 
Frank M. 

Oakes, Russell, p. o. Homer, former, owns 78 
acres, born in Otsego county in 1841, settled in 
county in 1881 ; wife, Agnes .\. Bettes, of Percy, 
Canada; married in 1881, one child, Lewis; 
Freddie R. is Mrs. Oakes's child by a former 
marriage. 

Owen, Duane I)., p. o. liomer, gearing wood 
worker, born in Homer in 1845 ; wife, Josephene 
E. Bardett, of Homer; married in 1875, one 
child, Pearlette. 

Payne, Barney W., farmer, owns 20 acres, born 
in Georgetown, N. Y., in 1812, removed to 
Hamilton the same year, making that place his 
home until 1844, having been engaged in the 
dry goods trade for a number of years previous 
to 1844, then removed to Jefiferson Co., N. Y., 
and engaged in farming and continuing the trade 
in dry goods and serving as justice of the peace 
until 1851. He then removed to Homer and 
engaged in the manufacturing of cotton cloth, 
etc., served as assistant assessor of internal rev- 
enue for eight years ; wife, Lucy A. Bicknell, born 
at Marblehead, Mass.; married in 1S41. 

Peacock, John, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 68 
acres, born in Huntingtonshire, England, in 
1828, settled in county in 1869; wife, Levina 
Culley, of England; married in 1859, children 
four: Charies H., Jesse J., \Liry E. and Anna C. 

Perry, Ebenezer, p. o. Homer, retired, born in 
Aurelius in 1802, settled in county in 1824 ; first 



518 



History of Cortland County. 



wife, Amy Alvord, daughter of Ebenezer and 
Rachael (Crampton) Alvord, born in 1 80 1, chil- 
dren seven, three living : Ebenezer A., Ruth and 
Rhoda V. ; second wife, Margaret Lake, mar- 
ried in 1873; third wife, Lusia Norton, daughter 
of David and Dinah (Welton) Norton. Father 
Ichabod served in the Revolution, born in 1763, 
and died in 1824. 

Phelps, Darius B., p. o. McGrawville, farmer, 
owns 56 acres, born in Cortland county, in 1826; 
wife, Mary A. Kenney, daughter of Isaac and 
Nancy (Lewis) Kenney, of Tru.xton; married in 
1858, children two: Ada M. (now Mrs. Frank 
W. Eastman), of McGrawville, and Lida E. (now 
Mrs. Byron E. Widger), of Homer. Parents, 
Benjamin C. and Phoebe (Fisher) Phelps, who 
came to county in 1796. 

Phillips, Edwin \., p. o. East Homer, wagon 
maker, born in Homer in 1844, enlisted in Co. 
D, 157th N. Y. Vols., in 1862. 

Porter, Oliver, p. o. Homer, lawyer. 

Pratt, Edwin W., p. o. Little York, farmer, 
owns 35 acres, born in Homer in 1830; wife, 
Mary E. Churchill, of Scott, born in 1824; mar- 
ried in 1858. 

Pratt, Franklin F., was born in Homer in 
1835. (He was the youngest of four sons.) His 
father's name was David and came from Wind- 
ham Co., Conn., in 1817, tc> this county. Frank- 
lin had the advantage of a good common school 
education, also attended the academy at Homer 
several terms under S. W. Clark as principal. 
From 1853 to the opening of the civil war, he 
taught school winters and worked at farming the 
remainder of the time. Oct. 4th, 1861, he en- 
listed in the 76th Regt. N. Y. S. Vols., and served 
f;iithfully in the war in that Regiment till Aug., 
1864, when he was transferred with another com- 
rade to U. S. Marine Corps at their own request. 
He was discharged from service in Dec, 1864, 
by special order of President Lincoln on account 
of his father's death and being the only son left to 
care for his widowed mother. He was married in 
Oct., 1866, to Sarah Brayton, daughter of 
Thomas Brayton, formerly of Cumberland Co., 
England. He has five children : Lillian E., Ro- 
sella A., Nellie M., Gracie E. and Charles F. 
Since 1875 Mr. Pratt has owned a farm of 124 
acres and followed the dairy business. 



Pratt, Melvin J., p. o. Little York, farmer, o\jns 
113 acres, born in Homer in 1843, was justice 
of the peace; wife, Cornelia E. Salisbury; mar- 
ried in 1867, children two: Stephen S., and 
Melvin E. 

Raymond, Alfred B.,]). o. Little York, farmer, 
cheese-maker, owns 10 acres, and has accommo- 
dations for summer boarding, boating and etc., 
born in Aug., 1838, has been constable; wife, 
Pearlette E. Albro; married in 1866, children 
three, all dead. 

Rice, Albert, born in 1805, and died in 1874, 
settled in county in 1810; wife, Rosanna Cramp- 
on, of Conn.; married in 1835, chikiren si.\ : 
Elizabeth, Francis U., now Mrs. H. 1'. Hull, of 
Homer, Albert B., who died in 1862, R. W., L. 
F., and Franklin D. 

Rice, Franklin D., p. o. Homer, manufacturer 
and dealer in lumber, cider, and pure cider vin- 
egar, born in Homer in 1855; wife, Clara J. 
Price, of Homer, married in 1879 ; children two : 
Alice L., and .'\lbert B. 

Saunders, William F., p. o. Homer, livery, 
born in Cuyler in 1853; wife, Ellen M. Skinner, 
of Taylor; married June 17th, 1880, one chiUi; 
Wallace W. 

Salisbury, Warren, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
1 1 acres, bom in Homer in 1832, was excise com- 
missioner ; wife, Roxanna E. Gay, of Preble ; 
married in 1862, one child, Cora L. 

Salisbury, W. W., p. o. Little York, farmer, 
owns 45 acres, born in Scott in 1834, was secre- 
tary of county fire relief association ; wife, Mar- 
garet L. Rice, of Albany; married in i860, chil- 
dren three: James Rice, Elizabeth D., now Mrs. 
A. Rust, of Scott, and W. W., jr. 

Schermerhorn, Henry, p. o. East River, re- 
tired, born in Homer in 1808; wife, Eliza Emer- 
son, of Mass.; married in 1834, children six: 
Freeman, of Truxton, Lucy (deceased), Daniel 
15., of Kansas, Eunice, now Mrs. William Mc- 
Lean, of Wisconsin, Annie J ., now Mrs. William 
Miller, of Oregon, and Seymour. 

Seacord, Jefferson, p. o. Homer, wagon nianii. 
facturer, born in Taylor in 1862; wife, Ada 
Colby, of .Akron ; married in 1878, children two : 
Neva and Ella. 

Seeley, Orlando E., p. o. Homer, born in 
Spafford in 1 847, settled in county in 1883; wife, 



Brief Personals. 



519 



Anna Eddy, of Saratoga county ; married in 1870, 
children two : Francis Irving, and liurton R. 

Sessions, Henry, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
165 acres, born in Stafford, Conn., in 1830, came 
here with his father and settled where he now 
resides in 1831 ; mother, Catharine Pool, of Con- 
necticut; wife, Louisa F. Phillips, daughter of 
Levi Phillips; married in 1852, children four: 
Francis A., now Mrs. F. A. Holenbeck, of Syra- 
cuse, George A., Cora E., now Mrs. Charles 
Gilbert, of Homer, and Lena M. 

Sherman, A. James, ]). o. Homer, retired, born 
in 1817, owns 90 acres, was vice-president Mer- 
chant's National bank of Syracuse; wife, Sarah 
A. Sherman, of Homer; married in 1858. 

Short, David, p. o. East Homer, born in 1S12, 
owns 1 12 acres; wife, Miriam Buchanan, of Cort- 
landville; married in 1841. Fatlier settled here 
in 1810, came from Bristol, Mass. 

Smith, Abel B., p. o. Homer, farmer, born in 
Dryden, Tompkins county, settled in county in 
1873, owns 48^ acres; wife, Mary Crane, of Ca- 
yuga county; married in 1870, children four: 
Abbie B., Arthur G., Wheeler A. and Lela E. 
Mr. Smith has on his place the first frame barn 
built in Homer, said to have been built by the 
Beebes the first settlers in the town near his 
place. 

Sprague, Hosea, p. o. Homer, retired builder^ 
born in Brimfield, Mass., in 1793, settled in 
county in 1821, was trustee of village ; wife, Ann 
Hobart, daughter of Capt. Josejih, who came 
from Brimfield, Mass., in 1800. 

Stafford, Henry, ]). o. Homer, farmer, born in 
Virgil in 18 17, owns 185 acres, was school 
trustee and teacher a number of years ; first wife, 
Britania C. Sessions; married in 1844, died in 
1864; second wife, Ada Sessions; married in 
1865, children eight, three living: Leonard L, 
D. C, of Nebraska, and .\da C. (now Mrs. .-\. 
Styles), of Cayuga county. 

Stewart, Edwin F., p. o. Homer, firmer, owns 
16 acres, born in West Eaton in 1852, settled 
in county in 1856; wife, Josephenc Hollenbeck, 
of Scott; married in 1870, ciiildren two : Jennie 
and Stella. 

Stoker, Benjamin, p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
85 acres, born in Yorkshire, England, in 1822, 
settled in county in 1836; wife, Catharine Ham- 



mon, of Orange county; married in 1845, chil- 
dren eight, four living : Sarah E., Fannie (now 
Mrs. Manly Terrel), of Cortland, Daniel B. and 
Nellie. 

Stone, Alphonso, ]). o. Homer, foundry and 
machinist, born in 1818, was supervisor three 
terms, superintendent of the poor seven years, 
and president of the village four years ; wife, 
Maria Beach; married in 1850, children four: 
Charles C, Louis A., Eliot L., and F. Eugene, 
all living at home. 

Thompson, Hammill, p. o. Homer, born in 
Cherry Valley in 1799, settled in county in 1826, 
was assessor three terms, died Nov. 27, 1884; 
wife, E.xperience Oakes, of Rensselear Co., N. 
v.; married in 1826, children two ; Alzoa, who 
married Rev. Chester Hawley^died in 187 1, leav- 
ing two children. 

Van Denburg, John R., p. o. Homer, farmer, 
104 acres, born in Preble in 1818; wife, Lucinda 
M. Babcock, born in Scott; married in 1840, 
children three : Marvin W., of Fort Edward, N. 
Y., Almeron H., of Syracuse, N. Y., and Ella 
F. Father Richard Van Denburg came from 
Coxsackiein i8o6 to Preble. 

Wadsworth, Manly, p. o. Homer, former, owns 
55 acres, born in Homer in 1817 ; first wife, Lois 
Howe; married in 1838, children two : Enosand 
George R. ; second wife, Lurinda Howe; mar- 
ried in 1844, one child, Berice M., now Mrs. 
Wadsworth Reed, of Cortland; third wife, Lu- 
cina Stambro ; married in 1869, one child, Willie 
A. ; a fourth wife, Amanda Crane, of McGraw- 
ville, married in 1877, one child, Manly D. 

Welch, William L., p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
58 acres, born in Solon in 1839 ; wife, Mary 
Jane Newton; married in 1862; children two: 
Sarah Maud and Grace May. 

White, Thomas, p. o. Homer, proprietor Hotel 
Windsor, born in South Salem in 1822, settled in 
county in 1856; wife, Sylvia Slocum, of Cayuga 
county; married in 1844, children four: Joseph 
White, Mary E., deceased, Carrie, now Mrs. D. 
N. Miller, of Homer, Libbie, now Mrs. B. M. 
Hyde, of Moravia, N. Y. 

Wilson, Alfred C, p. o. Homer, mason and 
builder, born in Homer in 1833 ; wife, Jane F. 
Powers, of .\lbany ; married in 1855, one child, 
Porter J., of Medina. 



S20 



History of Cortland County. 



Woodward, Charies N., p. o. Homer, farmer, 
owns 150 acres, born in 1826; wife, Charlotte 
M. Brown, of Homer, born in 1828, died in 1856; 
one child, Charles B., druggist, of Great Bend, 
Pa. ; second wife, M. Elizabeth Dada, native of 
Onondaga county; married in 1857. Charles 
N. has been for many years connected with the 
Sunday school work of the State. 

Woodward, Day E.,p. o. Homer, farmer, owns 
30 acres, born in Homer in 1839; wife, Melissa 
Burdick, of Otsego county; married in i860; 
father, Isaac D., came on foot from New Hamp- 
shire to Homer, and brought the first payment 
on the farm, in 1S22. 

Woodruff, Jerome J., p. o. Homer, farmer, 
owns 59^ acres, born in Fabius, Onondaga 
county, in 1835, settled in county in 1874, was 
school commissioner and ist Lieut, in Co. I 
6ist N. Y. Vols.; wife, Myra Wheat, born in 
Cortland county; married in 1864, children six: 
James D., Arthur J., Anna J., Charles T., Trow- 
bridge B., and Alson E. 

Woodward, Norris G., p. o. Cortland, farmer, 
born in Homer in 1842, was overseer of the 
poor two terms in Homer; wife, Elizabeth Ire- 
land, of Truxton; married in 187 1, children 
three: Herold E., Ernest I. and George N. 

Wright, Egbert A., p. o. Little York, farmer, 
owns 126 acres, l)orn in Greene county in 1822, 
settled in county in 1840; wife, Miriam Wins- 
low, of Preble, is a descendant of the Winslow's 
who came over in the Mayflower ; married 
Jan. i6th, 1842, children seven: Annie M. (now 
Mrs. Abram Knapp), Harriet F. (now Mrs. Da- 
vid Carver), Mary (now Mrs. Richmond Klock), 
Jennie E. now (Mrs. Merrill Hollenbeck), Lewis 
C, Robert and RoUin E. 



LAPEER. 

Boice, Henry, p. o. Hunt's Corners, farmer, 
born in Columbia county in 1843 ; wife, Estelle 
Clark, daughter of John and Lucy J. (Turk) 
Clark, born in Tioga county in 1839; married 
in 1862, children two: Lucy E. and Ermine. 
Parents, William and Polly (Decker) Boice, of 
Columbia county ; the former settled in Cort- 
land county in 1843, and died in 1872, aged 75; 
wife died in 1836. 

Burden, John I., p. o. Marathon, farmer, born 



in Lapeer in 1857; wife, Hannah Clute, of Sul- 
livan county; married in 1876, one child, Clifford. 
Grandparents, John and Susan (Hopkins) Bur- 
den, who settled in county in 1820, children 
three. The former was born is 1791, and is still 
living. The latter died in 1876. 

Clark, Daniel, p. o. Hunt's Corners, farmer 
and stock dealer, born in Lapeer in 1848; 
wife, Lorane Tryer, born in Broome county in 
1853 ; married in 1873, children two: Charles H., 
and John Clark. Parents, John and Lucy J. 
(Turk) Clark, the former born in 1808 and died 
in 1877, the latter born in 1815; children eight, 
six now living. 

Cleveland, Nelson, p. o. Hunt's Corners, car- 
penter, builder, and farmer, born in Virgil (now 
Lapeer), in 1827; wife, Phebe Tryon, born in 
Virgil (now Lapeer) in 1835; married in 1855, 
children five: Caroline, born December 16th, 
1855, Ida H., born October 3d, 1861, Esther, 
born January 29th, 1865, Henry M., born Octo- 
ber 2d, 1871, and D.Hugh, born May nth, 1879, 
died Sept. 28th, 1884. Parents, Henry M., 
and Sarah (Fox) Cleveland, the former born in 
Davenport, Delaware county in 1797, was jus- 
tice of peace, car[)enter, builder, and farmer, died 
August 17th, 1884; the latter born in N. H. in 
1807, and died in 1881, children five, two now 
living. 

Day, Mrs. Almira S., p. o. Hunt's Corners, 
born in Lapeer in 1828; husband, Orrin Smith 
Day, born in Lapeer in 1825, was assessor one 
term and commissioner many )'ears, enlisted in 
the Rebellion, served till close of war, incurred 
disease which resulted in his death which oc- 
curred in 1882; married in 1854, children three : 
Mary L., born in 1855, Carroll, born in 1858, 
and Kate E., born in 1862. Parents, John and 
Lucy (Baldwin) Butterfield, who settled in Mar- 
athon in 1823, the former died in 1849, the lat- 
ter in 1872; children ten. 

Freeman, Delos, p. o. Marathon, farmer, car- 
])enter and builder, born in Lapeer in 1835; wife, 
Francis Brown, born in 1841 ; married in 1858, 
children five: Addie E., Luna C, Clinton E., 
Anna L., and Palmer D. Parents, Elijah ami 
Adeline C. (Mclntyre) Freeman, the former 
born in 1806, and died in 1880, the latter born 
in 1808, is still living; children four, three living : 



Brief Personals. 



521 



Georgie A., Laura E., and Delos. Grandpa- 
rents, Prince and Bethia (White) Freeman, who 
settled in Virgil in 1800, and on the farm now 
owned by Delos in 1 813. | 

(ioodale, George W., p. o. Marathon, farmer, ] 
born in Virgil in 1823; wife, Frances A. Huls- 
lander, born in Dryden in 1842 ; married Nov. 
nth, 1863, children four: Giles, born in 1865, 
Carrie, August i8th, 1868, Jason, April 26th, 
1871, and Bertha, April 24th, 1876. Parents, 
Asaph and Betsey (Parmenter) Goodale, natives 
of Massachusetts, settled in county in 1819 ; chil- 
dren nine, three now livil^g ; the former died in 
i866, the latter in 1S6S. 

Gray, Peter N., p. o. Marathon, farmer, born in 
Virgil in 1824, was supervisor two terms, asses- 
sor one term; wife, Jerusha Watrous, daughter 
of Austin and Sally Watrous, born in Freetown 
in 1824 ; married March 4th, 1846, children two : 
Elizabeth and Jason E., the former married Dr. 
J. E. Peebles in 1866, children two; the latter 
married Mary Dillenback in 1878, children two. 
Parents, Ogden and Susan (Barnes) Gray, the 
former born in 1797 and died in 1866, the latter 
born in Pennsylvania in 1799, married in 1819, 
and still resides at Cortland ; children eleven, 
nine now living. 

Hunt, William E., p. o. Hunt's Corners, farmer, 
born in Lapeer, was town clerk three years, 
supervisor three terms, justice of the peace sev- 
enteen years, postmaster sixteen years and no- 
tary public five years; wife, Lucretia P. Lake, 
daughter of Jedediah and Patience (Church) 
T,ake, born in Lapeer in 1833 ; married in 1855, 
children seven : Sarah P., Asa L., Lewis W., died 
1880, George B., Mary, Henry M., and Mabel. 
Parents, Asa and Sally (Johnson) Hunt, the for- 
mer born in Connecticut, in 1802, settled in county 
in 1821, taught school for one year and went to 
Lapeer in 1827 ; the latter born in 1807, married 
in 1827, children five. Lucretia died in 1862; she 
was the wife of Prof. Lewis Swift, of Rochester. 
Jennings, Aaron B., p. o. Killawog, Broome 
county, farmer, born in Lapeer in 1826, was as- 
sessor two terms, and held other offices ; wife, 
Harriet Tarbel, born in 1835; married in 1852, 
children seven : Maranda, bom in 1853, Acklison 
R., in 1856, Andrew M., in 1859, Albert A., in 
1864, Eva L., in 1866, Hattie May, in 187 1, and 



Erma L., in 1877. Parents, Rufus and Betsey 
(Benedict) Jennings, the former born in 1789, 
and died in 1851, the latter died in 1832, 
children six, four now living. Grandparents, 
Seth and Hannah (Balch) Jennings, married in 
1785, the former died in 1820, the latter in 
1826. 

Jennings, Orlando, p. o. Hunt's Corners, 
farmer, born in Lisle in i8ig; wife, Harriet M. 
Sessions, daughter of Marcus and Celestia 
(Squires) Sessions, born in 1824 ; married in 1843, 
children three: Esther M., born in 1847, Frede- 
rick M.,in 1850, and Celestia in 1861. Parents, 
Alfred and Betsey (Lossing) Jennings. Grand- 
parents, Seth and Hannah (Balch) Jennings ; 
married Nov. 24th, 1785, settled in county in 
1 80 1, with six children. 

Jennison, Smith B., p. o. Marathon, farmer, 
born in Virgil in 1837, was supervisor in 1S84, 
assessor three years ; wife, Orpah Eldridge, born 
in 1838; married in i860, children three: Wal- 
lace, Oliver and Mary. Parents, Levy N. and 
Lucy (Smith) Jennison, the former born in Wor- 
cester county, Mass., in 1799, and died in 1863; 
the latter born in Massachusetts in 181 1, children 
six: Marion, Smith B., Lurana, Larkin, Levy, 
and Adelbert. 

Johnson, Horace, p. o. Marathon, farmer, 
born in Lapeer in 1837, and died June 29th, 
1874; wife, Hannah Clark, daughter of John and 
Lucy J. (Turk) Clark, born in 1842 ; married in 
1862, children two, Polly and Ida. Parents, 
Abner H. and Rebecca (Parker) Johnson. 

Parker, Thomas, p. o. Marathon, farmer, born 
in New Jersey in 1803, settled in county in 1818, 
was poormaster thirteen years; wife, Aurilla 
Chase, born in Triangle in 1807; married in 
1825, died in 1877, children ten. Parents, Wat- 
son and Rhoda Parker, of New Jersey, who set- 
tled in La|>eer in 1818, with seven children. 

Robinson, Alanson, p. o. Messengerville, 
fiirmer, born in Lapeer in 1824; wife, Ann Ho- 
bart; married in 1849. Parents, Eliphalet and 
Amy (Parker) Robin.son ; the former born in Con- 
necticut in 1796 and died in 1872, the latter 
born in 1800 and died in 1858, leaving ten chil- 
dren. 

Robinson, James R., p. o. Marathon, farmer 
and stock, born in Laiieer in 1841, was super- 



History of Cortland County. 



visor one term ; wife, Ellen K. Pierce, born in 
1849; "■'arried in 1876, one child, Arthur P. 
Parents, Eli[)halet and Amy (Parker) Robinson. 
Robinson, Simeon, p. o. Marathon, farmer and 
dairy, born in Lapeer in 18 19, was highway com- 
missioner three years and lieutenant in militia; 
wife, Sarepta Ann, daughter of Artemus and 
Lydia Darling, born in 1824; married in 1840, 
children two: Addie L., born in 1864, and 
Simeon E. in 1866. 

Surdam, Daniel Orville, p. o. Hunt's Corners, 
farmer and stock dealer, born in Vernon, N. Y., 
in 1814, has been supervisor six terms, assessor 
three terms, and held other offices; wife, Mary 
M. Hay, daughter of Henry and Mary(Lawton) 
Hay, born in 1823; married in 1842, and died 
March 9th, 1844, leaving one daughter, Frances 
M., who married Talma Hill; children three. 
Parents, Daniel and I.etty (Slater) Surdam ; Dan- 
iel, born in Salisbury, Conn., Letty, in Bedford, 
N. Y., settled in Salisbury, removed to Vernon, 
Oneida county, N. Y., thence to Scipio, Cayuga 
county, thence to Marathon, Cortland county, 
in 1818, and died in Tioga county; children 
eight, four now living. 

Tarble, John, p. o. Hunt's Corners, farmer, re- 
tired, born in Jericho, Chenango county, in 1806, 
settled in county in 1810, was assessor over 
twelve years; wife, Maranda Gross, born in 
1813; married in 1834, and died in 1842 ; chil- 
dren four ; second wife, Susan Gross, born in 
1821; married in 1844, and died in 1847, one 
son, John; third wife, Ruth Smith, born in 1823; 
married in 1850, children five. Parents, Robert 
and Sarah (Parker) Smith, natives of Rhode Isl- 
and, and early settlers of county; the former 
died in 1870, aged 86. 

Torry, Rev. Orrin Lewis, p. o. Marathon, M. 
E. minister, and member of Central N. Y. Con- 
ference, M. E. Church, superannuated and retired 
to a farm in Lapeer, where, by hard labor, un- 
aided by the church, he earns an hone.st liveli- 
hood. Was licensed to exhort and preach, and 
was recommended to the Oneida Annual Con- 
ference, July, 1847, of which he was a member 
until the Central Conference was formed. His 
field of labor has been, besides extras, all through 
the county and in adjoining counties. Caroline 
and Speedsville; Marathon five years, Factory- 



ville, Waverly, Athens and Pipe Creek, Virgil, 
East Virgil and Harford, Tully and Vesjjer, Cuy- 
ler and De Ruyter, Homer, McGrawville, Whit- 
ney's Point and Lisle, and New Berlin and Co- 
lumbus Centre. Was born in Coventry, Che- 
nango county, Oct. 23d, 1821 ; wife, Sally Ann 
Sessions, daughter of Urial and Nancy (Price) 
Sessions, of Marathon, born May, 1823; married 
in July, 1849, one child, born Dec, 1850, Lewis 
J., who married Anna Wright, of Chicago, where 
he resides. Rev. O. L. Torry was a graduate of 
the Homer Lnstitute through his sacrifice and 
perseverance. Many Fevivals resulted from his 
labors, and many memorable incidents, now fresh 
in the recollections of thousands to whom he has 
ministered in their afflictions, have to be omitted. 

Valentine, George N., p. o. Marathon, farmer 
and carpenter, born in Marathon in 1845, was 
highway commissioner one term ; wife, Emma C. 
Freeman, daughter of John and Mary A. (Ken- 
nedy) Freeman, born in 1848; married in 1867, 
children two : Ralph C. and Leighton F. Pa- 
rents, John A. and Rhoda (Salisbury) Valentine; 
the former born in 1815, and died in 1867, the 
latter in 1817, is still living; three children : Es- 
ther, G. W. and Charles A. 

Young, David, p. o. Hunt's Corners, farmer, 
carjjenter and builder, born in Herkimer county 
in 1840, settled in county in 1846, was assessor 
seven years ; wife, Emma G. Houghtaling, born 
in Broome county in 1852; married in 1872, 
children two : David H. and Francie. Parents, 
Hiram and Polly (Hay) Young, of Herkimer 
county; the former died in 1848, the latter in 
the same year, leaving four children. David en- 
listed in Co. E, 76th Regt., in 1861, served six- 
teen months under Col. Greene, and was dis- 
charged on account of impaired health. His 
home was with Mr. and Mrs. Lyman and Mar- 
tha Watrous, of Lapeer, since his father's death. 



MARATHON. 

Aldrich, Moses B., p. o. Marathon, born in 
Susquehanna county, Pa., in 1842, settled in 
county in 1872, was town clerk, and elected 
justice of peace in 1882; wife, Clara Smith, 
daughter of O. H. Smith, born in 1857 ; married 
in 1876, children two: Clarence and H. Ray. 



Brief Personals. 



523 



M. B. Aldrich acquired the profession of dentis- 
try at Binghamton and practiced in Marathon 
with much success. 

Baker, Joseph, jr., p. o. Marathon, retired far- 
mer, born in Delaware county, N. Y., in 1806, 
settled in county in 1848, was highway-commis- 
sioner, assessor sevei) years and delegate to 
county conventions; first wife, Catharine Haver, 
born in Schoharie county, married in 1835, died 
in 1869; second wife, Julia Yarrington, born in 
Chenango county in 1835, married in 187 1. 
Parents, Joseph and Eunice (Follet) Baker, the 
former born in Massachusetts, the latter in Con- 
necticut, children thirteen, six now living. 
Gi'andparents emigrated from Scotland, England 
and Wales, and all lived to be about eighty-two 
years old. 

Ball, L. Clinton, p. o. Marathon, dealer in dry 
goods, crockery, etc., born in Virgil, July 6th, 
1840, served in the late war for three years in 
different positions, was justice of the peace one 
term; wife, Mary A. Brown, born in 1841, mar- 
ried in 1865; one child, Willie D., born in 1872. 
Parents, Lewis Ball and Rebecca Powers. 
Lewis Ball was son of Wait Ball who was among 
the first setders of the county and was justice of the 
peace for nearly forty years, and at one time one 
of the three county judges. 

Boyden, Fred L., Marathon, furniture and 
undertaker, born in Willet in 1857; wife, .Addie 
Montgomery, born in 1863, married in i88r. 
Parents, Luther O. and Nancy (Dibble) Boy- 
den, the former of Willet, the latter of Broome 
county. Frank L. began the furniture business 
in 1883, and deals in all kinds of house furnish- 
ing goods. 

Brooks, Charles A., p. o. Marathon, postmas- 
ter, and manufacturer of Mitchell's copy case, 
blackboard, and desk, born in Danby, N. Y., 
in 1857, setded in county in 1874, was post- 
master in 1882, and town auditor; wife, Mary 
A. Squires, daughter of Hon. Dann C. Squires ; 
married in 1878, one daughter, Irene Mack. 
Parents, Rev. Asa and Permelia (Griffin) Brooks, 
the former was pastor of the M. E. Church in 
1874, and now located in Broome county. 

Carley, A. A., p. o. Marathon. 

Carter, Charles, p. o. Marathon, farmer, born 
in Bainbridge, N. Y., in 1813, settled in Mara- 



thon in 1835, was assessor one term, and held 
other offices; wife, Abigail Ostrander, born in 
Broome county in 1812; married in 1841, chil- 
dren six: Charles A., Emily D., Almira, George 
G., Simon W., and Edwin A. Parents, Ezra 
and Dimmes (Bidwell) Carter, the former bom 
in Connecticut, and the latter in Massachusetts, 
settled in Broome county very early, came to 
Cortland county in 1836, the former died in 
1861, the latter in 1876. 

Dellow, William R., p. o. Marathon, manufac- 
turer and dealer in furniture, and undertaker, 
born in Madison county in 1834, settled in 
county in 1858, was town auditor and held other 
offices; wife, Elvira Danforth, born in Vermont 
in 1834; married in 1855, children three: Frank, 
Fred and Hattie. Parents, Daniel and Mary 
\. (Simmons) Dellow, married in England, and 
settled in Madison county in 1832. W. R. Del- 
low began the sale of furniture at Willet in 1858, 
and in 1872 moved his business to Cortland, and 
in 1875 opened his present factory at Marathon. 
Gardener, Henry, p. o. Marathon, farmer. 
Parents, William and Anna (Martin) Gardener, 
the former born in Springfield, Mass., in 1796, 
settled in county in 1806, married in 1820; the 
latter was born in 1799, and died Sept. 12th, 
1845, children nine, five now living: Mrs. Polly 
M. Jones, Mrs. Sarah Smith, Mrs. Emeline 
Baker, Nelson and Henry. Second wife, Lo- 
vena Parmer, born in 1800, married in 1846, 
and now resides on the homestead. 

Hammond, Cautious S., p. o. Te.xas Valley, 
retired farmer, and" shoe manufacturer, owns 125 
acres, born in Canada in 1806, settled in county 
in 1807, was collector one year; wife, Loisa 
Eggleston, bom in 1809; married in 1828, died 
in 1841 , children eight, four living. Second wife, 
Charity Shiffer, daughter of Henry H. and 
Albertine Shiffer, born in 181 2, married in 1844. 
Parents, Henry and Mary (Stoddard) Hammond, 
the former bom in Long Island, died in 1846, 
the latter in Vermont, died in 1S66; children 
six, three now living. 

Hammond, Delos C, p. o. Texas Valley, 
blacksmith and farmer, born in Cincinnatus in 
1830; wife, Betsey Cleveland; married in 1852, 
children five: Sarah L., born in 1855, Florence 
I., in 1859, Frank D., in 1863, Minnie L., in 



524 



History of Cortland County. 



1865, and Mattie J., in 1867. Parents, Cautious 
S. and Louisa (Kggleston) Hammond. 

Hauimon, Samuel, p. o. Marathon, farmer, 
born in Marathon in 1814, was a.ssessor twenty- 
one years, and held other offices; wife, Lucy Ann 
Stanley, daughter of Harris and .Vnnie (Sedg- 
wick) Stanley, born in Lapeer in 1820; married 
in 1845, children six, three now living: Clark S., 
John H., and Samuel, jr. Parents, John and 
Phebe (Davis) Hammon, the former was born 
at Suflblk, L. L, in 1776, setded in county in 1813, 
died in 1S43, the latter born in 1773 and died in 
1865; children fourteen. 

Hawley, De Forest D., \i. o. Marathon, far- 
mer, born in Marathon in 1847. Parents, Zina 
A. and Margaret (Fuller) Hawley, the former 
of Delaware county, the latter of Cortland, set- 
tled in Marathon in 1830, the latter died in 
187 1, leaving si.\ children: De Forest D., Alex- 
ander F., Elizabeth, Margaret, Mary, and Maria. 
Grand[)arents, Jacob and Maria Fuller, settled in 
Marathon in 1800. 

Hays, Edward W., p. o. Marathon, merchant 
and cooper, born in Herkimer county in 1832, 
settled in county in 1866; wife, Elmira Rutt, 
born in Fulton county in 1834; married in 1854, 
children two: Nellie Francis, born in 1S62, and 
Eddie C, born in 1868. 

Hilsinger, David, \). o. Marathon, lumber 
dealer, carpenter and builder, owns 360^ acres, 
born in Marathon in 1821, was commissioner of 
highways seven years ; wife, Louisa Jones, daugh- 
ter of Thomas and Hannah (.\dams) Jones, born 
in Marathon in 1829; married in 1S49, children 
two : Albert and Thomas. Parents, Conrad and 
Eva Hilsinger, natives of Schoharie county. 

Frelick, Elias, p. o. Marathon, farmer, born in 
Marathon in 1804 ; wife, Abigail Beach, daughter 
of Elijah and Anna Beach, who settled in county 
in 1830, born in 1825, married in 1850. Pa- 
rents, John and Rachael (Fuller) Frelick, the 
former born in 1776, and died in 1850, the lat- 
ter died in 1856; children eight, four now living. 
Grandparents, Benjamin and Mary (Smith) Fre- 
lick, who came to Marathon in 1802. 

Johnson, Abram B., p. o. Marathon, farmer, 
stock grower and dealer, owns 2po acres, born 
in Virgil in 1826; wife, Charlotte Shepard, 
daughter of Nathaniel Shepard, born in Upper 



Lisle in 1829, married in 1850. Parents, Wash- 
ington and Ann (Brink) Johnson, the former 
born in 1802, died in 1883, the latter was born 
in 1806, died in 1844. 

Johnson, Herbert, p. o. Marathon, farmer, 
butcher and stock dealer, born in Virgil in 1843 ; 
wife, Ella Dalton, born in Ireland in 1854; mar- 
ried in 1875, children three: Lena, Anna, and 
Willie. Parents, Stephen S. and Sally Ann 
(Carley) Johnson, the former born in Broome 
county in i8o6, married in 1838, children nine. 

Jones, Warren, p. o. Marathon, farmer and 
dairy, owns 140 acres, born in Marathon in 
1S52 ; wife, Nettie Johnson, born in Dunkirk in 
1S57; married in 1876, children two: Charles 
and Flora. Parents, Thomas and Hannah (Ad- 
ams) Jones; the former born in Marathon in 
1807; married in 1826, died in 1880; the latter 
born in 1808 and died in 1882 ; children eleven, 
nine now living. 

Lathrop, Ezra H., p. o. Marathon, farmer and 
dairy, born in Marathon in 1862 ; wife, Sarah 
Seymour, born in 1829 ; married in 1855, died 
in 1881 ; second wife, Mrs. Hulda E. Spencer, 
widow of Jirah P. Spencer, born in 183 1; mar- 
ried Mr. Lathrop in 1838. Parents, Horace and 
Betsey (Hartson) Lathrop; the former of Con- 
necticut, the latter of Broome county ; children 
twelve, six now living. 

Leach, Christopher W., p. o. Marathon, har- 
ness maker and farmer, born in Marathon in 
1814, was collector and held other town offices ; 
wife, Lucetta Livermore, born in Chenango 
county in 1816; married in 1835, died in 1870, 
leaving thirteen children ; second wife, Mrs. S. 
S. Cox, married in 1871. Parents, Jonathan and 
Lydia(Pattengail) Leach, natives of Massachu- 
setts, who settled in Marathon in 1800; chil- 
dren seven, three now living. The former died 
in 1840, the latter in 1854. 

Livingston, James, jr., p. o. Marathon, bridge 
builder, steam foundry and machinist, born in 
Otsego county in 1837, settled in county in 
1838; wife, Fannie Peebles of Marathon, born 
in 1840; married in 1858, children four: John 
W., George, Desman B., and Mary. Parents, 
James and Elizabeth Livingston ; the former of 
Otsego county, the latter of Schoharie ; children 
four. Mr. Livingston is one of the best iron 



Brief Personals. 



525 



bridge builders in the State ; he has erected 
many in his town and county, also in adjoining 
counties, which give the best of satisfaction. 

Lovell, Ransom M., p. o. Marathon, farmer, 
born in Marathon in 1823, was commissioner of 
highways and held other offices ; wife, Mary 
Hilsinger, born in 1828; married in 1849, died 
in 1853; second wife, Dorcas E. Meacham, 
born in 1835; married in 1856, children six. 
Parents, Joseph A. and Lucy Carpenter Lovell; 
the former born in Vermont in 1782, the latter 
in 1787; married in 1801 ; Lucy died in 1848, 
and Joseph A. died in 1853; children fourteen, 
three now living : Mary V., Ransom M. and 
Joseph. 

Mallery, Patrick, p. o. Marathon, retired 
farmer, born in Marathon in 1806, was super- 
visor eight terms, assessor four terms, and held 
other minor offices ; wife. Avis Rowland, born 
in 1805, married in 1830 and died in 1876; sec- 
ond wife, Frances .\. Phelps, born in 1847, mar- 
ried in 1878, one child, Ralph P. who died in 
1882. Parents, Patrick and Anna (Olmstead) 
Mallery, who settled in Marathon in 1805 ; chil- 
dren eleven, nine now living. 

Mantanye, William J., p. o. Marathon, attor- 
ney and counselor. 

Meacham, Edgar N., p. o. Marathon, farmer, 
born in Marathon in 1837, was assessor in 1883, 
e.xcise commissioner three terms, and deputy 
sheriff; wife, Ann Frances Lawrence, born in 
1838; married in 1866, one child, Lawrence 
Hale. Parents, Eleazer and Eliza (Leach) Mea- 
cham ; the former born in Massachusetts in 
1800, the latter in Cortland county in t8o6; 
married in 1827, children five. Grandparents 
came to county in 1809. 

Meacham, E. Delos, p. o. Marathon, farmer, 
born in Marathon in 1833, was justice of peace 
two terms; wife, Ruth Lovell, born in 183 1 ; 
married in 1853, children eight : P'rank E., Cecil 
D., Ada, Nettie E., Lillie B., May, Grace E., and 
Ernest I). Parents, Eleazer H. and Eliza Leach ; 
the former was born in Massachusetts in 1800, 
and died in 1879; the latter born in 1806, mar- 
ried in 1827, died in 1872, children four. 

Montgomery, Dubois, p. o. Marathon, farmer 
and dairy, owns 200 acres, born in Roxbury, 
Delaware county, in 1825, setded in county in 



1845, was commissioner of highways three years, 
and overseer of the poor; wife. Marietta May- 
dole, daughter of John and Mary Maydole; 
married in 1848, children five: Alice, Julia, Al- 
phie, Addie and Irvie. Parents, William and 
Sally (Conkey) Montgomery. 

Potts, William M., p. o. Marathon, farmer, 
born in Marathon in 1850; wife, Julia F. Mont- 
gomery, daughter of Dubois and Mary Etta 
Montgomery, born in 1852, married in 1873. 
Parents, Cornelius M. and Cynthia (Martin) 
Potts, who settled in Marathon in 1842 ; the 
former died in 187 1, aged 58 years, the latter 
died in 1883, aged 71; one child. 

Reed, Dr. Aaron D., p. o. Marathon, physi- 
cian and surgeon, born in Delaware county in 
1824, settled in county in 1854; wife, Marion 
Hubbell, born in 1831; married in 1849, chil- 
dren two : Mary Eva, and Ida Viola. Parents, 
Oliver and Eunice (De Long) Reed ; the former 
of Connecticut, the latter of Delaware county, 
settled in Cortland in 1850. Dr. Reed was a 
graduate of the Castleton Medical College in 
1849, settled in Middletown in 1854, moved 
t© Cincinnatus in 1869, then moved to Marathon, 
where he still resides. 

Shevalier, Bruce C, p. o. Marathon, farmer 
and dairyman, born in Marathon in 1856, has 
held district offices ; wife, Alphie Montgomery, 
born in 1856; married in 1S82. Parents, Nich- 
olas and Delia (Barnes) Shevalier; the former 
born in Virgil and died in 1882, the latter in 
Delaware Co., N. Y., died in 1883, aged 48, 
children five : Bruce C, Charles T., Mary, Jen- 
nie L., and Fannie D. Grandfather John Shev- 
alier was one of the first settlers in Virgil. 

Smith, .Mfred G., p. o. Marathon, dealer in 
boots and shoes and rubber goods, born in Lon- 
don, England, in 1827, came to this country in 
1845, to Syracuse in 1846, and to Marathon in 
1861, has been a member of the boawl of educa- 
tion, and twice president of the village, has taken 
an active part in Republican ])olitics, having fre- 
quently served as a delegate to the county, con- 
gressional, senatorial and State conventions of 
the party ; is a man of fine literary abilities and 
attainments, public spirited and energetic, hav- 
ing been identified with most of the improve- 
ments in Marathon during his residence in the 



526 



History of Cortland County. 



village; was married in 1850 to Annie Kimbcr, 
daughter of the late Thos. Kimber, Esq., of On- 
ondaga. Mr. Smith commenced the business he 
is now engaged in, in 1861. 

Smith, John I,., p. o. Marathon, farmer, born 
in Pitcher, Chenango county in 1832, settled in 
county in i86g, was assessor three terms and 
held other district offices; wife, Hannah M. 
Tanner, daughter of L. D. Tanner, born in 
1838; married in 1857, children three : Charles 
F., Lawson J., and Manson L. Parents, Ed- 
ward and Mary (Lawson) Smith ; the former 
died at Marathon, in 1875, the latter in Che- 
nango county ; children two. Mr. John Smith 
was one of thirteen to organize the Marathon 
Grange society, in 1882; it numbered 70 mem- 
bers in 1883, and is in a flourishing condition. 

Squires, George P., p. o. Marathon, farmer and 
stock breeder, bom in Marathon in 1839; wife 
Ann E. Pennoyer, daughter of Garret and Eliza 
Jane Pennoyer, born in 1840; married in 1862, 
one child, Harry, born in 1866. Parents, William 
and Lucy (Church) Squires, the former born in 
1798, settled in Marathon in 1801, with his father 
and mother, the latter born in Brattleboro, Vt., 
in 1802, married in 1823, children eleven, three 
now living. 

Stanley, Davison H., p. o. Marathon, retired 
farmer, born in Virgil in 1817; wife, Eliza M. 
Johnson; married in 1843, and died in 1844; 
second wife, Julia A. Johnson, born in 1819, mar- 
ried in 1845, children three : Minard H., born in 
1848 and died in 1849, Seward S., born in 1852 
and Edgar H., born in 1855. Parents, Harris and 
Anna (Sedgwick) Stanley ; the former of Massa- 
chusetts, who died in 1883, the latter of Connecti- 
cut, died in 1861, children three. 

Stockwell, Willard, p. o. Marathon, born in 
Bainbridge, Chenango county, in 1828, settled 
in Marathon in 1882, was justice of peace, town 
clerk and postmaster of Lapeer ; wife, Susan Al- 
lison, of Chenango county; married in 1849, chil- 
dren two: William A., born in 1855, and Katie, 
born in 1867. Parents, Abel and Milly (Davis) 
Stockwell. Mr. Stockwell formed a stock com- 
pany, called the Marathon Stockwell wagon 
manufacturing company in Marathon in 1882, 
and at present gives employment to twenty to 
twenty-five hands and intends to further enlarge 
the factory and increase its capacity. 



Tripp, James H., p. o. Marathon, banker, of 
Tripp & Adams. 

Turner, Russell, p. o. Marathon, retired 
farmer, born in Long Island in 1804, settled in 
county in 181 1; wife, Agnes Shepard, daugh- 
ter of Robinson and Abigail (Leach) Shepard, of 
Connecticut, born in Madison county in 1804; 
married in 1827, one adopted son, J. Edwin 
Turner, born in 1833. Parents, Samuel and Cla- 
rissa (Rogers) Turner, of Long Island, who set- 
tled in Virgil in iSii, moving by wagon with 
three children ; they had nine children in all, 
four of which are now living. The father died in 
1867, and the mother died in Indiana a few years 
since. 

Webster, George W., p. o. Marathon, dealer 
in flour, feed, coal, etc., born in Freetown in 
1836, was county treasurer three years and col- 
lector four years ; wife Maria A. Fairchild, of 
Pitcher, Chenango county, born in 1841 ; mar- 
ried in 1863, one child. Jay, born in 1866. Pa- 
rents Harvey S. and Ann (Leach) Webster, the 
former born in 1800 in Vermont, came to county 
in 1818, died in 1870, the latter born in Cort- 
land county in 1795, married in 1818, children 
nine. George W. enlisted in Co. K, 44th N. Y. 
volunteers, September 25th, i86r, served until 
the loss of his arm in the second batde of Bull 
Run, in 1862, and now draws a pension. 

Wightman, Homer, p. o. Marathon, cheese 
manufacturer and stock dealer, born in Scho- 
harie county in 1832, settled in county in 1836, 
was assessor three terms; wife, Catharine Smith, 
born in Herkimer county in 1835; married in 
1856, children four: Dudley A., Daniel E., 
Clara, and Earl B. Parents, Daniel and Eme- 
line (Post) Wightman, the former of Connecticut, 
born in 1802, the latter of Schoharie county, died 
in Freetown, leaving five children. 

Wilcox, Thurston, p. o. Marathon, retired far- 
mer, born in Rhode Island in 1803, settled in 
county in 1841, came to Marathon in 1863, held 
town offices in Willet; wife, Lydia Townsend, of 
New Hampshire; married in 1830, died in 1864, 
leaving two children : Frances T., and Emeline, 
Second wife, Mahala Stewart, married in 1867. 
and died in 1869; third wife, Mrs. Fannie A. 
(Pratt) Comstock ; married in 1871, chidren two, 
by first husband: Charles E., and Wallace R. 
Pollard. 



Brief Personals. 



527 



Winter, Nicholas H., fjirmer and stock dealer, 
one mile, east of Maratlion village, born in Vir- 
gil June 24th, 1838. Parents, Ambrose and 
Lydia (Hugaboom) Winter, prominent and early 
settlers of Virgil, Cortland county ; wife, Susan 
A. Pierce, daughter of Lyman Pierce; married 
in 1862, died in 1867, leaving one daughter, 
Cora B., born March 19th, 1866. Second wife, 
Martha A. TiUinghast, daughter of Thomas Till- 
inghast, born Sept. 2d, 1848, in Freetown, mar- 
ried June i8th, 1875. 

Wood, Stephen, M., p. o. Marathon, cooper, 
born in Rensselaer county in 1830, settled in 
county in 1844; wife, Mariette E. Seeber, bom 
in 1829; married in 1852, children three: How- 
ard S., Carrie L., and Lena E. Parents, Thomas 
D. and Aseneth Wood, who settled in county in 
1844. Mr. Wood began the cooperage business 
in Marathon in 1863, and in 1874 entered into 
partnership under the name of S. M. Wood & 
Co., until 1881, when he sold out and built a 
factory on the east side of the river 40 by 32, 
where he put in steam power and improved 
machinery which enables him to do the best of 
work. 



PREBLE. 

Aldrich Seth, p. o. Preble, retired farmer, 
owns 200 acres, born in Vermont in 1S06, 
settled in county in 1813, was supervisor, asses- 
sor, highway commissioner, and poormaster for 
fifteen years ; wife, Elmira Smith, of Connecticut, 
married in 1830, children three : Mary L., now 
Mrs. Richard Squire, of Preble, Alice D., now 
Mrs. Frank L. Hall, M. D., of Amber, and George 
H., who died in 1873. 

Beattie, James A., j). o. Preble, farmer, owns 
112 acres, born in Dunfrieshire, Scotland, settled 
in county in 1850; wife, Mary Jane Egbertson, of 
Preble, daughter of Barnet and Mary Egbertson, 
natives of Greene county; married in 1876. 

Briggs, John B., p. o. Preble, farmer, owns 170 
acres, born in Delhi, N. Y., in 1828; wife, Au- 
gusta N. Dunbar, born in Poughkeepsie N. Y., 
1835, daughter of Elam and Catharine (Millard) 
Dunbar, of Preble, who came to county in 1845 ; 
married in 1852, children three living : Marshall 
A., Walter D., and Fred M. Parents, John and 



Nancy (Bailey) Briggs, who came to Preble in 
1845. 

Butler, Adalbert, p. o. Preble, farmer and 
stock dealer, born in Preble in 1841, owns 180 
acres, was assessor and highway commissioner; 
wife, Aronett Welch, daughter of Russell F., and 
Azubah (Ingalls) Welch, of St. Lawrence county, 
N. Y., married in 1865. Parents, Thomas E. 
and Tamor (Drake) Butler, who came from Con- 
necticut to county in 1815. 

Butler, Roscoe, p. o. Preble, bom in Preble in 
1835, farmer, and owns 140 acres, has been 
a.ssessor nine years; wife, Catherine Gleason ; 
married in 1859, children four: Fannie M., Ed- 
ward J., Thomas L, and Ida B. Parents, 
Thomas E. and Tamor (Drake) Butler, who 
came from Connecticut and settled in this county 
in 1815. 

Collier, Casper, p. o. Preble, farmer, bom in 
Preble in 1807, was constable and collector; 
wife, Hannah Severson, daughter of Nicholas 
and Jane Severson, who came to county iu 1808; 
married in 1828, children four, two living : Frank- 
lin J., of Preble, and Nicholas D. Parents, John 
and Hannah Collier, descendants of the Holland 
Dutch. 

Collier, Franklin J., p. o. Preble, farmer, osvns 
250 acres, born in Pike, Alleghany county, in 
1837, settled in county in 1842, was justice of 
peace; first wife, Lydia Crofoot, daughter of 
David and Elizabeth Crofoot; married in 1861, 
children two : Lucy, now Mrs. P. McCormick, 
of Preble, and F. Edward ; second wife, Lydia 
C. Van Buskirk, of Preble; married in 1876, one 
child, Bessie C. 

Crofoot, David O., p. o. Preble, flour, feed and 
lumber mill, born in Preble in 1833, was super- 
visor and assessor; wife, Sarah E. Tallman, of 
TuUy; married in 1867, children four: John T., 
Mary E., Henry C, and Wellington A. 

Cummings, Adrian, p. o. Tully, farmer and 
surveyor, born in Preble in 1842, owns 100 acres, 
the original farm owned by his father, also by his 
grandfather ; wife, Sophia Willis, of Tully ; mar- 
ried in 1866, children four: Willis E., Cora L., 
Chester E., and JuliaR. 

Cummings, Chester, p. o. Tully, retired, owns 
i5oacres, born in Preble in 1815 ; wife, Deborah; 
married in 183S, children two: Abigail Leona, 
and Lurinda Elmerrah. 



528 



History of Cortland County. 



Cummings, Corwin E., p. o. Tully, farmer, owns 
I oo acres, born in Preble in 1853; wife, Helle, 
daughter of Theron and Sarah E. Klock ; mar- 
ried in i&TJ, one child, Ada. Parents, William 
and Patty M. Cummings; grandparents, Ed- 
ward and Sally Cummings. 

Cummings, Harlan P., p. o. Tully, farmer, born 
in Preble in 1840, owns 100 acres, was higliway 
commissioner ; wife, Mary N. Banks, of Delaware 
county; married in 1864, children two: Herbert 
A., and Erwin E. Parents, Silas and Amanda 
Taggart. 

Cummings, Harvey, p. o. Preble, farmer, owns 
X43 acres, born in Preble in 1820, was highway 
commissioner; wife, Lydia A. Baldwin, of Cayuga 
county; married in 1842, children two : Orlando 
J., and Alice C. (now Mrs. Edwin P. Ide), of 
Brooklyn, N. Y. Parents, Edward and Sally 
Cummings. 

Cummings, Homer, p. o. Preble, farmer, owns 
104 acres, born in Preble in 1848; wife, Harriet 
Shevalier daughter of Isaac and Nancy A. (Smith) 
Shevalier; married in 1874, one child. Angle L. 
Parents, William and Martha M. Cummings. 

Cummings, James, p. o. Preble, farmer, owns 
156 acres, born in Preble Nov. 5th, 1834; wife, 
Cornelia M. Miles, of Fabius, Onondaga county, 
born in 1835; married in 1855, children two : 
James M., born in Preble, December 30th, 1856, 
and married Emeline G. Thayer, of Fabius, in 
1881, and Estella D., born in 1858 (now Mrs. 
Edward G. Wallace), of Fabius. Parents, Ed- 
ward and Abigail Cummings. 

Cummings, John B., p. o. Tully, farmer, owns 
400 acres in valley two miles south from Tully, 
born in Preble in 1832 ; wife, Frances C. Jones, of 
Auburn, N. Y. ; married in 1852, children three: 
Charles J., a farmer; Frederick D., senior in 
Cornell University; and Frank, prejjaring for 
legal professon, with Duell and Benedict, Cort- 
land N. Y. Parents, Edward and Abigail Cum- 
mings, who settled here in 1800. 

Cummings, Marvin E., p. o. Preble, farmer, 
owns 88 acres; wife, Frank Reynolds, daughter 
of John W. and Emeline (Briggs) Reynoltls, of 
Preble; married in 1866, children two : Eva M., 
and Clifford J. Parents, Edward and Mary (Van 
Hoesen) Cummings. 

Gray, John E., p. o. Preble, born in Hamden, 



Delaware county, N. Y., in 1840, farmer, owns 75 
acres; wife. Flora Terwilliger, daughter of Lewis 
and Lucy (Briggs) Terwilliger, of Preble; mar- 
ried in 1867, children two: Lewis A., and Frank 
D. 

Harris, Naomi, p. o. Preble, owns 250 acres, 
daughter of Cyrus and Lucy (Spring) Harris, 
who came from Stephentown, N. Y., in 1809; 
children six : Cynthia, Loretta, Lucy, Cyrus H., 
Naomi S., and Nicholas P. Naomi is the only 
one who survives and lives on the old homestead. 

Hobart, Seth, p. o. Preble, farmer, owns 120 
acres, born in Erie county in 1830, was assessor 
nine years, is present justice of the peace; wife, 
Cordelia M. Van Patten, of Preble, married in 
1852. Parents, Leman and Letticia (Shevalier) 
Hobart. 

Horter, Henry F., p. o. Preble, farmer, owns 
113 acres, born in Herkimer county in 1841, w-as 
highway commissioner one term; wife, Lydia 
Scheli, daughter of Markes and P^lizabeth (Ful- 
mer), of Herkimer, Herkimer county ; married in 
1862, children four: Mary E., Martha M., Isaac 
and Belle. Parents, Isaac and Mary A. Hysard. 

Hunt, Herman D., p. o. Preble, physician and 
surgeon, born in Moravia in 1846, settled in 
county in 1855, was a graduate of Syracuse Uni- 
versity; wife, Emma A. Hobart, of Preble; mar- 
ried in 1872, children two : D. S. and Iva. 

Manchester, James H., p. o. Preble, born in 
Preble in 1831, farmer, owns 310 acres; wife) 
Nancy E. Joslyn, daughter of Daniel and Maria 
Udey ; married in 1858, children three: J. Eu- 
gene, Minnie E. and Jennie A. 

Maycomber, Geo. W., p. o. Preble, farmer, 
owns 200 acres, born in Preble in 1833; wife, 
Huldah Roe, daughter of John W. and Pru- 
dence (Sheldon) Roe, of Scott; married in 1859, 
children six living : Frank E., Flora V., now Mrs. 
Carl Mulnex, of Scott, Geo. W., Helen D., Mil- 
dred D. and Roe S. Parents, Matthew and 
Phoebe A. (Wilder) Maycomber. 

Morgan, W. A., p. o. Preble, blacksmith and 
carriage maker, born in Tully in 1844, settled in 
Cortland county in 1868; wife, Julia E. Lewis, 
of Fabius, N. Y. ; married in 1865 ; W. A. en- 
listed in loth N. Y. S. V. and served four years. 

Outt, S. D., p. o. Preble, miller, born in Preble 
in 1850, was justice of the peace in Taylor; w^ife, 



Brief Personals. 



529 



Josaphene A. Hays, of Auburn, married in 1874, 
one child, Pearl C. 

Price, Richard P., p. o. Preble, farmer, owns 
88 acres, bom in Homer in i S49 ; wife, Madora 
B. Hammond, bom in Otsego county ; married 
in Homer in 1870. Parents, Joseph and Harriet 
(^Miitney) Price, of Wayne county ; the fomaer 
bom in New Jersey, came to Wayne count)-, and 
from thence to Cortland county. 

Pratt, Orrin, p. o. Preble, farmer, owns 60 acres, 
bom in Homer in 1816, was justice of peace and 
poormaster; first wife, Ruth E. Capren, of Mont- 
gomer)- count)-; married in 1838, children four: 
Climena (now Mrs. D. M. M. Cummings, of Ho- 
mer), Amelia, who died in i882,w-ife of X. Collier, 
of Preble, Meh-in J. Pratt of Homer, and Esther 
E. (now Mrs. La Fayette Churchill of 111.); sec- 
ond wife, Sophia C. Howard, of Preble ; married 
in 1851, children three: Abigail R., Nellie S., 
who died in 1864, and Carrie B., who died in 
1869. 

Re)-nolds, John W., p. o. Preble, bom in 
Delhi, X. y., in 1818, farmer, ow-ns 70 acres ; 
wife, Emeline Briggs, daughter of John D. and 
Xancy (Bailey) Briggs, of Delhi; married in 
1 843, children three : De Francie L., now Mrs. 
Mar%-in Cummings, of Preble, Edwin J. and Lucy 
yi. Parents, Elisha and Rachael (Van Hoesen) 
Reynolds. 

Salisbur)', Wm., p. o. Preble, retired farmer, 
bom in Woodstock in 1819, moved to Christian 
Hollow at two years of age, settled in Cortland 
count)' in 1865. was assessor and justice of 
peace ; wife, Francis S. Daley, of Connecticut, 
married in 1852. 

Stanton, Elijah, p. o. Preble, farmer and owner 
of Preble mill, 266 acres, bora in Littie Falls, 
April I ith, 1805 ; wife, Anna Feeter, born in Lit- 
tle Falls, Jan. 9th, 1808; married Jan. t4th, 
1828, children li^■ing five: James, Geo. H., 
Emily, Elizabeth (now Mrs. Walter Nelson), and 
John W. 

Van Buskirk, Robert H., p. o. Preble, farmer, 
ow-ns 62 acres, bom in Preble in 1833: wife, 
Juliette Manchester, daughter of Samuel and 
Sarah Manchester, of Preble; married m 1858, 
children two: Eureta and John H. Parents, 
Isaac and Elizabeth Van Buskirk. 

Van Hoesen, Matthias, p. o. Preble, retired, 



owns 15 acres, bom in Athens in 1805, settled 
in county on lot 68, Preble, and removed to 
Preble village in 1830, where he now resides, was 
constable, collector, justice of the peace twenty 
years, supervisor fourteen years and twice chair- 
man of the board ; wife, Susan Talley, bom in 
Athens: married in 1829, children nine: Louisa, 
Susan M., John F., Eugene M., Catharine A., 
Helen M., Flavilla J., Harriet H. and Fred T. 
John F. and Harriet H. are now dead. 

Van Denburgh, Cornelius, p. o. Preble, bom 
in Scott in 1836, farmer, owns 60 acres; wife, 
Mar)- A. Tabor, daughter of George and Louis 
(Victor)-) Tabor, of Cato, Cayuga county ; mar- 
ried in 1861, one child, X. Tabor. Parents, Rich- 
ard and Leah (Collier) Van Denburgh, natives 
of Coxsaclde, X. Y. 

Van Patten, John R., p. o. Preble, bom in 
Preble in 1815, farmer, owns 500 acres, was as- 
sessor, road commissioner, and justice of the 
peace ; w-ife, Betsey Egbertson, daughter of An- 
drew and Deborah (Shevalier) Egbertson ; mar- 
ried in 1839, children eight. Parents, Ryer and 
Mar)' (Spence) Van Patten, who came here in 
1809. 

Wilber, Isaac, p. o. Preble, fanner, owns 72 
acres, bom in Scipio, N. Y., in 1818, settled in 
county in 1819, was town collector m 1847 ; wife, 
Eliza H. Maycomber, daughter of Humphrey 
and Polly (Willis) Maycomber, who came to 
county in 1839 : married in 1S43, children seven, 
five liv-ing: Frances M., now Mrs. Ransom 
Pierce, of Broome county, Helen, now Mrs. 
Theron Gutches, of Homer, Geo. A., Charies E., 
and Carrie E., now Mrs. J. Taylor of Cortland. 
Parents, Thomas and Mariam Wilber, who came 
here in 1819. 

Wright, William W., p. o. Preble, station agent 
of S. B. & N. Y. R. R., bom in Preble in 1845, 
was overseer of poor, town auditor, justice of 
peace, elected super%isor in Februar)-, 1883, and 
re-elected in 1884; Nvife, Lucmda Lampman; 
married in 1869, children four : Geo. W., Charles 
S., Lena R. and William W., Jr. 



SCOTT. 



Ames, Samuel D., p. o. East Scott, farmer, 
owns 107 acres, bora in Scott in 1854, is present 

34 



530 



History of Cortland County. 



justice of peace and school trustee ; wife, Mag- 
gie J. Adams, daughter of Richarti and Ellen 
(McDonald) Adams; married in 1877, children 
three: Alvin G., Richard J., and Jennie S. Pa- 
rents, Alvin B. and Celestia C. (Case) Ames. 
The former died in 1862. 

Babcock, L. H., p. o. Scott, physician and 
surgeon, born in Scott in 1833, was justice of 
peace, associate judge, coroner and notary pub- 
lic ; wife, Surnia A. Babcock, of Scott ; married in 
1857, children two. Mr. Babcock attended the 
New York City Honueopathic Medical College 
in 1868 and 1869, has been in constant practice 
since 1869, received di])loma from the Homoe- 
opathic Medical society of the counties of Tomp- 
kins, Tioga and Cortland in 1875 ; has grown 
into an extensive and lucrative practice, extend- 
ing into three counties and is often called in 
consultation to neighboring cities and villages. 

Babcock, Raymond P., p. o. Scott, retired, 
born in Hopkinton, R. I., in 1799, settled in 
county in 1S24, was supervisor, assessor, justice 
of peace and member of assembly; first wife, 
Olive Denison, of Fabius ; married in 1823, chil- 
dren six : Lucy L., Andrew J-, George P., Har- 
vey W., Adelia E., and Olive J. ; second wife, 
Pha>be A. Camp, of Connecticut ; married in 
1848, one child, Sarah C. 

Black, Norman C, p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 
167 acres, born in Scott in 1831. Parents, Ely 
and Louisa (Hull) Black; the former a native 
of Massachusetts, the latter of Connecticut, who 
came to county in 1827. 

Brown, Wm. Francis, born in Scott, Feb. lotli, 
1838, farmer, owns 117 acres; wife, Angeline 
Hart, daughter of John and Annie (Thompson) 
Hart; married Sept. 4th, 1862, children four: 
Ella M., Merton D., Jay D. and Earl Durell. 
Parents, Jesse and Mary (Ostrander) Brown. 

Butts, Elias H., p. o. Scott, farmer, born at 
Belvidere, N. Y., in 1813, came with his parents 
to Dryden in 1825, settled in Virgil in 1838, 
married in 1839 ; wife, Laura Terpening, daughter 
of Merenes Terpening, who settled in Virgil in 
1814; children three: Reuben, and Ortogral P., 
who enlisted in 1862 in Co. E, is7th N. Y. S. 
v., and who died at Alexandria, Va., in 1882, 
and Effie A., now Mrs. Edwin D. Hutchinson, 
M. D., of Huntington, Mass. 



Childs, Ernest W., p. o. Scott, manufacturer 
of lumber, born in Scott in 1853; wife, Hattie 
E. Burdick, of Brooklyn, N. Y., daughter of 
A. B. and Amanda M. ( Hardy) Burdick ; married 
in 1883. Parents, Hon. Samuel A. and Lucelia 
(Whiting) Childs, of Scott. 

Childs, Hon. Samuel A., p. o. Scott, farmer, 
owns 160 acres, born in Tioga county in 1830, set- 
tled in county in 1847, was supervisor ten terms, 
chairman of board in 1877, and member of as- 
sembly in 1880 ; wife. Lucelia O. Whiting, of 
Scott; married in 1853; children three: Ernest 
W., Henry W., and Harold, who died in 1877. Pa- 
rents, Charles and Mtiry (Hemstraught) Childs; 
the former was a native of Connecticut. 

Cottrell, John B., p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 520 
acres, born in Scott in 1826, and still resides on 
the original lot No. 62 where he was born, was 
supervisor and assessor six years ; wife, Sarah 
Barker, of SpafTord, N. Y. ; married in 1848, chil- 
dren ten ; Wm. J., Mary L, J. D., Ella, Emma 
J., Sallie, Lottie, who died in 1879, George N., 
Jerry, and Charles, who died in the same year. 
Parents, Jeremiah and Sally (Peckham) Cottrell, 
of Rensselaer county, who settled here in 1817. 

Cottrell, William J., p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 
122 acres, bom in Scott in 1849, is present as- 
sessor; wife, Lizzie J. Lee, daughter of Ely and 
Emily (James) Lee, of Cuyler; married in 1881, 
children two : John E. and Grace E. Parents, 
John B. and Sarah M. (Barker) Cottrell. 

Cutler, Dwight K., p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 
315 acres, born in Cayuga county in 1835, set- 
tled in county in 1869, was justice of peace and 
supervisor two terms ; wife, Phoebe K. Wilcox ; 
married in 1857, children three: Mary E., Alice 
M. and X. Cutler. 

Frisbie, Elias T., p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 43 
acres, born in Scott in the house he now owns 
and occupies in 1844; wife, Oresta L. Abbott, 
daughter of .-\lfred and Esther H. Abbott ; mar- 
ried m 1865, children two: Fannie D., Edith E. 
Parents, George and Hannah (Babcock) Frisbie; 
the former was a native of Connecticut and 
came to county in 1817. 

Gillett, Charles, p. o. Scott, farmer and saw- 
mill, born in 1852; wife, Theodocia Ripley, 
daughter of John and Sarah (Peak) Ripley; 
married in 1879. Parents. John and Julia (Peak) 
Gillett. 



Brief Personals. 



531 



Gillett, Joel, p. o. Scott, proprietor of grist and 
feed mill and manufacturer of carriages, born in 
1847, was appointed postmaster at East Scott in 
1879, his grandfather was the first postmaster, 
the office being discontinued, and Joel was ap- 
pointed when the office was reopened ; wife, 
Ella L. Van Camp, born in TuUy in 1859, chil- 
dren three : Earl H., Mabel V. and Eva B. 

Gillett, John, p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 235 
, acres, born in Scott in 1838, member of the firm 
of Gillett & Miller, dealers in agricultural im- 
plements ; wife, Alice N. Saltmarsh, daughter of 
Thomas W. and Sarah A. (Stevens) Saltmarsh ; 
married in 1865, children four: John S., Nora A., 
Kate L. and Scott. 

Green, G. W., p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 45 
acres, born in Madison county in 1814, settled 
in county in 1834, was justice of peace and col- 
lector ; wife, Harriet Burdick, daughter of Joseph 
and Polly (StUlman) Burdick, who settled here 
about 1807: married in 1838, children two. 

Hazard, Francis M., p. o. Scott, manufactu- 
rer of lumber, of the firm of Hazard & Childs, 
owns 40 acres; wife, Eliza A. (Frink) Scott, 
daughter of Martin and Nancy Frink. Parents, 
Henry and Almira (Anthony) Hazard. 

Hazard, Henry, p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 60 
acres, born in SpatTord in 181 6, settled in Scott 
in 1843; married in 1841 to Almira Anthony, 
daughter of Rufus and Hannah (Billings) .An- 
thony, children three : Francis M., Nancy F. and 
Myron J. Rufus .-Vnthony came into Scott in 
180J. with his parents at the 'age of fourteen ; 
he was in his 93d year when he died. 

Kellogg, C. S., p. o. Scott, fiirmer, owns 220 
acres, born in Cayuga county in 1822, set- 
tled in county in 1825, was supervisor three 
terms, and assessor several yeare ; wife, Amanda 
A. Salisbury, daughter of Nathan and Lucretia 
(Babcock) Salisbury; married in 1845, children 
three : William A., a druggist of Homer, p:meline 
A., and Charles L., of New York. Parents, 
Alvan and Sylvia (Stowe) Kellogg, natives of 
Cayuga county, who settled here in 1825. Mr. 
Kellogg was a dresser of cloth in New Hope, 
and Millard Fillmore, who became president of 
the United States, learned his trade of him. He 
built a clothing-mill here in 1826, and in 1843 
built the saw-mill now used by Hazard & Whit- 



ing. He was supervisor for several years and 
served in the state legislature as assemblyman 
one year. 

Morgan, William H., p. o. Scott, harness man- 
ufacturer, born in Brookfield, Madison county, 
N. Y., settled in county in 1866, was postmaster 
since 1872, supervisor in -1882-83, =i"d town 
clerk since 1870, enlisted in Co. D, 15 7th N. Y. 
Vols., served till close of war, was commissioned 
first lieutenant in 1864; wife, Flora Churchill, of 
Spafford; married in 1 871, children five: Eva, 
May, Bessie, John and Florence. 

Newman, James W., p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 
60 acres, born in Little Falls, Herkimer county, 
in 1844, settled here in 1867, was in Co. F, iS7th 
N. Y. Vols., and served three years; wife, Sarah 
Van Denburgh, of Scott, daughter of Richard 
and Leah (Collier) Van Denburgh; married in 
1870, one child, Maude Leah. 

Northway, Jerad H., p. o. Scott, born in Nor- 
folk, Conn., in 1803, came to Homer with his 
parents in 1805, removed to Scott in 1810; wife, 
Mary E. Hull, a native of Connecticut, who died 
in 1881 ; one adopted child, who still lives with 
Mr. Northway. 

Peck, A. T., p. o. Scott, born in Scott in 1821, 
farmer, owns 155 acres; wife, Jane E., daughter 
of Eri and Mary (Cottrell) Pickett; married in 
1863, children two: Edward J., and Charles E. 
Parents, Joel and Abigail (Tuttle) Peck, natives 
of Chesire Conn., who settled here in 1815. 

Pickett, E. Franklin, p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 
180 acres, born in Scott in 1834, is present road 
commissioner; wife, Alvina J. Branch, bom in 
Cayuga county ; married in 1858, one child, Wal- 
lace F. Parents, Eri and Mary (Cottrell) 
Pickett, the former came from Connecticut in 
1804. 

Potter, E. H. P., p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 130 
acres, born in Petersburgh, \. V., in 1818, held 
several important offices in town ; wife, Roxana E. 
Burdick, daughter of Jesse and Sally (Babcock) 
Burdick, who settled here in 1805; married in 
1842, children three: Harlan E. J., a farmer, 
Leman W., now a physician in Homer, and 
Mary E. Parents, Ezekiel G. and .\bigail (West) 
Potter, who settled on farm now occupied by 
son, in March, 1819. 

Salisbury, Artemas, p. o. Scott, farmer, born in 



532 



History of Cortland County. 



Homer in i8 12, first wife, Mary T. Gushing; 
married in 1836, one child, Mary T., now Mrs. 
Eugene F. Whitcomb, of Wisconsin; second wife, 
Deha J. Frink, daughter of Martin and Nancy 
(Barber) Frink; married in 1874, one child, 
Artemas H. Parents, Major Thomas and Han- 
nah (Fisk) Salisbury, natives of Rhode Island, 
who settled in Homer in 18 10. 

Stoker, Walter L., p. o. East Scott, farmer, 
owns 90 acres, born in Homer in 1848; wife, 
Rhoda Kennedy, daughter of Thomas and Sally 
(Price) Kennedy, who settled in Homer in 1824; 
married in 1873, one child, Margaret F. Pa- 
rents, John and Rachel (Black) Stoker. 

Stoker, John H., p. o. Scott, farmer, owns 70 
acres, born in Homer in 1847; wife, Nancy F. 
Hazard, granddaughter of Rufus Anthony, who 
settled here in 1804 ; married in 1869, children 
two : Mira R., and Herman H. Parents, John 
and Rachel (Black) Stoker, natives of England. 

Salisbury, Nathan, p. o. Little York, born in 
1793, settled in Homer in 1807, and in Scott in 
1814, owns 220 acres, was justice of the peace, 
assessor, road commissioner, and supervisor a 
number of terms; wife, Lucretia A. Babcock, of 
Massachusetts; married in 18 18, and died in 
1881, leaving eight children : Amanda A., Charles 
B., James H., who is a leading physician of 
New York city, Milton L., BurdetteJ., Charlotte 
A., William W., and Nathan, jr. 

Underwood, Harlow E., p. o. Scott, farmer, 
owns 103 acres, born in Chenango county in 
1823, settled in county in 1835, was justice of 
peace and assessor; wife, Phoebe .-Vmes, daugh- 
ter of Samuel and Polly (Brown) Ames; married 
in 1851, children five: Adelia A., Jay B., Eu- 
gene H., .Addie B., and George H. Parents, 
Chester and Betsey (Tuttle) Underwood, the for- 
mer of Massachusetts, and the latter of Connect- 
icut. 

Warner, T. R., p. o. Scott, farmer, born in 
Preble in 1829, was constable and is ])resent 
deputy sheriff; wife, Eliza A. Bassett, daughter 
of George and Sarah ( Ru.ssell) Bassett ; married 
in 1851, children five: Lillian M. (Mrs. Arthur 
L. \Villiams), Antoinette E. (Mrs. .Ansel D. 
Fisk), of Homer, Frank T., of Moravia, Minnie 
A., and Jesse F. 

Whiting, Anson L., p. o. Scott, farmer and 



retired merchant, owns 407 acres, born in Kent, 
Litchfield county. Conn., in 1807, came to Spaf- 
ford, Onondaga county in 181 1, settled in county 
1831, was road commissioner in 1833, assessor 
in 1834-40, supervisor and town clerk several 
years, also justice of peace and overseer of poor; 
wife, Nancy Burdick ; married in 1829, children 
five : Lucelia, now Mrs. Samuel A. Childs, Henry 
Lee, Hamilton J., Francina W., now Mrs. James 
B. Spencer, and Add, now Mrs. Leland Griffin, 
all of Scott. 

Whiting, Hamilton L, p. o. Scott, merchant, 
born in Scott in 1839, was supervisor in 1884; 
wife, Josephine A. Truman, daughter of Dr. Wm. 
M. and Huldah Truman; married in 1859, chil- 
dren four : Willie L, Lena M., Merton A., and 
Mary E. Parents, Anson L. and Nancy (Bur- 
dick) Whiting, the former a native of Connecti- 
cut. 



SOLON. 



Adams, Eli, p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 60 acres, 
born in Pittsfield, Otsego county, in 181 2, was 
assessor and justice of the peace ; wife, Phcebe 
Miller, daughter of Abner and ^L^ry (Kelsey) 
Miller, married in 1838. Parents, Azor and 
Hannah Laflin, of Otsego county. 

Atkins, Lorenzo B., p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 
93 acres, born in Richmondville, Schoharie Co., 
in 1S38, enlisted in Co. G, 185th N. Y. S. V. 
in 1864; wife. Patience M. Walker, daughter of 
Samuel and Lucy (Rice) Walker, married in 
1864; children three: Ida M., .Annie L. and 
Floyd L. 

Barnes, John, p. o. .Solon, farmer, owns 60 
acres, born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1841, en- 
listed in Co. G, 76th N. Y. S. V. in 1861, was 
discharged in 1864 for the lo.ss of an arm at 
the battle of Fredericksburg. 

Bean, Milford G., p. o. McGrawville, farmer, 
born in Solon in 1848, was justice of the peace; 
wife, Lydia .A. Brownell, of Solon, married in 
1874; one child: Louis .A. Bean. Parents, 
Albert and .Adelia (Wheeler) Bean. 

Daugherty, James, ]>. o. Solon, born in Solon 
in 1857, studied law with Bouton & Champlin, 
of Cortland, and was admitted to the bar in 
t88i, was supervisor of Solon when he was 
twenty-one years of age and has been elected 



Brief Personals. 



533 



to the seventh term in succession, was the can- 
didate before the people last fall for member of 
assembly. 

Finn, James, p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 137 
acres, born May 28th, 1S31; wife, Laura Har- 
vey, daughter of Calvin and Polly (Wheeler) 
Harvey, of Solon, born Feb, 22d, 1832, married 
in 1854; children four: Nettie L., now Mrs. 
Emory A. Ford, Eddie }., Eva A. and Willie L. 
Parents, Thomas and Polly (Phelps) Finn. 

Hewitt, Henry, p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 150 
acres, born in Monroe county in 1846, enlisted 
in Co. K, 85th N. Y. S. V., in 1861, served his 
time and re-enlisted in the field and served dur- 
ing the war. Nine companies of his regiment 
were captured and he was helil a prisoner ; wife, 
Lucy Underwood, married in 1S71; children 
two : Carrie and Lottie J. Parents, Henrv and 
Sally (Hollenbeck) Hewitt, natives of Monroe 
county. 

Holden, Edward C, p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 
135 acres, born in Solon in 1839; wife, Jemima" 
Watrous, daughter of George and Jemima 
(Travers) Watrous,novv of Ohio, married in 1861 , 
one child : May Bell. Parents, John and Sally 
(Cotton) Holden, who settled in county in 1820. 

Livingston, John D., p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 
100 acres, born in Solon in 1840; wife, Ruth 
E. Cline, daughter of Daniel and Malissa (Cur- 
tis) Cline, of Chenango county, married in i860 ; 
children two: Clara M., now Mrs. E. A. Dwight, 
of Chenango county, and Burton J. 

McKendrick, John, p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 
365 acres, born in Westchester county, N. Y., in 
1832, was justice of the peace, collector, com- 
missioner of highways and assessor ; wife, Bridget 
Farl, of Pennsylvania, married in 1864; children 
six living : John J., Daniel, Charles, Maggie, 
James P. and Mary. Parents, Peter and Bridget 
(Cain) McKendrick. 

Maybury, John R., p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 
65 acres, born in Solon in 1828, enlisted in Co_ 
L, loth N. Y. V. cavalry and served three 
years, was corporal, and is present justice of the 
peace; wife, Emogene Pierce, daughter of A. T. 
and Judy A. Pierce, of Truxton, married in 1866 ; 
children four: Mary R., Rena D., Helen and 
Sarah. Parents, Josiah and Dorcas (Blake) 
Maybury, who came to county in 1807. 



Maybury, Lucian B., p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 
47 acres, was constable, collector and assessor six 
years, born in Solon in 1837; wife, Marcia 
Auringer, daughter of Moses and Hope (Darl- 
ing) .\uringer, of Onondaga county, married in 
1857; children three: Delphene, now Mrs. 
John Monroe, of Solon, Nettie, now Mrs. Henry 
A. Webster, of Virgil, and Fred I). Parents, 
Josiah J. and Dorcas (Blake) Maybury. 

Pritchard, .4mos, p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 60 
acres, born in Greenbush in 1807, was highway 
commissioner, collector and assessor ; wife, Mar- 
garet Rankin, daughter of Joel Rankin, of Trux- 
ton, married in 1832; children four: Harriet 
E., Joel C, Jane E. and Uri A. 

Pritchard, Garret (decea.sed), was born in 
Litchfield, Conn., in 1792, settled in Solon in 
1808 and died in 1874, aged 82 ; first wife, Phi- 
lena Beebe, married in 1815 ; children three: Al- 
bert, Chauncey and Louisa; second wife, Hul- 
dah Ford, married in 1848; children two: Gar- 
ret P. and Lucetta \. 

Rawley, James H., p. o. McGrawville, farmer, 
occupies 225 acres, born in Oneida county in 
1836, held town offices several terms; wife, Emma 
Evans, daughter of Mordica and Elmina (Hul- 
bert) Evans, of Freetown, married in 1858; 
children four: Hattie E., Charles H., Milton B. 
and Cora A. Parents, Daniel and Almira (Allen) 
Rawley, natives of Oneida county. 

Shuler, Wm. C, p. o. McGrawville, born in 
Montgomery county in 1829; wife, Esther M. 
Eastman, daughter of William and Lydia (Tay- 
lor) Eastman, married in 1857 ; children two: 
Willis D. and Florence N. Parents, Remson 
and Hannah (Haughton) Shuler, who came to 
county in 1830. 

Stevens, John (deceased), born in Solon in 
1810 and died in 1883; wife, Jane Darling, 
daughter of William and Polly (Hunt) Darling, 
who came to county in 1830. Parents, John 
and Thankful (Cady) Stevens. 

Stevens, Silas, p. o. Solon, farmer, owns 75 
acres, born in Solon in 1828, is exci.se commis- 
sioner; wife, Eliza NL Priest, daughter of James 
and Mary (Taylor) Priest, of Chenango county, 
married in 1866; children three: Ida May, 
Burtie B. and Henry S. Parents, Joseph and 
Diantha (Pritchard) Stevens. 



534 



History of Cortland County. 



Underwood, Reuben, p. o. McGravvville, 
farmer, owns 105 acres, born in Solon in 1847 ; 
wife, Mary Stafford, daughter of Josiah and 
Eliza Stafford, born in England, married in 
1868; children two: Ida A. and George E. 
Parents, Eliab and Julia A. (Madison) Under- 
wood, natives of county. 

Walker, Isaac J., p. o. McGrawville, farmer, 
owns 62 acres, born in Montgomery county in 
1839, settled in Solon in 1857, was supervisor 
three years, 1877-80, enlisted in Co. C, 15 7th 
N. Y. S. v., in 1862, served during the war; 
wife, Lucinda Pierce, daughter ot Isaac and 
Polly (Gordenier) Pierce, married in 1866; chil- 
dren five : Helen S., Charles W., George S., 
Moss K. and Thomas I. Parents, Samuel and 
Lucy (Rice) Walker, of Montgomery county, the 
former died in 1875. 



TAYLOR. 

Angel, Almon, p. o. Union Valley, farmer, 
owns 112 acres, born in county in 1841, was 
justice of the peace and road commissioner; 
wife, Vira J. Kinney, born in county in 1844, 
married in 1866; one daughter : S. Maude. 

Bort, George H., p. o. Taylor, farmer and 
dealer in agricultural implements, owns 102 
acres, born in Madison county in 1851, settled 
in county in 1852 ; wife, Ida E. Bolster, born in 
Steuben county in 1854, married in 1871; one 
child : Frances D. 

Elwood, Wilson M., p. o. Taylor, farmer, owns 
112 acres, born in Chenango county in 182 1, 
setded in Cordand county in 1843, was assessor 
and commissioner for his town; wife, Olive Will- 
iams, born in Chenango county in 1835; chil- 
dren five. Mr. Elwood served in the late rebel- 
lion in the 76th regiment. 

Finn, Leroy D., p. o. Solon, firmer, born in 
county in 1838, was commissioner three terms. 
Father, Robert Finn, came to county in 1817. 

Hill, J. O., p. o. Taylor, farmer, owns 214 
acres, born in Massachusetts in 1827, settled in 
county in 1833; first wife, Lucy D. Perry, born 
in Solon, in 1831, died in 1872; second wife, 
Mrs. Martha J. Rounds, born in Homer in 1842, 
married in 1873; children five. 

Jipson, Valentine, p. o. Union Valley, mer- 
chant, born in county in 1849, has been justice 
of the peace for eight years. 



Miner, Oscar P., p. o. Taylor Center, dairy 
farmer, 120 acres, born in Spafford, Onondaga 
county, March 28th, 1841, the fifth of a family 
of six children, three boys and three girls. He 
was brought up on a farm and educated in the 
common school of his native town and at Cort- 
land Academy, Homer, N. Y., from which 
school, in the fall of 1861, he enlisted in Co. U, 
76th N. Y. S. v., and served nearly three years. 
His father died when he was ten years old and 
he lived with his sister till old enough to support 
himself which he did by working on a farm 
summers and teaching and attending school falls 
and winters. At the close of the war in 1S65 he 
settled in Taylor, and was married to Julia M. 
Bentley of the same place in 186S. who was 
born in 1849. He has been justice of the peace 
fourteen years and justice of sessions one year; 
children two : Floyd B. and Carroll P.. 

Phelps, I. W., p. o. Cincinnatus, farmer, 200 
acres, born in Taylor in 1834, has held the 
office of supervisor ; wife, Almira Cole, born in 
Cincinnatus in 1840, married in 1864; children 
three: Karl C, Myra Pearl and Alice Mabel. 



TRUXTON. 

Bliss, George W., p. o. Truxton, retired mer- 
chant, born in Massachusetts in 1822, settled in 
Truxton in 1823; wife, Sojihia F. Hooker, 
daughter of John H. Hooker, born in 1826, 
married in 1846; children three: Charles E., 
Henry S. and George. Parents, George and 
Charlotte (Ames) Bliss, who settled near Trux- 
ton village in 1823. 

Gates, Irvin L., p. o. McGrawville, farmer, 
owns 1 60 acres, born in Truxton in 1 843 ; wife, 
Helen M. Safford, daughter of Silas B. and Har- 
rietta (De Lameter) Safford, of Onondaga county, 
married in 1866; children three: Frank L., 
Hatde M. and Willie D. Parents, Martin D. ' 
and Sally (Dunbar) Gates. 

Kenney, Marcus E., junior partner of Kenney 
& Son, dealers in hardware and agricultural im- 
plements, born in Truxton in 1848; wife, Lettie 
A. Freeman, daughter of Rufus and Emily Free- 
man, of Truxton, married in 1869; one cliild : 
.•\rthur M. Parents, Hosea M. and Lauretta 
(Lucas) Kenney, of Truxton. 

McKevitt, Henry, p. o. Truxton, farmer and 



Brief Personals. 



535 



dairyman, owns 36 acres, born in Ireland in 
1818, settled in town in 1828, was assessor one 
term ; wife, Elizabeth Nesbitt, born in Weeds- 
port, Cayuga county, daughter of Allen and 
Mary Nesbitt, married in 1841 ; children four: 
James H., Mary A. Johnson, Nancy J. Sever- 
ance, and Sarah E. Pierce. Parents, Owen and 
Judy McKevitt. 

Nelson, Judson C, p. o. Truxton, physician 
and surgeon, born in Danby, Tompkins county, 
came to Truxton in 1848, is a graduate of the 
medical college at Geneva, N. Y., was appointed 
surgeon of the 76th Regt. N. Y. S. V. in 1861, 
served three years in hospital and field, was 
elected supervisor thirteen consecutive terms, 
chairman of the board two terms, and member 
of assembly two terms; wife, Henrietta S. 
Walter, of Tioga county, married in 1848; chil- 
dren two : Arthur t^., a hardware merchant of 
Cortland, and M. Isabel, now Mrs. Charles Til- 
linghast, of Cortland ; second wife, Florence 
Irwin Snyder, of Middleburgh, Schoharie county, 
N. Y., married in 1S83, daughter of Hon. Hadly 
Snyder, of Middleburgh. 

Patrick, Hon. Stephen, p. o. Truxton, insur- 
ance agent and farmer, owns 220 acres, born at 
Saratoga Springs in 181 1, settled in town in 
1S12, was assemblyman in 1866, assessor two 
years, and supervisor in 1 860 ; wife, Angeline 
Dickenson, married in 1846 ; children eight : 
John W., x\lvah, Hattie Gleason, Richard, Eliza 
Radway, Nathaniel, Nellie and Nelson. Par- 
ents, Nathaniel and Penelope (Potter) Patrick. 

Saunders, Franklin P., p. o. Truxton, born in 
Fabius in 1849, dealer in life stock ; wife, Hattie 
L. Peck, daughter of Piatt and Mary A. Peck, 
married in 1879; children two living: Arthur 
Franklin and Anah Hattie. Parents, Perry H. 
and Sarah (Emmerson) Saunders. 



VIRGIL. 

Angell, E. D.,p. o. East Virgil, farmer and mer- 
chant miller, born in Otsego county in 1816, set- 
tled in county in 1817, was assessor in Lapeer 
three terms; wife, Sarah Lake, born in 1828, 
married in 1848; children six: Luricia A. Dell, 
Sarah Lucretia, Julia L., Erasmus D. jr., Jed 
and James W. Parents, James and Polly Ann 
(Crandell) Angell, natives of Rhode Island, the 



former born January 26th, 1775, and died in 
1825, the latter born in 1786 and died in 1861 ; 
children twelve. 

Atwood, Timothy, p. o. Blodgett's Mills, 
farmer, born in Otsego county, September 4th, 
1808, .settled in county in 1809 ; wife, EVua. Jane 
Fuller, daughter of James and Mary (Finch) 
Fuller, born in 1813, married in 1835; one 
daughter, Helen P",ugenie, born in 1847, married 
Andrew Thayrc in 1870; chiklren two. Parents, 
Joseph H. and Mary (.Andrews) .Xtwood, who 
setded in county in 1809. 

Bloomer, Isaac B., p. o. Virgil, retired, born 
in Ulster county in 1812; wife, Hannah Trow- 
bridge, born in i8io, married in 1833, died in 
1883 ; children ten, six now living. One son 
enlisted in Co. .\, 76th N. Y. Vols., in 1862, and 
died soon after his return home, from disease 
contracted in the army, aged 22. Parents, Isaac 
and Anna (Barlow) Bloomer, who settled in Vir- 
gil on lot 25 in 1815, the former died in Virgil 
in 1856, aged 73 years, the latter died in 1868, 
aged 87 years ; children seven, two now living. 

Branch, Enoch D., p. o. Virgil, former, horn 
in Vermont in 1796, settled in county in 18 15, 
and died July i6th, 1876, was supervisor two 
terms and held other minor offices ; wife, Ma- 
tilda Mynard, daughter of Benajah and Lydia 
(Purple) Mynard, natives of Connecticut, born 
in Rensselaer county in 1813, married Novem- 
ber 25th, 1838; children seven: Harley H., 
Butler M., Edwin D., Hepsey P., Mary E., 
Ellen D. and Rollo P. The latter is a Presby- 
terian clergyman. Parents, Jeptha and Irene 
(Arnold) Branch, who settled in Virgil in 1815 ; 
children seven, one now living. 

Bristol, Benjamin F., p. o. South Cortland, 
correspondent of the Cortland News and farmer 
by occupation, born in Cortland in 1837 ; wife, 
Ophelia Tompkins, daughter of William and 
Maria (Weaver) Tompkins, born in Westchester 
county in 1840, married in 1859; children 
eleven, nine now living: Charles H., born in 
i860, William A., in 1862, Clara C, in 1S64, 
John E., in 1865, Georgia A., in 1867, Addie 
J., in 1869, Lawrence F., in 1873. Emma 
M., in 1875, and Delta M., in 18S1. Parents, 
Charles and Dolly (Allen) Bristol, the former of 
Connecticut and the latter of Ohio, married in 



536 



History of Cortland County. 



1832, the latter died in 1863, aged 52 years; 
children three : B. F., Cornelia C. and Geo. H. 

Bronson, Dr. Horace, p. o. Virgil, physician 
and surgeon, born in Catskill, Greene county, in 
1796, settled in county in 1820 and died in 
1874, was a graduate of Hartford College; wife, 
Polly Ball, daughter of Judge Ball, born in 1803, 
married in 1822, and died March 31st, 1842; 
children four, all now dead ; second wife, Hap- 
py Mott, daughter of Thomas and Susan (Wy- 
gant) Mott, born May 12th, 1812, married in 
1842; children two: Happy E., born in 1845 
and died in 1864, and Senora De Etta, born 
March 29th, 185 1. Parents, Davitl and Nancy 
Bronson, of Catskill, the former died in Virgil in 
1840, and the latter at Adams. 

Chaplin, Walter L., p. o. Messengerville, 
farmer and surveyor, born in Virgil in 1825, was 
postmaster and su])ervisor in 1884, and held 
other offices ; first wife, Abigail Shevalier, born 
in 1828, married in 1849, and died in 1866, 
children three; second wife, Camilla C. Gault, 
born in 1827, married in 1868, died in 1873; 
third wife, Mrs. Rhoda M. (Darling) Shevalier, 
born in 183S, married in 1874; cliildren three. 
Parents, Benjamin F. and Lucy (Holden) Chap- 
lin, the former born in Virgil in 1799, ^^'^ ^"P' 
posed to be the first white child horn in Virgil, 
died in 1882, the latter born in 1800, married in 
1820; children two: George H. and Walter L. 

Chrisman, Josiah, p. o. Virgil, farmer and 
stock dealer, born in Oneida county in 1817; 
wife, Abigail Penney, daughter of David and 
Fannie (Smith) Penney, who settled in Virgil in 
1837, born in 1823, married in 1844; children 
eight. Parents, William and Nancy (Oaks) 
Chrisman, who .settled in county in 1835; chil- 
dren thirteen, but seven now living. 

Curtis, Salmon, p. o. Virgil, farmer and dairy- 
man, born in Sullivan county November 15th, 
1812 ; wife, Harriet Seamans, born in 1822, mar- 
ried in 1840, and died August ist, 1876; chil- 
dren five ; second wife, Augusta Seamans, daugh- 
ter of Isaac and Amarilla (Sheldon) Seamans 
and sister of first wife, born in 1843, married in 
1878. Parents, Nehemiah and Lusina (Hubbell) 
Curtis, natives of Connecticut, who came to 
Virgil in 1830; children eight, three now living. 

Dann, George P., p. o. Virgil, farmer and 



stock dealer, owns 386 acres, born in Virgil in 
1822 ; wife, Marilla Tuller, born in Virgil in 
1824, married October 17th, 1S44; children 
four, two now living : Antonnette and Martin L., 
the former married Reuben Butts in 1866, and 
the latter married Alice Mason in 1871. Par- 
ents, Amariah and Nancy (Purvis) Dann, the 
former born in 1791, the latter in 1795, married 
in 1812; children eleven; the former died in 
Virgil in 1873, and the latter in 1858. 

Davern, James, p. o. Virgil, farmer, owns 179 
acres, born in Ireland in 1839, settled in county 
in 1846; wife, Louisa Sawdey, daughter of Asa 
and Eliza Sawdey, born in 1849, married in 1868; 
children five: Lizzie M., born in 1870, Susie, 
in 1872, Rose E., in 1876, Clara L., in tS82, 
and James Mark, in 1884. Parents, James 
and Ellen (Ryan) Davern, natives of Ireland, 
the latter died in Ireland, leaving six sons and 
two daughters, the former came to Syracuse 
where he died; James, jr., enlisted in the iSsth 
regiment in 1864, and was discharged at close 
of war; he was promoted to corporal, was dis- 
abled in the war, and received a pension from 
the government. 

Deyoe, Simeon D., p. o. Virgil, born in Har- 
ford in 1850, owns 150 acres, was assessor in 
1879 and again in 18S3; wife, Ann Vinette 
Green, daughter of Page and Tirzah (Merrill) 
Green, born in 183S, married in 1873; children 
two: Glenn and M. C. Page Green was a 
prominent lawyer of Cortland county, and en- 
joyed a large practice in his profession ; wife, 
Tirzah, was daughter of John and Joanna Mer- 
rill, who came to Connecticut in 1804. 

Glazier, Ezra B., p. o. Virgil, farmer, gardener 
and apiarist, born in Virgil in 18 17, was excise 
commissioner since 1882 ; wife, Loretta J. Web- 
ber, daughter of Rodney and Aurilla (Shepard) 
Webber, born in 1S31, married in 1848; chil- 
dren five : Adin, Dana, Lillie, Nathan B. and 
Harlan E. Parents, Artemus and Sally (Clark) 
Glazier, the former born in Massachusetts in 
1782, married in 1816, died in 1865, the latter 
died in 1864; children eight. Grandparents, 
Jotham and Kesiah (Stacey) Glazier, natives of 
Massachusetts, who came to county in 1806; 
children twelve. 

Griswold, Daniel P., p. o. South Cortland, 



Brief Personals. 



537 



pension soldier, tailor and farmer, born in Dry- 
den in 184s, was collector two terms; wife, 
Annette Tyler, daughter of Samuel P. and Je- 
mima (Hopkins) Tyler, born in 1848, married in 
1871 ; children two: Bernicle E., born in 1875, 
and Clyde T., born in 1877. Parents, F,dward 
and Mary (Tyler) Grisuold, the former died in 
Virgil in 1869, aged 75, and the latter in 1854; 
children eleven, six now living. Daniel P. en- 
listed in Co. C, 76th N. Y. Vols., in 1861, was 
wounded at the battle of Gettysburg in 1863, 
and receives a pension of $30 per month. 

Hall, Amos T., p. o. Blodgett's Mills, farmer, 
carpenter and builder, born in Virgil in 1818; 
wife, Maria E. Merical, daughter of Henry and 
Catherine (Adney) Merical, born in Schoharie 
county in 1828, married in 1846; children four, 
two now living : William H. and Anna. Will- 
iam married Alice J. Frear and Anna married 
Joe Stafford. Parents, Girden and Polly (Pea- 
body) Hall, natives of Connecticut, who settled 
in Virgil in 18 16, married in 1818; children 
eleven, seven now living, the former served in 
the war of 181 2, drew a pension of $96 yearly, 
and died in 1874. 

Hammon, Riley, p. o. Virgil, farmer and dairy, 
born in Virgil in 1841, has represented his dis- 
trict at State conventions; wife, Charlotte L. 
Woodard, daughter of Samuel and Deborah A. 
Woodard, born in Virgil in 1843, married in 
i860 ; children five, two now living : Luetta M. 
and Willie E. Parents, John and Louisa (Keys) 
Hammon, natives of Vermont, the former born 
in i8i8, married in 1834 and died in 1875, the 
latter born in 181 8. 

Haskins, James B. F., p. o. South Cortland, 
farmer and dairy, born in Virgil in 1842 ; wife, 
Maggie Pike, daughter of De Villo and Sarah 
(Calvert) Pike, born in 1848, married in 1867 ; 
children two : Clyde F., born in 1880, and Earl 
A., born in 1884. Parents, Alanson and Clarissa 
(Andrews) Haskins, both of Fabius, N. Y., set- 
tled in Virgil in 1825, the former died in 1869, 
the latter is still living, aged 83 years; children 
seven. 

Holton, William A., p. o. Virgil, general mer- 
chant and dealer in groceries, drugs, hardware, 
etc., born in ^Virgil in 1845, was justice of the 
■peace, town clerk one term and held other 



offices ; wife, Delphine Brooks, born in 1847, 
married in 1874. Parents, Lester and Betsey 
(Tanner) Holton, the former born in 1816, died 
in 1857, the latter born in 18 18, died in 1874; 
children five, four now living : L. C, M. E., R. 
E. and W. A. Grandparents, Dr. Rufus and 
Althea (Smith) Holton, who settled in Madison 
county in 1820 and Cortland county in 1827. 
William A. Holton began the mercantile business 
in 1870, the firm being Peckham & Holton, and 
sold his interest in 1873, purchased his present 
site and erected the present two-story building, 
the store and dwelling where he now resides. 

Homer, Henry F., j). o. Virgil, farmer, born 
in Virgil in 1839; wife, Sophia Hammond, 
daughter of John and Louisa Hammond, born 
in Virgil in 1842, married in i860; one child, 
Julia, born in 1866. Parents, Edmund and 
Rohamey (Johnson) Homer, the former born in 
1801 and died in 1854, the latter born in 1800 
and died in 1842; children three, two now liv- 
ing: Henry F. and Henrietta, who married 
John Winters, of Virgil. 

Hotchkiss, Charles Alonzo, p. o. Virgil, farmer 
and dairy, born in Virgil in 1829; wife, Jeanett 
Hopkins, daughter of James and Margaret 
(Smith) Hopkins, born in Dryden in 1825, mar- 
ried in 1852; children three: Eva May, born 
Feb. 2ist, 1855, died Dec, 5th, 1878 ; Harriet 
B., bom in 1856, and Elsworth A., born in 1861. 
Eva M. married Egbert D. Spencer May 28th, 
1874; Egbert D. died May 15th, 1S75; Eva 
M. married again W. B. Main Nov. 24th, 1876; 
one child. Harriet married Rev. Geo. F. Hum- 
phreys, of Massachusetts, in 1875; children 
three. Elsworth married Jennie L. Sessions in 
1883; one child. Parents. Charles and Polly 
(Stillman) Hotchkiss, married in 1807, the former 
died in 1868, aged 84. the latter born in 1789, 
died May 6th, 1874; children si.x, three now 
living: Jane, born in 1819, Charles A., bom in 
1829, Enoch D., born in 1834. 

Lang, Robert, jr., p. o. Virgil, born in York- 
shire, England, in 1820, settled in county in 
1841 ; wife, Mary Carr, daughter of William and 
Sophia Carr, born in Freetown in 1S27, married 
in 1847, died in 1883; children six, five now 
living: Mary Ann, Ruie S., William R., Merton 
D. and Lillian E. Parents, Robert and Mary 
Lang, of Yorkshire, England. 



538 



History of Cortland County. 



Lewis, Nathaniel, p. o. Virgil, retired fanner, 
born in Dryden March 4th, 1815, settled in 
county in 1818, was president and trustee of 
Virgil Cemetery Association, and United States 
mail agent for sixteen years ; wife, Mila Glazier, 
daughter of Stacy and Axsie (Branch) Glazier, 
born in Virgil in 1821, married in 1840; children 
five, four now living : Truman, Augusta, Mary 
and Isaac R. Parents, John and Jemima 
(Steenburgh) Lewis, of Orange county, settled 
in county in 1818, the former died in 1850, and 
the latter in 1838; children ten. 

Lincoln, Wait, p. o. Virgil, farmer, born in 
Virgil in 1817; wife, Melissa Muncey, born in 
1827, married in 1844 ; children eight, three now 
living: Alice, Ella L. and Willis P. Parents, 
Major William and Ruth (Sexton) Lincoln, the 
former from Massachusetts and the latter of 
New York. 

Johnson, Senora D., p. o. Virgil. 

Lowe, Garrison H., p. o. Virgil, farmer, owns 
93 acres, born in Sullivan county in 1825, 
settled in county in 1839; wife, Polly Ann 
Ballou, of Onondaga county, daughter of Silas 
and Polly (Shumway) Uallou, who settled in 
Virgil about 1816, married in 1848; children 
five : Silas B., Jane Ann, Garrison Demont, 
Idris and Edith. Parents, Zachariah and Jane 
(Drake) Lowe, of Sullivan county, the former 
born in Duchess county, died in Virgil ; children 
seven, three now living. 

McKinney, John A., p. o. Virgil, owner and 
proprietor of Virgil Hotel, born in Virgil in 185 1 ; 
wife, Mary Jane Brown, born in Ireland, set- 
tled in Virgil in 1867, married in 1872, died 
Oct. 24th, 1883, leaving two children, Irving 
J. and R. T. Parents, John and Mary Ann 
(Steele) McKinney, natives of Ireland, married 
and settled in Virgil in 1850, the former died 
Oct. 24th, 1882; children eight, six now hving : 
Robert, John A., Thomas E., William G., Henry 
S., Nancy J. and Mary H. Robert enlisted in 
the 185th regiment in 1864, served to close of 
war, and died in February, 1878. John A. 
purchased the Virgil House in spring of 1884. 

Muncey, Dr. William A., p. o. Virgil, physi- 
cian and surgeon, born in Truxton in 1832; 
wife, Lodema J. Brooks, of Cortland, daughter 
of Ransom J. Brooks, born in 1843, married in 



1864 ; children two : Wilfred B. and Ransom 
B. Parents, Stearns and H. (Nicholson) Mun- 
cey, the former of Rensselaer county, died in 
Chemung county in 1883, the latter of Chenango 
county, died in Tioga county in 1873. Dr. Wm. 
A. Muncey was a graduate of Philadelphia 
American University in 1874, also the New 
York Eclectic Medical College, in 1882, read 
medicine with Dr. Nobles, of Waverly, com- 
menced practice in \\'averly in 1858 under the 
old State law, and in 1859 settled in Virgil 
where he now resides. 

Mynard, Wellington P., p. o. Virgil, farmer 
and stock dealer, born in Virgil in 1841, was 
supervisor two terms and overseer of the poor 
one year. Parents, Madison B. and Maria 
(Bouton) Mynard, the former born in 1810 and 
died in 1859, the latter born in 1813 and died 
in i860; children seven, five now living: Wel- 
lington P., born in 1841, Eliza H. in 1846, Mad- 
ison A. in 1851, Maria Louise in 1854, and 
George in 1857. 

Oaks, James H., p. o. Virgil, insurance agent 
and dairy farmer, born in Herkimer county in 
1833, settled in county in 1834; wife, Henriette 
Champlin, daughter of Henry and Mary (Chris- 
man) Champlin, born in 1842, married in 1866; 
children two : Eva M. and Mary Ettie. Par- 
ents, Abraham and Maria (Smith) Oaks, the 
former born in 1809 and died in 1858, the latter 
born in 18 13, married in 1831 ; children nine, 
seven now living. Grandfather, Henry Oaks, 
born in Germany, came to America when ten 
years of age. He enlisted in the Revolutionary 
war, was taken prisoner by the Indians, made 
his escape, married in Montgomery county ; 
children three. 

Price, David R., p. o. Cortland, farmer, born 
in Virgil in 1820 ; wife, Deborah Hutchins, born 
in Ulster county in 1820, married in 1844; chil- 
dren eight : George R., Emma, Elmer, Maurice, 
Ephraim E., Antha, Manley and Ina. George 
married Rose Langworthy; Ina married Aaron 
Overton ; Emma married Charles Robinson ; 
Ephraim married Alice Dearman ; Antha mar- 
ried George S. Sherman ; Maurice married 
Emma Spencer. Parents, Zachariah and Eliza- 
beth (Ryan) Price, the former born in Rensse- 
laer county, came to Cortland in 1809, the latter 
born in Montgomery county in 1801, married in 



Brief Personals. 



539 



i8i I and died in 1883 ; children eleven. Grand- 
parents, Jacob and Catharine (Barringer) Price, 
who settled in Virgil in 1816; children ten. 

Saltsman, Frederick F., p. o. Virgil, farmer, 
born in Cortland county, has been highway com- 
missioner two terms; wile, Loretta J. House, 
born in Virgil in 1847, married in 1869; children 
two: Carlton Lee and Ray Frank. Parents, 
John and Phebe (Frank) Saltsman, the former 
born in Montgomery county in 1810, the latter 
born in Virgil ; children five : Susannah, Mary 
Ann, Sarah Jane, F. F. and Cora Atane. Grand- 
parents, George and Nancy (Cook) Saltsman, 
natives of Montgomery county, came to county 
in 1821 ; children six. 

Shevalier, Nathan L., p. o. Messengerville, 
farmer, born in Virgil in 1858; wife, Augusta 
Weller, of Onondaga county, daughter of Jere- 
miah Weller, born in 1857, married in 1878; 
one child, Ina. Parents, Isaac and Nancy 
(Smith) Shevalier, the former died in 1878, aged 
47 ; children four : Harriet, Dick A., Eugenie 
and Nathan L. 

Smith, Nathan J., p. o. Messengerville, farmer, 
born in Virgil in 1847; wife, Luricia Adelle 
Angell, daughter of E. D. Angell, born in 1850, 
married in 1 86g ; children two : M. Louise and 
Wilmer A. Parents, Nathan and Lucy (Mal- 
lery) Smith, the former born in Marathon in 
1808, the latter in 1809; children seven, four 
now living : A. P., Nancy A., Angeline and 
N.J. 

Spencer, Nathan, p. o. Virgil, farmer and 
stock dealer, born in Virgil in 1821, was super- 
visor three terms; first wife, Polly Ann Price, 
married in 1843 and died in 1863; children 
five : Earl W., Henry F., Emma Dett, Alice V. 
and Egbert D. ; second wife, Mrs. Angeline 
(Smith) Homer, married in 1866; one son, Lin 
C. Parents, Isaac and Nancy (Peabody) Spen- 
cer, natives of Otsego county. Grandparents, 
Amos and Dorcas Spencer, natives of Rhode 
Island, the former was a Revolutionary soldier, 
and died in Otsego county. 

Stafford, George W., p. o. Blodgett's Mills, 
farmer, born in Virgil in 1846. Parents, Josiah 
and Eliza Ann (Male) Stafford, born in Broad 
Oak, England, in i8i7,the latter came to county 
in 1837, the former died in 1877, aged 62 years. 



Grandparents, Joseph and Susan (Hopkins) 
Stafford, natives of Rhode Island, settled in Vir- 
gil in 1816, the former died in i860, the latter 
in 1872; children eleven. 

Stafford, Hopkins, p. o. Blodgett's Mills, 
farmer and dairy, born in Ot.scgo county in 
1813, settled in county in 1816; wife, Nancy 
Allen, born in Virgil in 1817, married in 1838, 
died in 1862; children ten, five now living: 
Charlotte, Timothy, Amy, Job B. and Cynthia 
L. Parents, Joseph and Susan (Hopkins) Staf- 
ford. 

Stafford, Miles, p. o. Blodgett's Mills, farmer, 
born in Virgil in 1828; wife, Roby Westcott, 
daughter of Nathaniel Westcott, born in Penn- 
sylvania in 1830, married in 1851 ; children four: 
Emeline, born in 1852, Nathaniel, born in 1856, 
Minnie in 1862, Layton in 1868. Parents, 
Joseph and Susan (Hopkins) Stafford, natives 
of Rhode Island. 

Stowell, John, p. o. Blodgett's Mills, farmer, 
born in Virgil in 1828; wife, Henrietta Luce, 
daughter of John and Betsey Luce, born in 
1832, married in 1854; one child, Melvin Mon- 
roe, born in 1857 and married Eva F. Luce in 
1880. Parents, Lucius and Sally (Ketcham) 
Stowell, the former born in Connecticut in 1792, 
took up 150 acres of land in Virgil in i8io, and 
afterward bought 150 more, was drafted, served 
in the war of 181 2, and drew a pension, died in 
1882, the latter born in 1799 and died in 1876; 
children six. Lucius Stowell took up 300 acres 
of land in Virgil in 1810 at $1.75 per acre. His 
parents emigrated with a yoke of cattle, a heavy 
wagon and one lumber wagon. John still lives 
on the homestead where he was born. 

Shults, David, p. o. Virgil, farmer and stock 
grower, born in Montgomery county in 1817; 
wife, Mary E. Reese, born in Montgomery county 
in 1829, married in 1848; children four: Jacob 
R., born in 1852, James H. in 1854, Wilber F. 
in 1861, and Katie E. in 1866. James H. is a 
professor, graduating from Syracuse University 
in 1876, married Grace Hubbell, of Rochester, 
in 1876; children two: Elbert and Clarence. 
Parents, George and Elizabeth Shults, of Mont- 
gomery county, N. Y. 

Teri)enning, Eddie D., p. o. Virgil, born in 
Lapeer in 1849 ; wife, Jessie C. Chubbj daughter 



540 



History of Cortland County. 



of Abraham and Mary E. Chubb, born in 1852, 
married in 1877; one adopted child, Alta, born 
in October, 1878, adopted February 19th, 1884. 
Parents, VViHiam and Clarissa (Ballou) Terpen- 
ning, born in Virgil, married in 1845; children 
three: Emma D., Eddie D. and Evaline. 
Grandparents, Marenus and Peggy Terpenning, 
who settled in ^'irgil in 181 5; children nine, 
six now living. 

Trap]), Fred L., p. o. McLean, farmer, Ijorn in 
Virgil in i860. Parents, David R. and Nancy 
A. (Bush) Trapp, the former born in 18 15 and 
died in 1878, the latter born in 1S26; children 
seven, five now living : William J., George H., 
Frank E., Harrison 1). and Fred L. Grand- 
parents, William and Catharine Trapp, early 
settlers of Cortland county. 

Trapp, William J., p. o. McLean, farmer, born 
in Tomjjkins county in 1848; wife, Eliza Mc- 
Elheney, daughter of Marshall and Catharine 
(Bush) McElheney, born in 1848, married in 
1872; children two: Leroy D. and .Anna A. 
Parents, David and Nancy A. (Bush) Trapp, the 
former born in 1815, died in 1878, tlie latter 
born in 1S26; children seven, five now living. 

Tripp, Dr. John D., p. o. Virgil, ])hysician 
and surgeon, born in Dryden in 1843, was super- 
visor one term ; wife, Josephine E. Lamb, 
daughter of Alfred and Elizabeth (Merrill) 
Lamb, born in Skaneateles, Onondaga county, 
married in 1870. Parents, George W. and Caro- 
line (Brown) Tripp. Dr. John D. Tripp was 
graduated in 1865, began the practice of medi- 
cine in Virgil in 1865, where he has a very e.x- 
tended practice. 

Veeder, Cornelius, yj. o. Virgil, owns 231 
acres, and dairy, born in Montgomery county in 
1824, settled in county in 1828, has held several 
offices; wife, Laura Jane Joiner, daughter of 
John and Polly (Baker) Joiner, born in 1835, 
married in 1854; children three: Cora, Ada 
and Hattie. Parents, Adam and Hibert (Bradt) 
Veeder, who came to Virgil in 1828, the latter 
died in 1863, the former is still living, aged 92; 
children eleven. 

West, Punderson, p. o. Virgil, miller, born in 
Tompkins county in 1816, settled in county in 
1817 ; wife, Jane Tyler, born in Dryden in 1828, 
married in 1855. Parents, Erastus and Abigail 



Tarbox, natives of Connecticut, who settled in 
Virgil in 1817, the former died in 1855, aged 78, 
the latter died in 1862; children five. Mr. P. 
West i)urchased his present mill in 1875, it has 
two run of stone and fed by Spring Brook creek, it 
was formerly used as a carding and cloth dress- 
ing mill. 

Wood, M. R., p. o. Cortland, born in Virgil 
in 1832; wife, Martha B. Calvert, daughter of 
John and Samantha (Goodale) Calvert, born in 
1833, married in 1858; one child, F. Adelle, 
born in 1S60, married N. F. Webb in 1884. 
Parents, Jonas and Catharine (Cornwell) Wood, 
who settled in Virgil in 1818, the former died in 
1881, aged 82, the latter died in 1856. 

Wood, Warren .\., ji. o. Virgil, mason and 
farmer, born in X'irgil in 1S23 ; wife, .\seneth 
Griswold, born in Dryden in 1821, married in 
1845, died in 1863; children four: Mary E., 
Sarah M., Frank C. and Hattie L. Parents, 
C)rrin and Sally (Morse) Wood, who settled in 
Virgil in 1822. 



WILLET. 

Babcock, .Vndrew M., ]). o. Willet, farmer, 
born in Otsego county in 1815, settled in county 
in 1835 ; wife, Mary Ann Jones, daughter of 
Enoch and Wealthy (Williams) Jones, born in 
Schoharie county in 1830, married in 1853; one 
child, Elvin A., born Oct. 17th, 1865. Parents, 
Jonathan and Sarah (Johnson) Babcock, who 
came to county in 1835 with seven children, of 
which but two, Andrew M. and Marvin, survive. 

Babcock, Marvin, p. o. Willet, farmer, born in 
Otsego county in 1821, settled in county in 1835, 
has lieen collector three years, assessor six years, 
and held several other offices ; wife, Eliza Jane 
Jones, daughter of Enoch and Wealthy (Williams) 
Jones, born in Chenango county in 1834, mar- 
ried in 1855; one child, Adelbert S., born in 
1863. I'arents, Jonathan and -Sarah (Johnson) 
Babcock, the former born in Stephentown, N. 
Y., Nov. 2oth, 1788, and died Sept. isth, 1856, 
the latter born July 24th, F788, and died in 
1844. 

Bliss, Calvin J., p. o. Willet, farmer and retired 
teacher, born in Preston, Chenango county, in 
1822, settled in county in 1846, has been justice 
of the [jeace nine years and teacher eleven years ; 



Brief Personals. 



541 



wife, Betsey A. Landers, daughter of Charles 
and Lucinda (Shc|)aril) Landers, who came to 
county in 1846, married in 1850; children two: 
Charles Emery and Cora L. ; Charles married 
Florence Sherwood in 1874. Parents, Solomon 
and Anna (Packer) Bliss, the former of Massa- 
chusetts, who died in 1861, aged 75, the latter 
in 1866, aged 80. 

Brigham, Archibald, p. o. Upper Lisle, farmer 
and stock dealer, born in Willet in 1825 and 
died in 1865 ; wife, Esther Ann Rooks, daughter 
of Willard and Polly (Crittenden) Rooks, born 
in Cortland county in 1828, married in 1854; 
children two: Hiram L., born in 1855, and 
Hattie L., born in 1857. Parents, Orleans and 
Mercy (Stafford) Brigham, natives of Rhode 
Island, who settled in county in 1812; children 
eleven, five now living. 

Covey, Edward W., p. o. Willet, farmer and 
tanner, born in Otsego county in 1805, settled 
in county in 1838; wife, Mercy Bradley, daugh- 
ter of Zachariah Bradley, of Connecticut, born 
in 1813, married in 1829 ; children five : Loron 
B., born in 1832, Edward W. in 1835, Charles 
H. in 1838, Lydia, in 1841, and George W. in 
1851. Parents, William and Esther (Yarns) 
Covey, born in Duchess county, and were among 
the early settlers of Otsego county. 

Dyer, Samuel C, p. o. Willet, merchant, vocal 
and instrumental music teacher, has been assessor 
four years, town clerk several years, and super- 
visor in 1875; wife, Ervilla J. Smith, born in 
Willet in 1841, married in 1862. Parents, John 
S. and Harriet (Shaw) Dyer, the former was first 
merchant in Willet, served as justice of the peace 
for many years, and died in 1873. Grandpar- 
ents, Samuel and Lydia (Jones) Dyer, the former 
born in Stonington, Conn., in 1777, the latter in 
Rhode Island, married in 1799, and settled in 
Willet in 1816; children six, the former died in 
1842, the latter in 1862. 

Eaton, John C, p. o. Willet, farmer, born in 
Willet in 1827; wife, Melvina Wilson, daughter 
of Henry and Sally (Livermore) Wilson, born in 
Willet in 1830, married in 1846; children three : 
Florence R., Rollen S. and Alphonzo D. ; F'lor- 
ence married Wm. R. Burgel in 1874; children 
five. Rollen married Ardell J. .-Me.vander in 
1873; children two. .\lphonzo married Ella 



A. Maine in 1879; children two. Parents, 
Peter and Polly (Van Sice) Eaton, natives of 
Cherry Valley, who settled in Willet in 1815, the 
former held many town offices and died in 1881, 
the latter died in 1844; children seven. 

Eaton, Peter, p. o. Willet, bom in Willet in 
1822, farmer, owns 500 acres; wife, Harriet 
Greene, born in Willet in 1818, married in 1849; 
children four : Hattie R., who married Rev. 
Adelfred J. Brown, of Syracuse, Elfie L., who 
married John D. Coe, of Willet, Coriell G., who 
married Ida B. Olmstead, of Triangle, and Elbert 
P., who is unmarried. Parents, Peter and Polly 
(Van Sice) Eaton, natives of Otsego county. 

Eaton, Ulysses, p. o. Willet, farmer, born in 
Willet in 1818, served many years as commis- 
sioned officer in the old military company ; first 
wife. Marsh M. Hazzard, born in 18 18, married 
in 1839, died in 1864, leaving four children ; 
second wife, Sarah Augusta Dutton, born in 
Afton in 1824, married in 1865. Parents, Peter 
and Polly (Van Sice) Eaton. 

Forshee, Walter, p. o. Willet, dealer in hard- 
ware, stoves, tin, household furnishing goods 
and farm implements, born in Cortlandville in 
1838 ; wife, Eliza Leach, daughter of Christo- 
pher and Lucetta Leach, born in 1848, married 
in 1879; children two: Isaac C. and John Ir- 
ving. Parents, Isaac and Elizabeth (Newman) 
Forshee, natives of Orange county, who settled 
in Cortland in 1833, the latter died in 1872, 
leaving three children : Cornelius, Augusta and 
Walter, who caiYie to Willet in 1876. 

Gardiner, Ishmael E., p. o. Willet, farmer and 
dairyman, born in Columbus, Madison county, 
in 1832, settled in county in 1839; ^^''^'^i Lizania 
Eaton, daughter of Abel and Elvira Eaton, born 
in Willet in 1840, married in 1856; children 
six: Arthur E., Minnie E., Ernest, Jennie .•\., 
Alice M., and Lewellyn. Arthur married Belle 
Morey in 1878, Minnie married W. H. Jones in 
1878. 

Greene, 15urrill, p. o. Willet, farmer and stock 
grower, owns 36.0 acres, born in Willet in 1820, 
has been supervisor one term, justice of the peace 
four terms, and held other district offices ; first 
wife, Rosilla Babcock, born in Otsego county 
in 18 17, married in 1855, died in i860 ; children 
three: Leetta R., B. Jefferson and Harriet R. ; 



542 



History of Cortland County. 



second wife, Phebe E. Greene, born in North 
-Scituate, R. I., in 1828, married in 1867. Par- 
ents, Benjamin T. and Hettie (Wilson) Greene, 
who were among the very first settlers of the 
county. 

Greene, Henry O.. p. o. Willet, carpenter and 
builder, born in Willet April 17th, 1824; wife, 
Lovantia Tennant, seventh daughter of Robert 
and Polly (Eaton) Tennant, born in Willet 
October 26th, 1828, married in 1846; Robert 
Adelbert, only child of Henry and Lovantia 
Greene, born December 19th, 1849, married 
Ella F. Ferris, December 4th, 1869; one child, 
Clara A., daughter of Robert and Ella F., 
born June i6th, 187 1. Parents, Joseph and 
Permelia (Wilson) Greene, the former from 
Rhode Island and the latter of Willet, the 
former held many town offices, and died April 
25th, 1882, leaving eight children. 

Greene, Wilson, p. o. Willet, farmer and 
stock grower, owns 400 acres, born in Willet in 
1828, was supervisor eight terms, justice of the 
peace one term, and school su]ierintendent one 
term ; wife, Rhoda Wiles, daughter of Henry 
and Julia A. (Moore) Wiles, born in Willet in 
183 1, married in 1865 ; children three : G. Mau- 
rice, Belle and Alice B. Parents, Benjamin T. 
and Hettie (Wilson) Greene. Grandparents, 
William and Mary Greene, who settled in county 
with four sons and one daughter in 1808. 

Jones, Asiel, p. o. Upper Lisle, farmer and 
stock dealer, born in Schoharie county in 1831, 
settled in county in 1 843 ; wife, Deliah Salisbury, 
adopted daughter of Ebenezer Salisbur)', of 
Rhode Island, born in 1836, married in 1862 ; 
one adopted daughter, Luella M. Jones. Par- 
ents, Enoch and Wealthy (William) Jones, who 
settled in Willet in 1843, t^'^^ former died in 1875, 
the latter in 1877, leaving ten children, eight 
now living. 

Landers, Charles, p. o. Upper Lisle, retired 
farmer, born in Afton, Chenango county, in 
1796, moved to Broome county in 1802 and 
Cortland county in 1836, has been assessor sev- 
eral terms and held other offices ; wife, Lucinda 
Shepherd, daughter of Timothy Shepherd, born 
in Triangle in 1805, married in 1824, died in 
1879, leaving three children : Garry S., Betsey A. 
and Marcellus. Parents, John and Charlotte 



(Patterson) Landers, the former bom in Massa- 
chusetts in 177 1 and died in Broome county in 
181 3, the latter of Litchfield county. Conn., died 
in 1855, aged 85. 

McVean, Charles P., p. o. Willet, merchant 
and postmaster, bom in Solon in 1833, has been 
associate judge, justice of the peace and post- 
master since 1874 ; wife, Phebe Bailey, daughter 
of Col. Wm. B. Bailey, born in New York city 
in 1838, married in i860. Parents, Peter and 
Charity (Snider) McVean, the former bom in 
Johnstown, N. Y., began the mercantile trade at 
Texas Valley, with his son as partner, in 1868. 

Mooney, Austin, p. o. Willet, farmer, born in 
Willet in 1845 ; wife, Eliza A. Coles, born in 
Chenango county in 1849, daughter of William 
and Eliza (Geer) Coles, who settled in Willet in 
185 1, married in 1869; one child, Lewis R. 
Parents, Lewis and Eliza (Adams) Mooney, 
natives of Willet. 

Mooney, Frederick, p. o. Willet, farmer and 
stock grower, bom in Willet in 1837 ; wife, 
Dorcas, daughter of Henry and Julia A. (Moore) 
Wiles, married in 1869. Parents, Lewis and 
Eliza (Adams) Mooney. 

Mooney, Lewis (deceased), born in Putnam 
county, October 21st, 1807, and died in January, 
1878, was supervisor, assessor and highway com- 
missioner ; wife, Eliza Adams, daughter of Steph- 
en and Abby Jane (Steadwell) Adams, born in 
Duchess county in 1809. married Dec 26th, 1832; 
children five, four living : Frederick, born in 1837, 
Stephen A., bom in 1839, Susan, born in 1842, 
and Austin, born in 1845. Stephen now resides 
in Missouri. His daughter, Eliza Jane Mooney, 
was bom January 13th, 1835, married Dr. H. 
C. Hendrick, October 12th, 1854, died in Mc- 
Grawville, June 12th, 1858. 

Morey, Leeman B., p. o. Willet, farmer and 
dairy, born in Duchess county in 1816, settled 
in county in 1852, has been assessor three 
terms ; first wife, Judah M. Bailey, married in 
1838, died in 1854; second wife, Polly L. 
Greene, born in Willet in 1819, married in 
1856; children two: Isabella and Marell, the 
former married Arthur Gardner in 1878; chil- 
dren two : Earl and Loie M. Parents, Stephen 
and Susan (Weller) Morey, natives of Duchess 
county. 



Brief Personals. 



543 



Newcomb, Curtis S., p. o. Willet, farmer and 
stock dealer, born in Willet in 1843 ; wife, Pluma 
Mathews, of Bradford county, Penn., bom in 
1845, married in 1867, died in 1883; children 
three : Minnie Bell, Samuel G. and Phebe May. 
Parents, Samuel and Emma (Tyler) Newcomb, 
natives of Pennsylvania, who came to Willet 
in 1840, the former died in 1883, aged 77 
years, the latter died in 1864, leaving twelve 
children. 

Smith, Frank, p. o. Willet, proprietor and 
owner of American Hotel at Willet, born in 
German, Chenango county, in 1848, Settled in 
count)- in 1879; wife, De Etta Leach, daughter 
of Christopher and Lucetta Leach, born in 



Marathon in 1854, married in 1873; children 
two: Christopher J. H.,and Mary Ann Lucetta- 
Frank Smith purchased the hotel in 1879, which 
was built by John S. Dyer over fifty years ago, 
and has made many changes and extensive re- 
pairs to the same. 

Tennant, Elijah, p. o. Willet, farmer, owns 
200 acres, bom in Willet in 1831 ; wife, Lucy 
Fuller, bom in Triangle, Broome county, in 
1832, married in 1852; children two: Augustus 
O., bom in 1853, and Elva M., bora in 1862. 
Parents, Robert and Mary (Eaton) Tennant, 
the former of Connecticut, bom in 1782, settled 
in Willet in 181 7, died in 1844, the latter bora 
in 1788 and died in 1882 ; children twelve. 



INDEX. 



Active war against the Iroquois by the French, 39. 

Adams. C. C, 361. 

Adams, Ed. L., 130, 364. * 

Adams, John J.. 81. 

Adams. Lyman, 361. 

Adams, S.. 178. 

Advertisements in early newspapers. 66-7. 

Agricultural .Society. 74. 

Agricultural Society, the second, 81. 

Allen. William B..'8l. 

Andrews, Elnathan, 74. 

.'\ndre\vs, William, 81. 

An Indian "Summer Resort," 47. 

Attack on Schenectady by the French, 40. 

Habcock, Peleg, 60, 405. 

Babcock, Gideon, 81. 

Babcock, Solomon, 406. 

Baker. Elnathan. 59. 

Ball. L. C. 361. 

Ball, Wait, 70. 

Ballard, Augustus L., 142. 

Ballard, Horatio, 81, 94, 141. 

Ballard. Hooker. 178. 

Ballartl lamilv, the. 188. 

Baldwin. C. F. & Co., 308. 

Ballard. S. M.. 306. 

Ballard, Joshua, 94, 259. 

Barber, John S., 145. 

Barber. George. 94. 

Barber. Jedediah, 77, 81. 

Barney, Dr. .-Mien, 153. 

Barnes, Dr. Eleazer H., 169. 

Bartlit, William, 80, 81. 

Bateson, P. H., 125. 

Bassett. Joshua. 259. 

Beebe, Joseph, 57. 

Beebe, Orellana. 61. 

Beebe. Roderick, 59. 

Benjamin. Frank ^I.. t46. 

Bench and Bar of Cortland county, ihe. 133. 

■Benedict. Byron A., T46. 

Benedict, A. H., 132. 

Benton, H. F., 182, 297. 

Benjamin, S. M., 298. 

Benjamin, Alvah, 80. 

Bingham, Johnson, 59. 

Bierce, Stanley. 149. 

Birdseye, Victory, 136. 



Biographies, 445. 

Bl.ick salts. 65. 

Blanchard. Dr. Ajariah, 169. 

lilanchard, Silas, 1 1 8, 453-5. 

Blair, Samuel, 263. 

]51air, Sylvester, 262. 

Blashfield, H. W., 180. 

Blodgett, Alonzo D., 181, 473 -5. 

Blotlgett, Nathan, 66, 241, 244. 258. 

Bloomer, Lsaac. 324. 

Blowers. C. N., 305. 

Boies, Dr. Levi. 157. 

Boies, Obadiah, 79, 260. 

15oating on the Tioughnioga. 66. 

Bourne. Roswell K., 142. 178. 

Boundaries of county, 9. 

Bourne. R. W., 178. 

Bouton, Lewis, 146. 

Bouton, Nathan, 323. 

Bouton, Nathaniel. 323. 335. 

Bouton, Enos, 322. 

Bouton. Sanford. 80. 

Bounties on wolves, 75. 

Boynton. Fitz. 178. 

Bradford, Dr. George W., 163 to 166. 

Bradford. Daniel, 303. 

Bradford, G. W., 303. -— 

Brant, 42, 44. 

Brant ascends the Susquehanna, 42. 

Brayton, Thomas F., 298. 

Brewer, E. H., 297, 306. 

Brewer, Henry. 81. 

Brink, Abram, 349. 

lirooks. Charles A., 130. 

Bronson. Dr. Hor.ice. 147, 168. 

Brown, C. F., 304. 

Brown. Benjamin. 58. 

Buell. Clayton H.. 130. 

Bunn, William O., 121. 

Burlingame, Miles E., 147. 

Burdick. Dr. I'hinras H., 166. 

Burdick. William F.. 178-9. 

Burgess, Lewis. 180. 

Calvert, John. 322. 

Campbell, B. S. & D., 122. 

Canal from Syracuse to Port Walson. 78. 

Canada, establishment of French colony. 38. 

Carley, Alanson, 81, 358. 

IS 



546 



History of Cortland County. 



Carley. E. C. 361. 
Carmicliael, J. C, 107. 
Carpenter, F. I).. 178. 
Ceitlral Riforiiwr, the, 132. 
Celebr.iled law-suit, a, 137. 
Chaplin. Joseph, 58, 60, 319. 
Chanipliii, Kiley, 146. 
Chapin, Hiram, 413, 
Chatterton, James, 74. 
Civil list of eoiinly, 90-92, 
Cincinnatus, 58. 

formation and boundaries, 368. 

natural features, 368. 

early settlements, 368 to 371. 

Cincinnatus villajre, 371. 

mercantile interests, 372. 

manufactures, 372, 

churches, 373, 

scliools, 373. 

newspaper, 374. 

Lower Cincinnatus, 374-5. 

the town in the rebellion, 375. 

town officers, 376. 
Claims of riv.il powers, 35-6. 
Clark, William H., 127. 2S4, 
Cleary, M. F., 181. 
Clerk's office, first, 74. 
Clearing lands, 65. 
Climate of the county, 12, 
Clinton, Ue Witt, 76. 
Cole, C. v., 125, 129. 
Collins, Charles, 182, 309. 
Colonists of New York and the fur trade, 39. 
Cole, .Azor Lerov, 486-7. 
Conable, ^L^rtin, iSi. 
Conger, Harmon S., I 24. 
Conger, B. S., 181. 

Contested claims to military lands, 52. 
Comstock, Cephas, 81. 

Commission to adjust claims of Iroquois, 44. 
Copeland, Charles, 181. 
Copeland, W. S.. 179, 310. 
Cortland Co. with reference to Indian occupation, 26. 

county press, 1 19. 

Standard, the, 122, 127. 

County Kepiihlican, the. 121. 

County W'liig. the. 121, 124. 

Gazette, the. 125. 

journal, the. 123. 
Weekly Journal. \.\\k. 126. 

Xe^us. the, 130, 

County Democrat, the, 129. 

Standard and Journal, the, 126. 

Co. Medical Society, organization of, 150. 

County Farmers' Club, the, 181. 
organization of. 181. 
first officers, 181. 
permanent members, 181. 

County liible Society, the, 182. 

Anierhan, the, 87, 125. 

Academy, the, 83. 

village, triumph ol", 74. 

county, pioneers of, 56. 

county, formation of, 54, 

county's escape from border wars, 47. 

county, genealogy of, 48. 

Courier, the, 66, 119. 

Republican, the, 66, 



Cortlandville, 59. 

formation of. 79. 

history of, 236. 

formation of the town, 236. 

boundaries, 236. 

soil and drainage, 237, 

early settlements, 237 to 247, 

early land sales, 241. 

church organization, 243. 

an old militia roster. 245. 

town organization, 249. 

first officers, 249. 

Tioughnioga navigation, 250. 

effects of the first railroad, 251. 

supervisors and town clerks, 252. 

in the rebellion, 253, 

Cortland village, 255. 

earlv business interests, 256. 

early amusements. 264. 

village library. 265. 

incorporation, 265. 

first village meeting, 266. 

gas company, 267. 

list of presidents, 269. 

church history, 269. 

schools. 275. 

normal school, 276. 

postal ser\ice. 284. 

the dental profession, 286. 

water company, 286. 

gas company. 288. 

fire department, 289. 

manufacturing interests, 291. 

mercantile interests, 299. 

banks. 299. 

McGrawville, 311 to 317. 

South Cortland, 317. 

Blodgett's .Mills, 318. 
Corey. H. D.. 314- 

Courcclles's e.spedition against the Mokawks, 38. 
Count Frontenac's expedition against the Mohawks, 

40. 
Count F'rontenac s expedition against the Onon- 

dagas, 40, 
Courts, terms of 78. 
Court House, location 67. 

description of, 68. 

site for, 67. 

strife for location of, 67. 

contract for building, 68-9. 
Courts established at formation of county, 55. 
Council of Appointment. 77. 
Courtney. J. it T. E., 149. 
Courier, the Cortland, description of, 120, 
County societies, etc., 180. 
County Agricultural Society, the, iSo. 

organization of. 180. 

first officers, 180. 

list of presidents. 180-1. 
County clerk's office, the, 183. 
Coye, David, 94. 
Crandall. Hiram. 88. 118. 143. 
Crandall. L. S., 129. 
Cravath, Orrin, 132. 
Cravalh, James, 59. 
Crane, W. H., 178. 
Crittenden, Ebenezer, 59. 
Crosley, E, P„ 149. 



Index. 



547 



Crouch, H. G., 82, 123. 
Cuyler. Glen. 136. 
Cuyler, formation of the town. 387. 
natural characteristics, 387. 
early settlements, 387-9. 
early mills, 390. 
in the rebellion. 392. 
first town officers, 392. 
supervisors and town clerks, 392, 
|)resent town officers, 393. 
village, 393. 

mercantile interests, 394. 
churches, 394. 
Dailey, W. N. P., 182. 
Dairvins interest, the, S3. 
Dana, H. T., 170, 178. 
Dayton, Nathan, 140. 
Day, A. H., 1 30- 
Day. Jeremiah, 94. 
De.ath penalty, the first, S6. 
Democrat, the, 81, 125. 129. 
Destruction of the Iroquois League, 44. 
Dellow, Fred S., 180. 
Dexter, L., 311. 
Dibble, Horace, 178, 296. 
Dickinson & McGraw, 308. 
Dickinson. Eli, 94. 
Dickson, Andrew, 17, 81. 
Dixon, Joseph R., 121. 
Donnellv. -Xugustus A.. 78, 80. 
Doubletiay. Gen. Abner, 102. 
Doud. Truman, 260. 
Doud. E. H.. 304. 
Dougherty. James. 150. 
Drainage of the countv, 10. 
Duell. R. Holland. 88, 144. 
Early peace treaties, 37. 
ICarly newspapers, 119. 
Early American courts, 133. 
Early advertisements, 120. 
Early religious meetings, 62. 
Early schools. 63. 
Early roads, 60, 61. 
E.arly productions, 65. 
Early dwellings of pioneers. 64. 
ICarly land frauds. 52. 
Early civil divisions of territory. 47. 
Edgeconib. A. W., 306. 
Edgecomb. E. W., 67, 258. 
Edgecomb, Is.iac, 306. 
Edgecomb, Martin, 306. 
Edwards, Jonathan, 323. 
Eels. Tercius, 81. 
Effects of the railroad, 85-6. 
Eggleston, J. E., 147. 
Elder, William, 257, 
Eldreilge, Dr. Lyman, 169. 
Eq.di/ed valu.ition. 18, 20, 75. 
Encounter between A. J. Mc.Nett and N. W. Green, 

96. 
Erie canal, the, 76. 

opening of, 77. 
European discoveries, 35 to 46. 
Extent of county, 9. 
Expedition of Cal. Van Schaick, 43. 
Fancher, E. P., 131. 
Fancher, E. P. h ]. R., 3'3- 
Fancher, J. R., I3>- 



Farmers' Journal, the, 66, i2o. 

Fenton, Eneas, 131. 

Fifth Great Western Turnpike Company, 70. 

First newspaper in Cortland village, 71. 

First birth in Cortland county, 63. 

First religious society nf Homer, 62. 

First settlers in different towns, 58. 

First settlers in the county, 57. 

First officers of the county, 56. 

Fish, E. A., 304. 

Fitzgerald, L. J., 181, 292. 

Florida, discovery of, 35. 

Forbes, O. F.. 118. 

Ford, A. M., 126. 

Formation of Cortland county, 54. 

Foster, Ch.irles, 143. 

Fourth of July, 1815, 71. 

Frank, John Kl., 320. 

Frank, Monroe, 286. 

Freer, John A., 243. 296. 

Freer. Anthony, 80, 81. 

Freer. S. D., 296. 

Freer, J, De Puy, 81. 94. 

Freer family, the, 482-6. 
Free Soil movement, the, 125. 

Freetown, 59. 

formation of town. 417. 
natural features. 417. 
early settlements. 417. 
in the rebellion. 420. 
Freetown Corners. 421. 
churches, 421-22, 
town officers, 422. 

French settlement, .advance of, 35. 

Fur trade, the, 37. 

French trading posts, 38. 

Gage, Charles W., 181, 457-9- 

Gates, Isaac A., 81. 

Garrison. L. D., 182, 309. 

Gates, A. W.. 80, 455"?- 

Gastile ami lUiitner. the, 26. 

Geere, Luther, 74. 

Geologv of the county, 11, 12. 

Gill, John, 59. 

Gillett, C. H., 178. 

Gillett. Lerov, 181. 

Gilbert. W. B., 84. 

Gillett, Grove, 74- 

Gillett, John, 81. 

Gleason, Henry L., 149- 

Gleason, Levi R., 286. 

Glover, Oliver, 81. 

Goddard, Solomon, 117. 

Goodell, R. A., 178. 

Goodrich, Hon. Milo, 143. 

Goodrich, H. P.. 181. 

Goodyear. Fr.inklin, 178. 

Goodyear, Dr. Miles, 157 to 160. 

Gott. Daniel, 139. 

Gould, E. G.. 1 82. 

Gould, Edwin F., 87. 125. 

Gray, J. C, 308. 

Gray, Peter, 60. 
Graves, Asher, 311. 
Graves, John Henry, 131. 
Graves. Lester, 313. 
Graves, R. H., 312. 
Graves, Reuben, 311. 



548 



History of Cortland County. 



Green, Dr. Caleb, 1 50, 487-9. 

Green, Nelson W., 95. 

(ireene. Will ()., 131, 374. 

Grcenman, C. 1)., 313. 

Grimn, B. II., 178, 

Grisl-mills, 61. 

Gulf of St. Lawrence, discover)' of, 35. 

Haight, Seth, 124. 

Harford, formation of town, 433. 

natural rliaracteristics, 433. 

early settlcnient.s, 433-35. 

in the rebellion, 436. 
Harford village, 437. 

business interests, 437-8. 

churi'lies. 43cS. 

Harford Mills. 439. 

l)usiness interests, 440. 
Harmon, Al\,ih, 80. 
Harrington, K. N., 309. 
Harrington, H. J., 178. 
Harris. Judge Ira, 139. 
Hart. Josiali. jr.. 178. 
Match. Fred, 149. 
Hathaway, Gen. .S. G., 74. 79, 80, 81. 413-14. 419, 

489 to 498. 
Haves, Lewis .S., 297. 
Helidrick. Dr. H. C. 172. 
Hibbard, F. IL. 181. 
Hibbard, Joel H., 8t. 
Highest point in the county. 10. 
Hill James. 372. 
Hitchcock, S. G.. 126. 
Hitchcock, Dwight H., 181. 
Hitchcock, Coleman, 217. 
Hitchcock. Caleb Bardano. 293, 472-3. 
Hobart, Manley. 181. 500-2. 
Hollenbeck. Lucius I'., 147. 
Hollister, H. T., 178. 
Homer, 57. 

boundaries, 183. 

natural characteristics, 184. 

early settlements, 184. 

early dwellings, 185. 

Mrs. Beebe's trial, 186. 

new version of her story, 186-7. 

later settlers, 188 to 197. 

organization of the town, 198. 

list of supervisors and town clerks, 199. 

in the rebellion, 200. 

Homer village, 203. 

early hotels, 204. 

early distilleries, 205. 

early buildings, 206. 

mercantile and manufacturing interests, 
207 to 216. 

incorporation, 216. 

oflficers of. 217. 

post-oltice, 218. 

hotels, 218. 

newspapers, 219. 

schools, 219. 

churches. 221 to 230. 

Little York. 231. 

East Homer, 232. 

East River, 235. 
Homer F.agle, the, 123. 124. 
Homer Rcpuhliiaii, the, 126. 
Homer Herald, the, 126. 



Homer village incorporated, 79. 

Homer & Elbridge Turnpike Company. 70. 

Homer it Cayuga Turnpike Company, 70. 

Homer ct Geneva Turnpike Company, 70. 

Homer, division of town, 79. 

Holmes, Wilber, 372. 

Hoose, James Harmon. 130. 181. 2S0, 477-82. 

Hooker. Weslev, 126. 

Hopkins, \\. L.', 80. 

Hopkins, Moses, 59. 66, 77. 

Hotchkiss. Samuel, 77, 139. 

House, John, 58. — ■ 

Hubbard. Jonathan. 59. 62, 66. 

Hudson River, discovery of, 35. 

Hughes, Dr. J. W., 173. 

Hulliert. George A., 195. 

Hulbert, J. & G. A., 360. 

Hulbert. E. M., 307. 

Hull, G. \V., 286. 

Hunt, S. .\L, 345. 350. 

Hunt. Dr. Japheth, 58, 347. 

Hunter, S. R., 17S. 

Hvde. Dr. Frederick. 81. 498-9. 

Hy.itt. F. O.. 286. 

Huntington, William A., 131. 

Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 179. 

Tioughnioga Lodge No. 263, 179. 

Homer Lodge No. 280, 179. 

N^^arathon Lodge No. 415, 179. 
Indi.ins at the beginning of the Revolution, 28 
Indian history, 13-34. 
Indians, habitations, 30. 

dress, 29. 

marriages, 31. 

amusements, 31. 

objects of worship, 32. 

festivals, 32-3. 

burials. 33-4. 

hospitality. 34. 

social habits. 29. 
Indian hi.story, sources of, 13. 
Indians, origin of, 13. 
Indian relations in Central New York, 26. 
Indian war. close of, 42. 

Indian title to military tract extinguished, 5t. 
Indian missions, 44-6. 
Indian and Tory atrocities. 43. 
Ingalls. Samuel, 67. 
Ingalls, C. E., 178. 
Iroquois Confederacy, the, 14. 15. 

tradition as to origin of, 15-17. 

characteristics of, 18 to 21. 

military status, 23. 

causes of downfall, 25. 

Indians, 14 to 34. 

superiority of, 24. 
Ithaca & Cortland Railroad Co.. 89. 
Jail, action of supervisors relative to, 72-3. 

increased accommodations, 88. 

the first, 72. 
Jarvis, Horace A., 2S5. 
Jewett, Dr. H. O.. 169, 181. 
Johnson, Guy, 42. 
4-4ohnson, John, 42, 44. 
Johnson, Sir William, 42. 
Jones. Elder S. G., 59. 
Jones, George B., 88, 144. 
Jones, C. A., 312. 



Index. 



549 



Jones, Benton B., 129, 130. 

Joyner, D. V., 131. 

Justice's Courts and Courts of Special Sessions, 135. 

Keator, E. M., 178. 

Keep. Chauncy, 93, 

Keep, John, 61, 68, 80. 

Kelky. Wallace. 130. 

Kellogg, Hon. O. U., 146. 

Kellogg, H. M., 307. ,^ /.;, , . ^ 

Kenney, Amos L., 144. ' /,. 

Kenney, Hosea, 379. 

Kenney. James, 379. 

Kinne, C. \V., 292. 

Kinney. C. L., 178. 

Kinney, F. G., 126, 130, 180. 

Kinney, Darius, 58, 188. 

Kinney, Charles I... 312. 

Kingman, Dr., 181. 

Kingman, John, 58, 70, 369. 

Kingman, H. M. k J., 372. 

Kingsbury. A, \Y,, 178. 

Kingsbury, Charles. 184. 

Kingsley, Lewis. i.fi. 

Knapp, Dr. John H.. 173. 

Knapp, Stephen, 94. 

KneelancI, Hon. A. Judson. 147. 

Knight. Arthur L.. 148. 

Knight. Fred E., 89. 

Know Nothing party, 87. 

Kno.x, .S. S.. 178. 

Kohler, C. A.. 129. 

Lakes of the county. 1 1. 

Lament. J, H.. 312. 

Lament. D. S., 312. 

Lansing. E. .M., 130. 

Lapeer, formation of the town. 441. 

natural characteristics. 441. 

early settlements, 441-44. 

churches. 444. 

in the rebellion. 444-5. 

supervisors and clerks, 445. 

present officers. 445. 
Leach. James S., Si, 
Lee, Roswell, 94. 
Legend of the Tioughnioga, 28-9. 
Leni Lenape Indians, the, 26, 

traditionary origin of, 26-7. 
Livingston, James, 362. 
Location of county, 9. 
Log houses, building of, 64. 
Logging " bees," 65, 
Loring T. Mason, 181. 
Liberty Herald, the, 132. 
List of battles of 76th regiment, 106. 
Little, Ira L., 145. 
Livermore, William H., 126. 
Lucas. William. 74. 
Lyman, Asahel, 72. 
Lyndes, William P., 81. 
Lynde, John, 78, 157. 
Lyons, J. E., 131. 
Mack & Husted, 361. 
Mager George J., 304. 
Mahan, A., 305. 
Mallory, William, 74, 258. 
Mallery, Patrick, 118, 350. 
Mantayne, William J., 146. 
Marathon Itutepentient, the, 130 



Afarrtt/ion Mirror, the, 130, 
Marat lion Xe'iUS, the, 130. 
Marathon, 88. 

formation of the town, 345. 

natural features, 345. 

early selllcment.s, 386. 

Thurlow Weed's rrniiniscencc. 352. 

first town meeting. 358. 

list of supenisors and rlrrks. 358. 

in the rebellion. 359. 

Mar.ithon village. 359. 

mercantile interests, 361. 

manufacturing interests, 362-3. 

attorneys. 363. 

newspapers. 364. 

schools. 364. 

churches. 365. 

village incorporation. 367. 
Massachusetts ten townships. 82. 
Massacres of Wyoming and Cherr)- Valley, 43. 
M.isonic Order, the. 177. 

first lodge in the county, 177. 

Hesper Lodge 237, 177. 

Truxton Lodge 333, 177. 

Cortland Lodge 371, 177. 

Lafayette Lodge 409, 177. 

Western Union Lodge 417. 177. 

Cortlandville Lodge 470. 178. 

Cortlandville Lodge, charter members. 178. 

Homer Lodge. 352, 178. 

Royal Arch Masonr\-, 178. 

Royal Arch Masonry, Center Mark Lodge 
50, 178. 

Cortland Chapter 194. 178. 

Knights Templar — Cortland Commandery 
50, 179- 
Matthews. J. D.. 94. 
Matthews. David, 58, 81. 
Maybury, M. M.. 304. 
May, Eleazer, 94. 
McFarlan. John. 306. 
McGraiinnlle Sentinel, the. 131. 
McGrawville Express, the, 132. 
McGraw, Lucius, 313. 
McGraw, P. H. & A. P.. 315. 
McGraw, Samuel, 243, 311. 
McGraw, William. 313. 
McGraw, P. H., 88-9, 312. 
McGraw, D., 312. 
McGraw, Hiram, 312. 
McGraw, Harry, 81. 
McNett, A. J., 96. 
McKay, Hiram C, 94. 
McVean, J. A., 88. 
McWhorter, Dr. John. 58. 369. 
Medical Society — chronological list of members. 

174-6. 
Memorable law-suit, a, 76. 
Merrick. Danforth, 81. 
Merrick. David. 62. 
Merrill, Mead, 68, 136-7. 
Messenger. Gideon. 320. 
.Messenger. Hiram J., 265, 299, 445-7. 
Mexico conquered bv Spain. 35. 
Midland Railroad, 89. 

Mililar>' career of the 76th regiment, 96 to 106. 
Military histon', 92. 
Military bounty bonds, 52. 



552 



History, of Cortland County. 



Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, 42. 
Treaty of Utrecht, the, 41. 

Treaty l)et\veen the Iroquois and the French, 38. 
Trial of Colonel N. W. Green, 97. 
Tripp. Dr. John D., 174. 
Tripp, James H., 361, 475-7, 
Trowbridge, Billy, 72. 

True American and Rcligiotn; Examiner, the, 131. 
Truxton, 58. 

situation and boundaries, 377. 

natural features, 377, 

early settlements, 377 to 369. 

early mills, 381. 

first town meeting, 381. 

town officers, 381. 

in the rebellion, 382. 

Truxton village, 382. 

mercantile and manufacturing interests, 

383-4. 

churches, 385. 
Turnpike companies, 61, 70. 
Tultle, William D., 148. 
Twenty-hfth Congressional District, 79. 
Twenty-second Congressional District, 79. 
Tyler, John, 324. 

Utica, Chenango ct Cortland Railroad, 89. 
\'an Auken, Willard J., 148. 
Van Alstine. C, 308, 
\'an Bergen, P., 178. 
\'an Hoesen, Garrett, 401. 
\'an Hoesen. Matthias, 117,401. 
Van Slyke, E. D., 125. 
\'an \'redenberg, 1'. D. A; C. A., 130. 
Vining, .Samuel, 59. 
Virgil", 58. 

formation of town, 319. 

natural features, 319. 

first settlement, 319. 

first town meeting, 326. 

first town officers. 326. 

early schools, 326. 

early churches, 327. 

post-offices, 329. 

early marriages and deaths, 331. 

agricultural matters, 332. 

in the rebellion. 336. 

Virgil Corners, 336-8. 

physicians, 339. 

Gridley Hollow, 342. 

Messengerville, 343. 

Frank s Corners, 343. 

supervisors and town clerks, 344. 
Wainwright, Colonel William, 99. 
Wallace,' D. F., 283, 305. 
Walrad, C. P., 304. 
Ward, S. R., 131. 



War of the rebellion, the county in, 95. 

losses in by the county, 1 16. 

prompt action of the |)eople, 95. 

movement to organize regiment, 95. 

the 76th Regiment. 96. 

composition of 76th Regiment, 97. 

officers of 76th Regiment, 97. 

marching orders of 76th Regiment, 98. 

official action in county, 117. 

first public act, 1 17. 

bounties, 1 17-1 18, 

bonds issued, 1 19. 
War of 1812. the, 64. 
sVarren, William H., 145. 
'Varren, Dr. L. C, 314. 
Warren, George L., 178, 283, 304. 
Waters, M. M., 145. 
Waters, Henry D., 148, 
Watson, R. J., 178. 
Watson, Joseph, 217. 
Watson, Eikanah, 59, 66, 241. 
Webb, Major .Adin, 139, 259. 
Webb, Morgan I.., 283, 301. 
Welch, S. E., 117, 304. 
Western Courier, the, 122-3. 
Wheeler. Dr. Elijah G., 153. 
Wheeler, Jerome, 80. 
Wheeler, Jacob, 67. 
Whig, the, 81. 
White. Asa, 61. 
Whitmore, D. E., iSt, 361. 
Whitmore. Parley, 74. 
Whitney, Christo|)her, 58. 
Wickwire Brothers, 295. 
Willet, 59. 

formation of town, 428. 

natural features, 428. 

early settlements, 428-31. 

first town meeting, 430. 

in the rebellion, 432. 

supervisors and clerks, 432. 

present officers, 432. 

churches, 432. 
Wills, Charles E.. 178, 
Winslow, John E., 149. 
Wiswell, Oliver, 74, 137, 284. 
Weed, Thurlow, 352. 
Woodcock. David, 74. 
Woodrutr, Madison, 298. 
Wright. Benjamin T., 146. 
Young Men's Christian As.sociation. 

organization of, 182. 

charter members. 182. 

first officers, 182. 

present officers, 182. 
Zimmer, Philip, 217. .' 



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